A CARE home for people with complex needs has been told to improve amid concerns safety and cleanliness levels could put patients at risk.

Phoenix House, Crowstone Road, Westcliff has been rated as requiring improvement following an inspection by the Care Quality Commission.

Inspectors found that the service was not always safe.

The report states: “Improvements were required to ensure the building was properly maintained and clean to prevent the risk of harm and minimise the risk of infection.

“We found some areas of the building to be unsafe, such as exposed

wiring to the shower in one person’s bathroom.

“We also observed cables not securely or appropriately fixed,

cracked and missing tiles in bathrooms, damaged radiator covers and exposed radiators and pipes.

“We shared our concerns with the registered manager. They took immediate action to address these and advised works were in progress to refurbish the home, including the sourcing of suitable furniture which met the challenging needs of the people living at the service.

“There were sufficient numbers of staff employed who had been

safely recruited to meet people’s needs.

“Staff had received training in how to safeguard people from the

risk of abuse.

“Individual risks to people had been assessed and staff showed a good awareness of the risks to people and knew how to keep them safe.”

Inspectors noted the service was not consistently well led.

The report states that improvements are required to ensure quality assurance systems and processes are robust to ensure regulatory requirements are met.

A spokesman for Phoenix House said: “The inspection report highlights a few items of pending repairs which have since been rectified.

“We are pleased to note, however, that the rest of the report is very positive and complimentary in its findings.

“We acknowledge the overall findings of the report and continue to work closely with the inspectorate to strive for excellence in all areas.”