Care home in special measures after inspection

Bramcote Hills Care Home had previously been rated as good but has been downgraded since the inspection in July

A care home has been rated as inadequate and placed into special measures after inspectors found some residents covered in urine and faeces.

Bramcote Hills Care Home in Nottinghamshire was also found to have inadequate staffing levels to ensure care was carried out in a safe and effective way.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) said its inspection was carried out in response to concerns raised to it about the service.

Savace Limited, which runs the home, was issued with two warning notices and told it must update the CQC weekly on staffing numbers and seek permission before admitting new residents.

Bramcote Hills provides nursing and personal care to older people and people living with dementia.

The CQC said it was supporting 49 people with personal care needs at the time of the inspection.

It had previously been rated as good but has been downgraded since the inspection in July.

The warning notices were for failing to meet regulations relating to person-centred care, dignity and respect, need to consent, safe care and treatment, good governance and staffing.

The CQC said the service would be kept under close review and if there were not "rapid and widespread" improvements, further action would be taken.

'Soaked in urine'

Inspectors highlighted ineffective management at the home, saying its team "lacked the knowledge and skills to ensure the service was a safe place for people to live".

Greg Rielly, CQC deputy director of operations in the Midlands, said: "People were at risk of neglect and harm.

"We saw someone in bed soaked in urine and shouted for staff to help. A member of staff walked past and totally ignored them.

"Another person had dried faeces on their clothes and bedsheets, however, staff weren't supporting them to wash to maintain their dignity or follow appropriate infection control measures to prevent the risk of infection."

The report also found a lack of oversight to identify risks or concerns and that care plans were not reflective of people's health care needs.

Other issues included windows that could open too far, and slow food preparation, with some people waiting for more than 40 minutes for a meal.

Mr Rielly told the BBC: "The deterioration shouldn't have happened. It shouldn't have got as bad as it did.

"If we don't see rapid and widespread improvements in the home, we won't hesitate to take further action."

In a statement, Savace Ltd said: "Clearly, normal practices had not been followed in certain areas, and we want to take this opportunity to apologise to residents and their families if we have let them down in any way. This has not been our intention at any time.

"Immediately after the inspection, we instituted an internal review to address the issues raised by the CQC."

It added a new management team was now in place and it had overhauled its auditing processes.