A care home which was rated “inadequate” and placed under special measures has undergone a remarkable turnaround in just a few months.

In February, Eastfield in Maidstone hit the headlines after a resident was allegedly found “disoriented” and “injured” in a storage cupboard and faeces was spotted on bedding.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) took urgent action to safeguard 43 people living at the residence in Sittingbourne Road after finding “widespread shortfalls” in almost all areas looked at.

But on a return visit in July, the watchdog inspectors discovered a “marked change in the service” and it has now been upgraded to “good” in all categories.

A CQC spokesman said: “This inspection was carried out to see if the service had improved in the way the provider had told us it had and that the provider was no longer in breach of these regulations.

“We found a marked change in the service, which had resulted in a positive impact on staff and an improved culture.

“Staff said they felt things had improved significantly since our last inspection.

“They told us they took more time in the way they cared for people and were more conscious of how they interacted with them.

“We found sufficient staff on duty throughout our inspection which meant people did not have to wait for care.

“Staff had received the necessary training for the role resulting in a confident and competent workforce.

“Medicines practices were safe and staff worked closely with external health professionals to help ensure people received appropriate care from across various services when they needed it.”

Lauren Traveller, the home’s registered manager, said: “We’ve worked incredibly hard to turn things around.

“This rating reflects the dedication and compassion of our team. We’re incredibly proud of the result.”

Ms Traveller added: “Whilst we are proud of this outcome, we remain committed to listening, learning and growing so we can keep raising our standards even higher.

“We continue to build on this success, always striving to improve and ensure we provide the very best care possible.”

Eastfield continues to focus on improvements, with ongoing refurbishment of bedrooms and active involvement of residents and families in shaping the home’s future.

This service had been in special measures since October last year.

A CQC spokesman said: “The provider demonstrated improvements have been made.

“The service is no longer rated as inadequate overall or in any of the key questions. Therefore, this service is no longer in special measures.”