RESIDENTS have been forced to move and jobs have been lost after a care home closed following a damning report which said those living there were 'at risk of harm'.

Drayton House in West Allington was rated 'inadequate' by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following an inspection in May, the second visit since March when inspectors highlighted some major issues which needed improvement. A report was published in June which can be seen online.

Dorset Council said meetings were subsequently held and the owners of Drayton House decided to shut it down.

The care home closed on Friday, August 27 and residents have all been moved into new accommodation.

Writing on social media, a person said her sister had been at Drayton House for a number of years and was very sad to leave her home and friends. She praised the supportive staff 'for the love and care you have given her over these years'.

At the time of closure, Drayton House was home to 13 residents and cared for those with dementia, mental health conditions, physical disabilities, sensory impairments or were over the age of 65.

The CQC found the home 'inadequate' overall, also finding it inadequate in the safety and 'well-led' categories, whilst the caring, responsive and effective categories were rated as requiring improvement.

The report stated residents were 'at risk of harm' because the systems in place to ensure they received safe and appropriate care were 'not effective'. Following a previous inspection in March this year, the inspector said the provider told them they would ensure appropriate action was taken in response to all concerns identified, but this did not happen.

The inspector spoke to a number of staff and residents, along with the manager and a representative of the care provider. The report stated one resident said, "there is nothing wrong with the staff, but I don't like the environment."

Staff said they felt supported by the manager. Comments included, "I think she is doing a good job considering what she is up against."

The inspector reported the care provider's quality assurance processes were 'ineffective', with audits not completed to identify care plans and risk assessments not being reviewed or updated, meaning complete and accurate records had not been kept for residents.

The inspector also stated a reduction in staff levels in the afternoon had increased the workload for staff, with staff stating they needed to rush to get everything completed and it was difficult to meet people's needs.

In addition to this, the report found the site had poor infection control as there was no process in place to ensure cleaning was undertaken on days the cleaner was not working and the visitor process was not being followed in relation to Covid-19 checks. It also found maintenance was not being monitored or prioritised and a ground floor toilet did not have a toilet seat.

One staff member told the inspector: "There is not enough staff in the evenings. We are expected to have everybody ready and prepared for bed, do the cleaning and tidy the kitchen. We're not able to give people the time that they need and feel hurried all the time."

The report said some improvements had been made since the last inspection in March but overall sufficient changes were not made and the home was still deemed inadequate.

A Dorset Council spokesman said: "Following a CQC inspection and further meetings between Dorset Council, the home and CQC, the home owners chose to close the setting.

"As a result, Dorset Council worked with the manager of the home to ensure the safety of residents was upheld at all times whilst we supported them into alternative accommodation and we can confirm that all residents have now safely moved."

The News has attempted to contact the owners for comment.