Ashbury Lodge, which supports up to 44 older people including those living with dementia, was rated as “requires improvement” overall by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Concerns were raised around safety, management, and infection control during the inspection, which took place between September 15 and October 8.

The CQC said it had received reports about issues with falls management, insufficient monitoring of residents’ needs, and delays in seeking medical attention.

A CQC spokesperson said: “During our visit, we identified concerns relating to health, safety, and infection prevention and control.

“These included unclean communal bathrooms, broken equipment, and equipment used in unsafe ways.

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“Leaders were not always knowledgeable about their regulatory responsibilities in relation to submitting notifications about incidents which occurred at the service.

“We also found leaders did not always have oversight of risks at the service, which put people at risk of harm.”

The CQC found breaches of legal regulations related to safe care and treatment, as well as governance. The provider has been asked to submit an action plan to address the concerns.

Despite the shortcomings, the home was rated “good” in the categories of effective, caring, and responsive.

The CQC also noted areas of strong practice.

The spokesperson said: “Staff were recruited safely and completed training relevant to their role.

“Staff were knowledgeable about how to support people and showed kindness and compassion to people they supported.

“Activities took place regularly within the service which were varied.

“Staff provided consistently positive feedback about the management team, and felt management were supportive, approachable and responsive.

“There was an open culture where staff were encouraged to raise any concerns.

“Leaders took action in response to the concerns found during the inspection.”

Feedback from residents and families was also largely positive.

One relative said: “They look after her. They all seem happy.

“It was the best decision for me that she is in there.”

Another said: “I have very high confidence in the manager.

“When we were looking at homes, she asked all the right questions and made us feel comfortable.”

The CQC noted that not all residents were able to communicate their experiences directly, but inspectors observed care being delivered with “kindness, compassion and dignity.”

Staffing levels met residents’ needs.