A Wiltshire care home has been served a warning notice after inspectors found residents were “at risk of harm”.

Marlborough Lodge care home, on London Road in Marlborough, was slapped with an overall rating of Inadequate - the lowest possible grade - following a Care Quality Commission (CQC) report which was published earlier this month.

Two inspectors visited the care home unannounced in January, 2023, and slammed the service for failing to protect residents from avoidable harm and leaving them unsafe.

The report said: “We have identified breaches in relation to safe care and treatment, need for consent, staffing and good governance at this inspection.

“The provider had failed to make sure risks to people's safety were assessed and management plans in place to keep people safe.

“The provider had failed to make sure staff had the skills and competence needed to support people safely.

“The provider had also failed to manage people's medicines safely. This placed people at risk of harm.”

As a result, the CQC issued a warning notice to the provider and have also imposed conditions on their registration.

Inspectors found that multiple incidents of injury had not been reported to the local authority’s safeguarding team, putting people at risk of further harm.

These injuries included unexplained bruising and a head injury.

Another resident, who suffered from dementia, had been able to leave the building unescorted on three occasions, with no risk assessment in place.

During the inspection, concerns were raised that staff had not responded to issues with wound dressings safely, while there was also evidence that medicines were not being managed safely.

As well as investigating the safety of the home, inspectors also assessed the efficiency of the service provided and how well led it was.

Marlborough Lodge was judged to be Inadequate in all three of these categories.

Despite these shortfalls, people and relatives told inspectors residents were “happy, settled, safe and secure” at Marlborough Lodge.

The home has now been placed in “special measures” because of the rating and will be reviewed and reinspected by the CQC within six months.

If inspectors deem Marlborough Lodge to still be Inadequate in its provision of any of the three key areas at this reinspection, further enforcement action will be taken.

This could include preventing the home from providing its services.

The home currently has facilities to house up to 18 people living with dementia, mental health conditions, physical disabilities and sensory impairment.

Marlborough Lodge was contacted for a response but declined to comment.