A damning report has found people living in a crisis-hit care home have had their safety “compromised in a number of areas”.

Untrained staff, serious safety risks and undignified treatment were found at Treetops Care Home in Station Road, Epping, which has been condemned as “inadequate” in all areas by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

The CQC report published this week is based on an unannounced inspection on November 18 and 19 last year, carried out by a team of experts following multiple safety concerns, including staff failing to record accidents properly.

Multiple and more serious failings were found in November, with the home rated “inadequate” for safety, effectiveness, caring, responsiveness and leadership.

Inspectors found residents’ medication was not safely managed, “putting them at risk of unnecessary pain or deterioration in their health”.

The report also found staff were untrained and sometimes working unchecked.

It states: “Not all staff had received appropriate training to enable them to deliver care and support to people who use the service safely and to an appropriate standard.”

It adds: “Checks on staff had not always been completed before they started working in the service to make sure they were suitable to work with vulnerable people.

“There were not always enough skilled and competent staff available to meet people’s needs safely.”

People with conditions requiring specialist treatment were also being failed, according to the report.

It says: “The approach to caring for people living with dementia was weak and people's dignity was not respected.

“Staff did not engage and communicate with people effectively and the environment did not support people to feel orientated and safe.”

The inspection team spoke with 11 people living at the home and two visiting relatives, as well as going through medical records and meeting with senior staff.

It was the third such visit in under a year at the home, where 40 people live.

The latest visit found improvements required after an August inspection had not been made, with a newly-appointed manager absent and quality checking systems not implemented.

The CQC has the legal authority to take enforcement action, up to and including prosecuting or removing a provider or manager’s registration, effectively closing the home.

Treetops Care Home director Sultanali Pabani has been contacted for comment.