A NURSING home has been branded inadequate because of a catalogue of failings and obstructive management who restricted access to important records during an inspection by care watchdogs.

Lister House Nursing Home in Heaton, Bradford, is now in special measures and has six months to improve otherwise it could be shut down by the Care Quality Commission.

Debbie Westhead, the CQC’s deputy chief inspector for adult social care, said: “People are entitled to services which provide safe, effective, responsive and high quality care.

“We found that the care provided at Lister House Nursing Home fell a long way short of what we expect services to provide.”

CQC inspectors visited the home in March last year and told its owners where they needed to improve but Ms Westhead said it was “disappointing” that some of the same issues remained and said it was also “worrying” that fresh concerns were found.

She said: “There were not enough of the right staff to look after people with complex nursing needs and we witnessed staff ignoring people and heard call bells ringing frequently.

“We also heard staff speaking indiscreetly and harshly about people and it was clear they were not aware of how to support people living with a dementia.

“We found the management to be obstructive and they restricted the access of the inspection team to records they needed to see. The records that we did have access to, showed that they did not always reflect people’s needs.”

The CQC said other findings included disorganised staff with no direction because of poor leadership as well as poorly managed risk assessments.

People were not always supported to have choice and control of their lives, some staff displayed brusqueness and irritation at times ignoring people while privacy and dignity was not always respected with staff shouting to each other for help to get people to the toilet

One care worker also admitted to not reading care records which meant care tasks could be missed.

The CQC is now working with partners, including Bradford Council, to make sure the 31 people living there are safe.

Cathy Carpenter, the home’s registered manager, told the Telegraph & Argus: “The home does not wish to make any comment at all.”