A CARE home has been told it requires improvement after inspec- tors found failings in every key assessment area.

Attwoods Manor care home in Braintree Road, Gosfield, has been inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) five times since Jan- uary 2014.

The home was previously rated good but concerns over the storage of medicines led to an inspection in November, which in turn led to a full inspection on December 14.

The latest report, published on April 1, said: “The home had made improvements in the way they managed and administered medicines for people.”

But it added: “Risks were not always effectively managed and we identified a number of areas of concern and restrictive practice.

“People told us they were not always free to come and go as they please because it might not be safe for them to do so and individual risk assessments did not always clarify the risk and the subsequent restriction.”

The CQC assesses homes on five categories of being safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.

It found the home requires improvements in all aspects.

The report said staffing levels were a safety concern and a number of environmental risks were identified.

It said staff were unsure whether they had sufficient training and residents did not always get enough help with eating and drinking.

There were also concerns about cleanliness, the dining area singled out as being “dirty and sticky”.

It said: “People were supported to eat and drink and this was monitored to ensure it was adequate for their needs.

“Staff had taken on board what they had picked up on a recent nutrition course and people were being encouraged with their diet and given additional milky drinks, jelly and snacks.

“However of the some people were not given the support and encouragement they needed and records did not always accurately reflect what people had to eat and drink.”

It added: “People’s dignity and independence was not always upheld.”

The report noted several occasions where staff had been particularly caring, with one staying in hospital with an unwell resident for 16 hours because a relative was unavailable.

The care home was unavailable for comment.