THE care minister Caroline Dinenage visited a local authority care home that was recently rated in a Care Quality Commission inspection.

Ms Dinenage visited the Whitby Road care home in Pickering, North Yorkshire, to look at how the site had made improvements ahead of its latest CQC inspection.

Richard Webb, director of health and adult services at North Yorkshire County Council, said: “It was a fantastic day and residents and frontline colleagues at Whitby Road, Pickering were able to show the Minister the difference that good care makes to the lives of people."

During her visit, Ms Dinenage also spoke with GPs and representatives from independent care providers about the local authority's work to turnaround other care services, at possible risk of failure.

Mr Webb said: “The Minister was briefed on the very real challenges we face in North Yorkshire in delivering adult social care.

"Caroline Dinenage was very interested in our prevention services which help people live independent lives in their own communities and she was particularly interested in our services which strengthen people’s social networks and help to reduce their social isolation, which can have a very debilitating effect on people’s health."