RESIDENTS’ safety was put at risk, especially those with dementia, at a Weyhill nursing home which has been ordered to improve by the care watchdog.

Millway House, in Amesbury Road, has been rated as ‘requires improvement’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following a visit in December last year.

Inspectors found a number of potential dangers for residents living with dementia as a bottle of toilet cleaner had not been locked away, and the sluice room was unlocked, which presented scalding risks.

The report, published on January 12, added: “We were concerned that people, living with dementia, were able to access a large garden pond. There was no barrier to protect people from falling in the pond and no risk assessment in place to help ensure all remedial actions were in place to keep people safe.”

In spite of the home being “visibly clean”, some of the older parts were in need of refurbishment and presented an infection control risk, inspectors said.

And concerns were also raised about the lack of regular supervision to give staff the opportunity to improve.

Inspectors deemed that the home was in breach of regulation in respect of these issues.

There was also a lack of assessment of people’s needs, with one resident displaying “inappropriate behaviour” to other people and staff, and the team had not received training on managing challenging attitudes.

Handrails in the downstairs bathrooms were rusty and a commode chair was being used as a shower chair and as a result the wheels were full of rust, it was also reported.

The watchdog said the home was ‘good’ for its caring nature and responsiveness.

Staff were found to have the knowledge and confidence to identify safeguarding concerns and “understood the importance of respecting people’s privacy and dignity”.

Residents said that they felt happy living at the home, with activities to take part in.

Meetings were also held with people and their relatives to ensure everyone was kept informed about what was happening.

At the time of the inspection the home’s manager had recently changed and the service was under new ownership, who said that it will be introducing regular staff meetings as inspectors highlighted that there was a record of only one forum taking place.

A spokesman for Sears Healthcare, which owns the home, said: “The home was inspected the day after Sears Healthcare took ownership of Millway House and the findings of the report correlate with our own view of the home and the plan of works that has been put in place.

“Many of the environmental issues identified in the report have been resolved already and, as part of the acquisition, there is a plan in place for further repairs and refurbishment to continue to improve the facilities.

“Sears Healthcare is incredibly proud of the staff who work at Millway House, and we are pleased that the CQC report recognises the care and compassion that they provide to all our residents. We believe that with the appointment of the new Home Manager and the implementation of a new professional development framework for staff, that our staff will have opportunities to grow and develop.

“Whilst it is disappointing to receive this rating from CQC we appreciate the findings of the report. We believe that the improvements that have been planned by Sears Healthcare as part of the acquisition of Millway House will ensure that the home can continue to provide excellent care for residents, as well as playing an active role in the local community.”