A CARE home in Chippenham for adults with long term mental health issues has been declared 'inadequate' by the Quality Care Commission after an inspection found it was not safe or well led.

Glanmor in Bath Road provides accommodation for up to seven people and is run by ABLE, a registered charity.

The inspection in October was triggered in part because of an incident when a service user suffered a serious injury- which is part of an on-going local authority investigation.

The CQC report, published on December 29, remarked that the recording of incidents and accidents, subsequent investigations, actions taken and measures to minimise risks had not been safely managed.

The leadership of the care home was also judged inadequate because of the failure to report incidents including serious injuries and physical abuse, and because effective monitoring had not been completed to identify shortfalls and take timely action to address concerns.

Glanmor was also in need of maintenance and redecoration in some areas, with large tears in the carpets, which were a potential trip hazard.

Complaints were not always dealt with effectively, and inspectors found inequalities in the way people were treated around the issue of smoking.

The inspectors said: "We saw that staff were not always available to spend time with people and there was often lost opportunities for interaction or engagement."

A current ABLE support worker said former Glanmore manager Maricka Phillips had now been replaced.

"We had a resident who fell and sustained a head injury, but the manager who was working there on her own in the middle of the night rang an on call manager, and between them, the two managers decided not to phone an ambulance," the employee said.

"The client was put back to bed and not taken to hospital till the next day."

The care worker criticised incomplete and missing paperwork for the poor rating from the CQC, and said morale among staff was quite low.

ABLE provides supported accommodation for adults with mental health problems across Wiltshire. It runs four homes with a total of 23 places in Melksham, Chippenham and Devizes.

A spokesman for ABLE said: "Following an accident in Glanmor last summer and a consequent inspection from CQC, a number of areas for immediate improvement have been highlighted which ABLE are now in the process of carrying out.

"Our clients' safety, wellbeing and happiness are our priority and we are taking action to ensure that these are being met in full."

A Wiltshire Council spokesperson said: “Our primary concern is the wellbeing of those living in the homes, and ensuring they are getting the appropriate care and support.

"We know this will be an unsettling time for residents and their families, and we are working with the homes and our partner organisations to ensure they have an action plan in place and that swift improvements are being made.”