Two Clacton care homes plunged into special measures after a health watchdog inspected them are being warned they urgently need to improve standards.

East Anglian Daily Times: Rosier Home in Harold Road, Clacton, which has been ranked as 'inadequate' overall by the Care Quality Commission. Picture: GOOGLE MAPSRosier Home in Harold Road, Clacton, which has been ranked as 'inadequate' overall by the Care Quality Commission. Picture: GOOGLE MAPS (Image: Archant)

Care Quality Commission assessors found risks associated with choking, infection control, window restrictors and trip hazards when they visited St Marks Residential Care Home in Wellesley Road late last year.

These factors, alongside suggestions that rooms were found cold during winter after staff failed to check if windows had been left open, led to inspectors ranking the home as ‘inadequate’ overall.

According to a report published recently, investigators also found the front fire door, which staff were required to carry a key to, was permanently locked – but on the two days they inspected the home there were staff that did not have a key on them.

The report adds: “The service was not safe. Risks to people’s welfare were not managed effectively. People were not being provided with a safe, well maintained environment.”

Representatives from the home said: “We are working very closely with the support of the Essex County Council’s quality improvement team and we are confident to make the necessary improvement to ensure the service is fully compliant.”

Elsewhere in the town, Rosier Home in Harold Road was also put into special measures and ranked inadequate for safety, effectiveness and leadership.

However, the service was rated ‘requires improvement’ for care and responsiveness.

Inspectors who visited the home in October last year said there had been improvements from the last assessment, including in the management of medicines and the promotion of residents’ independence.

But CQC teams said carpets were stained, chairs were grubby and the tops of tables were peeling off.

Window restrictors were audited but a handful on the first floor had not been checked, the resulting report said. A spokesman for the home added: “There were some points in the report that I didn’t agree with, I don’t think that they reflect the work that we do.

“We are a very caring home, we really do care about our service users.

“We did carry out an audit of the upstairs windows, but there was one or two we missed and I have bought new restrictors for each one now.

“We’ve got a big action plan in place and things are improving.”