A CARE home for people with mental health conditions has been slammed by inspectors as "inadequate".

Chesterholm Lodge, in Lee-on-the-Solent, was given an unexpected visit by a team from Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Upon their visit, the inspectors published in an online report that "people were not always safeguarded from abuse" and said its "management of medicines was unsafe".

The residential care home, for older people and adults living with a mental health condition, was homing 15 people at the time of the inspection.

Inspectors described the care home's safety, effectiveness as inadequate, as well as how well-led the service is.

They rated the care and responsiveness of staff to the residents as requiring improvement.

The independent health regulator CQC report said: "The provider failed to safeguard people from abuse and improper treatment. Incidents and accidents were not managed safely to prevent a reoccurrence."

The report added that people did not always receive medicines as required.

It said the environment of the care home was not well maintained and did not promote people's emotional wellbeing or physical safety.

One staff member said: "We don't have the time to do the medicine properly as people need us to help them. We have to cook dinner, breakfast and tea, answer the phone, do the laundry, do paperwork and give people the help they need. We don't have time."

Another staff member told inspectors: "I have to tell people I can't help them with a bath or shower as I have to cook dinner. I can't keep to what people want."

One strength highlighted in the report was that people could make decisions in relation to their day to day lives, including what time they liked to get up or go to bed, where they spent their time in the home and if they wanted to go out.

Now, the service will be kept under review and will be re-inspected within six months to check for significant improvements.

Inspectors said if not enough improvement is made in the required time, they will prevent the service from being operated.

Chesterholm Lodge was established in 1986 and is owned by Mr and Mrs Ramana and their son Mr B. S. Ramana on behalf of BSR London Limited.

BSR London Limited has been contacted for comment.

REPORT - https://www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-3983012549/inspection-summary#overall