A CARE home has been ordered to improve after a health watchdog found its residents are not always safe.

Great Horkesley Manor care home was the subject of a snap inspection by the Care Quality Commission, which found although some improvement had been made since a previous inspection in May last year, the home still requires improvement.

Inspectors found residents were not always safe or protected from the risk of abuse.

The report stated although all staff at the Orchard Care-run home had been given safeguarding training, bosses were not able to show how specific safeguarding concerns had been responded to appropriately.

It said: “Concerns had been highlighted that some staff’s conduct towards people who used the service had been unhelpful, dismissive and rude.

“In addition, concerns had been raised that staff had placed two people at risk of receiving care and support that was unsafe and not to an appropriate standard, as a result of poor manual handling techniques.”

The manager was questioned about the allegation, but said she had been on holiday at the time.

An internal investigation had been carried out, but no information had been passed to Essex County Council.

The report added: “This showed local safeguarding guidance and the provider’s own safeguarding policy and procedures had not been followed.”

When inspectors asked to see a copy of the internal investigation, it could not be found.

Inspectors also found residents were mostly given their medicines as prescribed, but some had been missed because they were asleep.

They found no evidence any attempt had been made to administer the medicine when they awoke.

Inspectors also said the home, which has 73 residents, must improve its record keeping after they found records for one patient’s food intake were not available for six days in October and four days in November.