A BRADFORD care home has been branded inadequate and placed in special measures by health watchdog the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Ashville Care Home, Idle, was subject to the unannounced inspection at the beginning of November.

A report said: "At the last inspection in September 2017 we rated the service Requires Improvement.

"We found further work was required to the environment to make it pleasant and staffing levels needed increasing as there was no activities co-ordinator and people lacked interaction and stimulation."

"At this inspection, whilst activities staff had now been recruited, we found the quality of the environment had deteriorated.

"We identified a number of risks associated with the environment and which had not been identified and rectified by the provider. Risks associated with the environment had been a long-standing concern in the service, for example at the April 2016 and February 2017 inspection."

The report added: "Because concerns over risk management and governance were long standing and demonstrated a lack of action to sustain acceptable practice, we rated the service 'Inadequate' overall and in the Is the service Safe? And Is the Service Well Led? domains."

Inspectors said communal areas of the building needed improving to make "for a pleasant living environment".

Some concerns over maintenance issues were reported to the fire service.

The report highlighted how some bathroom taps did not work, some wardrobes were not attached to the wall, numerous light bulbs did not work and lighting quality was "very poor".

Inspectors said systems to assess, monitor and improve the services needed to be made "more robust"to ensure consistent improvement took place over time.

"This was the fourth inspection since 2016 at which the service was rated requires improvement or below," the report said.

"The service needed to improve its approach to quality to ensure a consistently high performing service."

Inspectors said the number of risks demonstrated that maintenance issues had not been identified, reported and dealt with in a "timely manner".

The home was found to be in breach of two regulations, relating to safe care and treatment and meeting nutritional and hydration needs.

However, the report said that positive feedback was provided about the service and people, relatives and health professionals said it met individual needs.

"Staff were kind and caring and treated people well," said inspectors.

At a previous inspection, inspectors found the home did not always provide suitable activities, but said this had improved.

"Each day an extra staff member worked, whose role it was to provide people with activities as well as helping out with care at peak times," the report said.

"During the inspection we saw them spending time with people undertaking person centred activities. External visitors also provided activities.

When a care home is placed in special measures it is kept under review and inspected again within six months. A spokesperson for Ashville said it was continuing with a refurbishment programme and is working with the CQC.