A care home put into special measures for putting residents at serious risk of harm has improved.

Futures Care Home, Colchester Road, Halstead, was criticised by the Care Quality Commission earlier this year after it was found staff restrained a resident for more than 20 minutes.

It has now been rated as “requiring improvement” after a number of changes were made, including a new service manager being installed, but still does not meet expected standards.

The report, following an inspection to see if anything was better, said: “There continued to be insufficient staff available at all times to meet people’s assessed needs.

“The service manager told us that over the last six months there had been a high turnover of staff, in part due to some dismissals and staff leaving.

“Staff when absent did not always notify senior staff of their absence.

“We were not assured that staff had an adequate grasp of people’s routine health needs, preferences or consistently kept them under review.”

There were signs the home, while not good, was not quite as bad as previously.

Residents with a diagnosis of epilepsy had seizure management plans in place, which diagnosed the type of seizures they suffered from.

But during the inspection it was found that one person’s plan had not been reviewed since August 2013, despite the need for this to be completed every year.

The report said: “One relative cited examples of staff not taking care of their relative’s possessions such as leaving toiletries on a radiator so they melted.

“They also gave an example of staff buying from their relative’s personal money a season ticket for a theme park right at the end of the season.

The report added: “We noted from viewing records people were often paying from their own personal money when out in the community for lunches, sandwiches etc.”

James Purser, owner of the home, said: “We have worked very hard since the last inspection.

“Staff have done a fantastic job to improve the quality of the service and we are striving to get good in the next inspection.”

Mr Purser claimed the care home was not yet rated as good because he claimed it was impossible to achieve the rating straight after being put in special measures.

The home is for younger adults with a range of disabilities.