Inspectors found residents were being referred to by room numbers and had not cleaned their teeth in three days, in a damning care home report.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated Woodford House, in Dartford, ‘inadequate’ following a surprise visit in April meaning it is now in ‘special measures’.

The home provides residential and nursing care for up to 39 people and supports the elderly, people living with dementia, autistic people and those with a learning disability.

It previously held a ‘good’ rating however it has since been taken over by new provider RCB Health Care Group in August 2022.

The health watchdog inspected the service for the first time since it changed hands following concerns received about people’s safety and dignity.

It was rated ‘inadequate’ overall but also received the same score for being caring, responsive and well-led. It was rated ‘requires improvement’ for being safe and effective.

CQC’s director for people with a learning disability and autistic people, Rebecca Bauers, said: “Our experience tells us that when a service is not well-led, it is more likely they are unable to meet people’s needs in other areas we inspect, which is what we found at Woodford House.

“It is unacceptable that leaders allowed a culture to develop which was not centred around the people using the service and did not always provide for their personalised needs.

“For example, care plans for people with mental health conditions did not always have guidance for staff on how to recognise or prevent their distress, and the care plans of people with epilepsy did not support staff on how to keep them safe if they have a seizure.

“We saw that people were not always given a voice in their own care, including being involved in creating their care plans.

“Additionally, staff did not always have training to support and communicate with people with autism or people with a learning disability, making it more difficult for them to support people’s right to make choices in their care.

“Inspectors saw some people were not supported to dress in their own clothes, were disheveled, or had not been helped to clean their teeth for two to three days.

“It was also appalling that some staff would refer to people living here by their room number rather than their name.

“Woodford House is not a medical setting. It is a place that people call home, and people should be supported to live with dignity and respect in a way that others are able to take for granted.

“Despite this, inspectors saw some positive face-to-face interactions between staff and people using the service. People and their loved ones said staff were kind.

“We reported our findings to the service so it knows where it must make improvements. We are monitoring it closely to ensure people’s safety, and we will return to assess whether improvements have been made.”

The report published today also found parts of the service, in Watling Street, was unclean, the “communal lounge smelt overpoweringly of urine”, and a relative said their loved one was “not always in their own clothes” and sometimes had someone else’s underwear on.

Despite this, people said the food provided was of good quality, the chef managed people’s dietary and choking risks well, there was enough staff to keep people safe and staff were observed to be kind and caring.

The report added: “During our inspection we observed call bells being answered in a timely manner, and people not waiting for support.

“We received positive feedback from people and their relatives about the care they received.”

It also stated that although staff was seen referring to people by their room number and not their name, the provider was aware of this and was trying to discourage the practice.

RCB Health Care Group runs six care homes in Kent, including Priory Mews, in Dartford, which has also been rated ‘inadequate’.

Read More: Why is the CQC downgrading so many care homes?

A spokesman for RCB Health Care Group said: “We only acquired Woodford house Care Home in September 2022 and unfortunately inherited many issues.

“Since the CQC inspection in April 2023, we have made deep rooted changes, not only to the policy and procedures, but to personnel too.

“We have hired a new experienced team including a new manager, new deputy, new clinical lead, new nurses, safeguarding lead and overseas nurse trained care staff.

“These additions have very much changed the fabric and culture of the home in a positive way; these words are of some of our current residents and family members.

“We are inviting anyone who would like to see the new changes we have made, and continue to make, to please contact us.”