A care home has been taken out of special measures following an inspection by the Care Quality Commission.

Inspectors found Cedars Care Home, off Sudbury Road, Halstead, still requires improvement but is no longer rated as inadequate.

New provider, QH the Cedars Limited, took on the home in April following a damning report where inspectors said residents were being left to sit in their own waste and staff were overworked.

Under the management of director Vinay Sikand, the home has addressed a number of issues previously raised and was rated good for management, safety measures and caring.

Mr Sikand said: “We really tried our best to get things set up and improved since April.

“There has been a few care homes in Halstead which have been struggling so it was always going to be difficult when we took over.

“There was a lot of restructuring and reorganising needed and it has taken a while to actually see a difference.

“We have still got a bit more to do but reading the report it looks very positive. It feels like the home has turned a corner.”

Despite the positives from the Care Quality Commission report, the effectiveness and responsiveness of the service offered at the home still requires improvement.

Inspectors found residents at the home were not being offered enough activities or entertainment and were often left sitting in chairs for long periods.

Concerns were also raised about residents’ dining experience due to the length of time people were waiting for meals and the need for improvements to the dining room.

However, inspectors are confident the necessary changes will be made.

The report adds: “Most of the things we had highlighted during our inspection had been previously picked up in an audit that the registered manager and regional manager had undertaken.

“We therefore had confidence that this actions would be carried out.

“The manager was enthusiastic about their role and spoke passionately about their vision and what they were trying to achieve."