A care home service has been ordered to improve by a health watchdog following an inspection which found poorly maintained toilets and dietary needs were not regularly reviewed.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) gave the overall score of ‘requires improvement’ to Greenmantle Care Home, in Mornington Road, Woodford Green.

It found there were issues with how safe and effective the privately owned care home was.

The converted house has space for 15 people aged 65 and over

The CQC report said: “Some parts of the premises such as a bedroom and a toilet were not well maintained and presented risks to people, staff and visitors.

“Staff were available to provide support when people needed it, although this was not always the case during mealtimes.

“Care files showed that people’s dietary needs were not regularly reviewed and did not always contain enough information about their medical condition.”

On the other hand, the service received a ‘good’ score for how caring, responsive and well-led it was.

The report said: “People told us they liked the home.

“They said staff treated them with respect and they would recommend the home to others.

“There was guidance for staff to ensure that people's privacy was respected.

“Staff gave us examples of how they ensured people's privacy.

"People and their representatives were involved in their assessment of needs and review of care plans.

“Relatives told us staff listened and responded to people's needs.

“There was a system in place for people to raise their concerns.

“Some people took part in the activities provided by staff whilst others chose not to participate.

“This indicated that various activities were available at the home for people to join in if they were interested in them.”