A care home in Bury St Edmunds where residents were seen squaring up to each other “on a very regular basis” has received a ‘requires improvement’ rating by a health watchdog.

Davers Court, in Shaker’s Lane, was inspected in February by the Care Quality Commission with the report just published.

Although rated ‘requires improvement’ overall, the Care UK home was rated ‘inadequate’ for its safety.

Operations director for Care UK Rachel Gilbert said it had challenged some aspects of the report.

“Although I accept that we haven’t yet got everything right with the way this home is run I did have some questions about the way inspectors interpreted some of the things that they observed over the two days of their visit and we did challenge some aspects of the report,” she said, adding a new manager had been “working hard” to bring about improvements. She added it was “reassuring” to read inspectors found staff at the home “caring and friendly”.

“I am confident that the care and support offered that we are providing to residents in this home is kind, compassionate and safe,” she said.

According to the report, people who used the service and their relatives fed back a “mixed picture” about if they felt the service was safe.

Three relatives said they had concerns about other people using the service going into their relative’s bedroom. Another was worried about the behaviour of some people using the service, telling inspectors: “I have seen aggressive behaviour – three [residents] squaring up to each other on a very regular basis.”

The home was found to be in breach of regulations regarding how they managed medicines in an inspection in January, 2015. The latest inspection found the service had not made the improvements needed. It said staff were observed demonstrating a “compassionate and caring attitude” when they gave people their medicines.

However, it went on to say a nurse was spotted not following procedures set down by Care UK. The service has had six managers since opening in August, 2014. It provides accommodation and nursing care for up to 60 people, some of whom are living with dementia.