WINCHESTER'S St Cross Grange retirement home has failed another inspection into the care it provides for the elderly who pay around £1,000 per week to live there.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) found there had been significant improvements in the three months since their previous visit, after which its owners were issued with five warning notices for regulation breaches.

But the inspector said more action was still required in the areas of care and welfare, medicine management, and the internal monitoring of the quality of service residents receive.

“Overall we observed many improvements in the way people were cared for at the service, but there were some areas that needed further attention,” her report said.

After the legal warnings were issued to St Cross Grange's owner Greensleeves Homes Trust in July, Hampshire County Council stopped sending anyone in its care to live at the 64-bed facility.

And the CQC returned to make two unannounced spot-checks in August.

The recently-published report into this latest visit praised the home's new manager Susan Munro for increasing the numbers of staff meetings, with one person describing her as “brilliant”.

It also said elderly at the home in St Cross Road were treated in a “kind, compassionate and friendly way” by staff.

However the inspector observed that some of the changes made in areas such as medicine management and weight monitoring earlier in the summer had not had enough time to be properly bed in.

“People were not protected against the risks associated with medicines,” her report noted.

“One person who had been losing weight when we visited in May 2014 showed an increase in August.

“However, we also found that it was not always clear what action was taken in response to identified weight loss.”

A Greensleeves Homes Trust statement said: “The CQC's planned re-inspection of St Cross Grange in August confirms the significant improvements achieved within the home, defining the home as caring, compassionate and kind, and recognising that residents are happy living at the home.

“The new management team at the home continues to work with residents, staff and the local authorities to embed the improvements achieved at the home.

“The current action plan has been developed in consultation with the CQC and local authority and aims to achieve full compliance by the end of December 2014.”

A Hampshire County Council spokeswoman said: “Hampshire County Council continues to work with the provider and the Care Quality Commission to ensure all the required improvements are made and is not placing any new residents in the home while this work is ongoing.”