ENFORCEMENT action has been taken against a Bournemouth care home after it was deemed unsafe by the health and social care watchdog.

A series of failings deemed to be putting residents at risk were uncovered at Knyveton Rest Home during an unannounced inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in August.

The home, which cares for 36 elderly people, was tasked to make urgent improvements after failing to meet the minimum standards in six out of the eight assessment areas.

During their visit, the inspectors found two mattresses and a roll carpet had been left overhanging a banister, which could have caused “significant injury if they fell”.

The inspectors’ report, which was published earlier this month, states residents were at risk of falling from unrestricted windows and tripping up bare-threaded carpets, fire exits were blocked and ramps used to push residents in wheelchairs down stairs were “slippery and unstable”.

The inspectors also found a bottle of white spirit and wood glue left unattended in the communal area of the home and a bucket of water secured to the banister by a coat hanger to collect water dripping from leak in the roof.

The concerns raised about the state of the three storey building were deemed to be having a “major impact” on the people living at the home.

As well as failing to provide a safe environment, the inspectors found the provider did not have “appropriate arrangements in place to manage medicines” and “accurate and appropriate records were not maintained”.

The owners of the home, Alan and Elaine Coggins, were given until October 15 to send a report to the CQC setting out the action which will be taken to ensure the home meets the minimum standards required.

Mrs Coggins told the Daily Echo all the necessary improvements had been made and the home was waiting to be re-inspected by the watchdog.

Ben Sims, senior environmental health officer at Bournemouth Borough Council, said the council was notified of the CQC’s concerns following the inspection.

He said: “A site visit to Knyveton Hall was subsequently made where we engaged with the owners to bring about the necessary improvements required.

“Since then we have returned to check on progress and are pleased to confirm that the matters arising had either been resolved or were in the process of being resolved.”