A CARE home could be shut by regulators if it fails to improve in the next six months.

Godden Lodge, in Hart Road, Thundersley, has been branded “inadequate” by the Care Quality Commission and placed in special measures.

The home’s effectiveness, quality of care, responsiveness and leadership were all described as inadequate by inspectors.

Godden Lodge, operated by Bupa Care Homes, can accommodate up to 133 elderly people and includes five houses.

There were 105 people living at the home at the time of the inspections in July, with the findings being published this week.

The commission found staffing at Murrelle House, which specialises in dementia care, was “not appropriate” to residents’ needs.

The report added: “Staff did not always have enough time to spend with people to meet their needs.

“Medicines were not consistently stored safely and improvements were required to ensure people received their prescribed medication.”

Inspectors also found staff training was ineffective and some did not understand how to support people living with dementia.

The dining experience at the home was described as “variable”, with some residents not being givenachoice of drinks during the day.

One resident, who said they could not feed themselves and asked for help from staff, was ignored for more than 15 minutes before eventually being helped.

Staff in four of the five houses were described as “kind and caring”

by residents, but relatives of people in Murrelle House said care was inconsistent.

The report said: “Services placed in special measures will be inspected again within six months.

“If insufficient improvements have been made, we will take action in line with our enforcement procedures to begin the process of preventing the provider from operating the service.

“This will lead to cancelling or varying the terms of their registration within six months, if they do not improve.

“The service will be kept under review and, if needed, could be escalated to urgent enforcement action.”

A Godden Lodge spokesman said: “We were disappointed by the commission report.

“We have taken immediate action and made a number of improvements.

“This includes carrying out extensive extra training for our people, re-assessing how we store and administer medicines, reviewing the activities offered in the home and our residents’ dining experience.

“We are also in the process of reviewing and updating all our residents’ care records.

“Whilst we still have work to do to further improve our home, our residents’ welfare remains our number one priority.”