A LIDEN care home has been placed in special measures by the Care Quality Commission after inspectors found a dirty commode, discarded pills and evidence of poor leadership.

The watchdog slammed the management at Edgehill Care Home, with inspectors warning of a lack of oversight of how systems and processes designed to keep patients safe were being implemented by staff.

The home was rated as Inadequate and placed in special measures after the CQC identified six areas where health regulations were not being met.

A spokesman for Edgehill, which at the time of the inspection in March was home to 48 people, said the care home was disappointed by the report: “We strongly challenged a number of points within the report as being factually inaccurate.” An action plan is being put in place to achieve compliance with the health regulations.

In their report, the CQC said there were significant shortfalls in leadership at the service. The registered manager had not assessed the environment at the home for potential risks and make sure there were suitable safety measures in place, the watchdog said.

Care was not always people-centred, meaning the culture at the home “did not always promote a personalised service”. One staff-member told inspectors: “They [people] are given choice, but it is institutionalised. Down to the way the home is run.”

A relative said the management at Edgehill “leaves a lot to be desired”.

Scoring the home as Inadequate for safety, the CQC said care home residents were not receiving their medicines as prescribes and drugs were not being managed safely.

Inspectors wrote: “We found an envelope of tablets in the medicines room. There was no indication what these tablets were, who they belonged to, or why they were in the envelope. The registered manager told us these were tablets waiting to be returned to the pharmacy. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines recommend that ‘care home providers should keep records of medicines that have been disposed of, or are waiting for disposal’.”

Two pieces of moving and handling equipment in people’s rooms were found to be dirty, including a commode chair. Staff claimed the chair’s owner liked to clean it themselves. There was also ingrained dirt in a walking stick.

Key risk assessments had not been completed and three residents did not have personal emergency evacuation plans, designed to help staff and the emergency services in case they needed to evacuate the home. There were seven plans on file for people who no longer lived at Edgehill.

One member of kitchen staff had not completed food hygiene training since 2014: “The registered manager told us the kitchen staff member had been asked to complete this training as a matter of urgency.”

Despite the concerns, inspectors acknowledged that residents at the home felt safe and said the staff were kind. People had their own rooms, which they were able to personalise.

Mealtimes were relaxed and people claimed to enjoy the food. Accidents and incidents were reviewed and action taken to try and reduce future risks.

In a statement, Edgehill Care Home said: “We are very disappointed by the CQC inspection report. We strongly challenged a number of points within the report as being factually inaccurate, and the report as a whole being disproportionate. Whilst some points and comments in the report were changed as a result of this challenge, disappointingly the overall outcome remains unchanged. Many of these points reflected in the report have since been remedied and an action plan will be in place detailing how we will achieve and maintain compliance. We have worked with, and continue to work with our partners in local health and social care to make the necessary improvements. We are extremely grateful for the positive feedback and support provided by our colleagues in the local health and social care community who we work with on a daily basis.

“Our priority is the ongoing care of and communication with our residents, their relatives and our dedicated care teams. We have evidence and feedback that the changes in the home has already addressed many areas of shortfall in the service and now provides the basis for consistently high quality care to be provided at the home.”

A Swindon Borough Council spokesman said: “We will work closely with the provider to monitor the improvements to its action plan and to co-ordinate any multi-agency support, if necessary. Our contract officers will also ensure that any improvements that are made following the inspection are embedded within the service and are also sustainable.”