A care home described as ‘a prison’ by one resident has been placed in special measures after a damning review.

Elm Royd Nursing Home of Brighouse on Wood Lane is now in danger of having its licence removed after Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors visited.

A person left lying in faeces, faeces left in a lounge, dangerous fall hazards, a lack of staff, cold meals and no drinks were included in the report, which was written following two visits on October 29 and 30.

Seven legal requirements were breached and three safeguarding referrals were made by inspectors, who were deeply concerned about patient safety, health and welfare.

They also found “essential” medicines had “run out”, response times to bells were in “excess of eight minutes” and questioned washing, dressing and presentation of residents.

One resident at the home, said: “I hate it here, it’s like prison, I have done weeks of my sentence.”

A visitor told an inspector they “had no confidence at all, in, particularly, the nursing staff”, and “were removing their relative from the home.”

The home, run by Fartown-based Eldercare (Halifax) Ltd, was rated inadequate – the lowest rating – in two of five categories and overall, while substantial improvements were needed in the others.

It will be re-inspected within six months.

The report follows two other inadequate ratings for Eldercare’s Cowlersley Court Care Home and Ashleigh Care Home (which has since closed) in Huddersfield last year.

Elm Royd Care Home, Wood Lane, Brighouse.

On Eldercare’s web page for Elm Royd, it says: “For adults diagnosed with a form of dementia we can offer specialised care.”

But in their report, inspectors said: “We found little evidence to support this.”

Staff “were unaware of the contents of care plans”, training was not all up to date and “people were not kept safe as there were not enough staff with the right skill mix.”

Safety was also compromised by issues such as failure to make repairs and “to recognise and report incidents.”

Inspectors had to instruct staff to take action during the visits, including in one incident they were alerted to due to “a strong and unpleasant odour” coming from a room, where a resident in bed had spread faeces “on themself and the bed.”

Asked by the Examiner if any action would be taken against Eldercare, a CQC spokesman said: “The majority of the services under Eldercare are due for re-inspection – we can’t say more due to nature of the inspections generally being unannounced.

“The services of high concern. Cowlersley Court Care Home and Elm Royd Nursing Home are being monitored very closely.

“Unfortunately due to legal reasons any enforcement action we consider cannot be disclosed until it has been concluded.”

Brian Vincent, managing director for Eldercare, said: “I can say categorically that there’s not a lack of staff.

“There’s a national nursing shortage crisis so we have had to resort to agency nurses, so many of these concerns are down to this lack.

“They are also down to low funding levels by the CCG paid to support elderly people in the area.

“We didn’t have a registered manager but have appointed one who has experience of turning care homes around.

“In terms of remedial action we are well on with the project and are recruiting more suitable staff and have a good training programme in place.”