A Norfolk care home has been rated good and praised for making improvements to the safety of the service following a recent inspection.

Brooke House care home in Brooke was rated good in four out of five categories by inspectors from the Care Quality Commission during visits on August 29 and September 7.

Despite praise for the changes implemented, the care home was told it still requires improvements in the service safety category, but was rated good for being caring, responsive, effective and well-led, resulting in a good overall rating.

Brooke House provides accommodation and support for up to 35 people who may be living with dementia, mental health support needs or with physical disabilities.

During the last inspection in August 2016, the report said improvements were needed to the safety and effectiveness of the service, including improvements in the way some medicines were managed and the timely completion of staff training.

In the latest report, inspectors who visited the Kingsley Healthcare-run home said improvements had been made in the areas highlighted last time, with some further improvement needed to ensure the service people received is always as safe as it should be.

The report said a new electronic system for managing medicines has been brought in, there were enough staff to support people safely and people had a choice of enough to eat and drink to meet their needs.

It said: “Staff understood people’s needs and preferences, so they could engage with people about what was important to them. They took people’s hobbies and interests into account when they were both conversing with them or supporting people with activities.

“People, with support from their relatives if they needed it, were given the opportunity to express their views and make decisions about their care. They were confident that, if they had concerns or complaints about their care, the registered manager would deal with them.”

The report also noted mealtimes were a positive experience. It said: “In the main dining room we observed that staff chatted with people during their meals. They used it as an opportunity to encourage reminiscence, talking to people about their holidays and places they had visited.”