STAFF shortages at a care home in Bromsgrove caused inspectors to raise concerns over the safety of elderly residents.

A report published by the Care Quality Commission on Thursday, December 28, rated Wayside Care Home in New Road as 'requires improvement', following an unannounced inspection in September.

The inspection was brought forward after concerns were raised to the CQC.

Inspectors found that safety at Wayside, which was previously rated 'good', had not been 'consistently upheld', while some residents' care plans had not been updated.

They also witnessed staff putting clothes protectors on three people without their consent.

A follow-up report detailed problems with the way medicines were stored, which increased the risk of residents accessing medication which could cause them harm.

However the registered manager was said to have acknowledged the risks and taken action to reduce them.

The inspectors went on to praise staff for responding quickly to residents' needs, with residents commenting that they felt safe living there.

The majority of Wayside's 24 residents spoke positively about staff and felt they were caring and treated them kindly.

A new co-ordinator had recently been hired to tackle shortfalls in fun activities and events for residents.

Wayside's registered manager told inspectors of the recent challenges in recruiting staff and coping with unplanned staff absences.

The Advertiser approached Wayside for comment on several occasions, but was told a manager was unavailable.