A CARE home without a manager or "robust safeguarding systems" has been told it must improve by watchdog.

The Essex Care Consortium, in Marks Tey, has been rated Requires Improvement following an inspection by the CQC.

The home is a residential care home providing regulated activity and accommodation to people with learning disabilities or autism.

The service was rated Requires Improvement for both its leadership and safety.

In the report inspectors said: “Systems to manage risks to people's safety, the living environment and equipment needed to improve.

“Staff had received training on how to recognise and report abuse. However, the provider did not have robust systems in place to ensure all safeguarding incidents were robustly investigated and learnt from.”

It also said record keeping needed to improve to “ensure staff recruitment documentation was complete and held centrally in one place and accessible”.

Inspectors say they made a recommendation about safe recruitment and induction training for new staff.

They noted how the service does not currently have a registered manager in post, with the home having also had three managers in the last 19 months.

“The frequent changes in management had impacted on staff morale and the quality of the service provided,” the inspectors noted.

Despite this, the service was rated good for its care, effectiveness and responsiveness, with staff receiving top praise.

The report added: “Staff showed a genuine interest in people's well-being and quality of life.

“People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests.

“People were provided with as many opportunities as possible to gain new skills and become more independent.

“Staff were kind, caring and nurturing and as a result we saw people were at ease, happy, engaged and stimulated.

“They worked well with other professionals to ensure people received the right level of support to manage signs of distress and or frustration.”

The report also noted the service had “effective infection, prevention and control measures to keep people safe, including good arrangements for keeping the premises clean and hygienic”.

The Essex Care Consortium was contacted for comment by the Gazette.