A CARE home has been put into special measures following a number of failings, including a lack of respect for people’s dignity.

The Paddocks, in Great Notley, was rated as inadequate by the Care Quality Commission in a report published less than two weeks ago.

At the time of the inspection there were six people living in the home with learning disabilities who required 24 hour support.

The report said: “Although staff knew the people they were supporting well they did not routinely respect people’s privacy and dignity.

“Staff were heard asking loudly if people required the toilet and one was heard shouting.

“Written language was not always respectful. A person was described as ‘attention seeking’ in their care records, which is not professional or respectful language.

“Other words that had been recorded in the care notes included, ‘stubborn,’ ‘ignoring staff,’ and ‘[person’s name] stopped moaning’.

“We found no evidence to demonstrate how the manager was moving the service forward and focusing on ways to constantly improve.”

Inspectors found the service did not have acceptable infection control procedures and risk assessment and moving and handling training had not been completed.

Staff were not appropriately monitoring people at risk of weight loss where one person had been refusing meals, but staff had not been regularly weighing them.

The report added: “We saw evidence where decisions had been made on behalf of people the least restrictive option was not always chosen and that people were not always given choices about how they wished to live their lives.

“One person’s care plan stated they received their medication covertly. There was no record of this having been approved by their GP or of a capacity assessment.

“We received information of concern in the form of a safeguarding alert that people had not been appropriately supported to vote during the EU referendum.”

Manager Therese Brown, who has run the home for 24 years, described the report as “devastating.”

She said: “It is a huge sadness. It is very demoralising. Smaller homes are struggling to keep up with paperwork. Every inspection prior to this has been outstanding [met all standards].

“The member of staff who filled in the care record of the resident was brought in for that. She was under a lot of stress that day. These things happen.

“We had one-to-one sessions with a resident who would not eat, doctors visited and we asked the community nurses to weigh her.

“We have actioned everything and invited the CQC back.”

The report added: “People’s bedrooms had been recently decorated and were very personalised.

“Each person living at the service was clean, tidy, dressed appropriately for the weather and looked comfortable.”