THE boss of a care home which has been plunged into special measures said it is not a "true reflection" of residents' experiences.

Inspectors from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) visited The Flowers Care Home, on Snape Drive, Horton Bank Top, on two dates in October.

The home was previously judged as 'requires improvement', but the latest inspection saw it fall to 'inadequate' and be placed in special measures.

Outlining concerns, inspectors said: "Records indicated multiple examples where people were losing weight or having unwitnessed falls, and this was not reflected in their risk assessments.

"One person had fallen three time since their admission in July 2021. The falls were not recorded in their falls diary and there was no management plan or risk assessment in place. This meant they were at an increased risk of harm.

"Another person regularly became anxious and upset. Records showed they had displayed some behaviours which exposed others to risk of harm. There was no detailed risk assessment in place to advise staff on how to support the person."

The report said accidents and incidents were not always recorded and while there was no evidence people had been harmed "systems were either not in place or robust enough to demonstrate safety was effectively managed".

Inspectors also said there was not enough staff to keep people safe and regular Covid-19 tests were not being completed regularly.

The report said that on both days of the inspections, systems were "chaotic" and records requested by inspectors were not available.

However, the staff team were praised as "kind and compassionate" and "consistent and experienced".

Inspectors said the provider took "immediate action" to safeguard people and "spoke passionately about ensuring the necessary improvements were made".

The report said relatives were complimentary about how the service had managed throughout the pandemic. One said: "They have been brilliant throughout it all."

The home remains 'good' in the caring and responsive key questions.

Manager Sarah Barraclough said of the report: "I, along with my staff team do not feel this is a true reflection of the care experienced by our residents.

"Moving forward we are using used the services of a care consultant, and are having regular meetings with the local authorities.

"Currently we are implementing robust procedures to ensure the best outcomes for our residents, in line with the regulator's requirements.

"Thank you to our residents, and families for their continued support throughout."