SHORTAGES in staff, lack of food and drink, and injuries inflicted by other residents were just three problems identified in a damning inspection report of a Colchester care home.

Eight Ash Court, which received a surprise inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in February, was rated inadequate for the second time in six months after experts identified a string of deficiencies in the quality of care.

The care home, also rated inadequate by the CQC in August last year, was found to have made scant improvement following its last visit from the inspectorate, according to a report published on Saturday.

Eight Ash Court, which is in Halstead Road, Eight Ash Green, cares for 12 people including those living with a physical disability, learning disability, and autism.

Safety levels, responsiveness, and leadership were all found to be inadequate – the lowest rating – in the report.

It is also the third time in four inspections that the care home has been found to be inadequate or requiring improvement; the last time Eight Ash Court received a ‘Good’ rating was as far back as 2016.

According to one paragraph of the report, residents at the care home did not receive anything to drink after 8pm.

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It read: “People's fluid charts had no entries after 8pm. We questioned this with staff who told us ‘people have their medication at 8pm – that is when they have their last drink.’

“There was little evidence of people having any additional fluid or food offered to them after this time.”

The report also stated not enough was done to prevent incidents repeating themselves.

“Where safeguarding had been reported, records showed the registered manager had not taken effective action to address any potential triggers, or to minimise the risk of it happening again.

“This included a person who had been injured by another living at the home.”

“Staff told us they felt there were not enough staff on shift to enable them to meet people's needs,” the report added.

Jason Wayne Quen Cheung, the registered manager at Eight Ash Court, did not wish to comment at this stage when contacted by the Gazette.

The care home remains in special measures.