A CARE home has been told it must improve after inspectors found unhygienic facilities.

Willowmead Care Home, in Hatfield Peverel, provides care and accommodation for people who may need help with personal care or who are living with dementia.

The service is provided in two separate houses which share communal gardens and other facilities.

The report said: “We found a number of plastic aprons left on towel rails and around bedrooms.

“In one room we found a bowl of water under the sink with plastic gloves floating in it. A health professional told us hygiene and cleaning in the service was an issue, for example, toilets were often dirty.

“The commodes in a number of people's rooms were uncovered and whilst they had been emptied, they had not received a deep clean.

“There was a smell of urine in some parts of the service.”

Willowmead was told it requires improvement in the areas of safety and if the service was well-led, but inspectors said the service was caring, responsive and effective.

The home was last inspected in 2015 when it was also rated as requires improvement and Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors had concerns about the skills and attitudes of some of the staff.

The report also said: “We saw an incident where a person sitting in a lounge became distressed and wanted the toilet.

“This incident was observed by a member of staff providing one to one support to an individual. This member of staff did not call out to their colleagues to assist the person.

The report added: “People were protected from the risk of abuse. Staff treated people with kindness, dignity and respect.”

The manager was not available for comment.