A CARE home under police investigation has been placed in special measures when it was branded unsafe by inspectors.

Rapkyns Nursing Home, which cares for six patients with special needs, was rated inadequate in a recent Care Quality Commission (CQC) report.

Inspectors raised concerns over patients’ safety and said “lessons had not always been learned” from previous reports.

The care home in Broadbridge Heath, near Horsham, is owned by Sussex Health Care, which is currently under police investigation over an alleged lack of care of 43 residents in its homes.

Inspectors saw one Rapkyns resident pick up a mug of hot drink and spill it, narrowly missing them, while staff were unaware.

Concerns were raised over a patient who had a seizure despite their medical records not mentioning epilepsy.

“There were only six people living at the service, but staff were not able to tell us about their needs in respect of epilepsy,” inspectors said.

Staff also did not know whether a resident who had not had a bowel movement for four days had been seen by a doctor.

Another patient was prescribed back slaps and abdominal thrusts in the event of them choking despite the fact they had a spinal condition. Inspectors described how one patient should take pain relief when needed as they could self-harm if they felt unwell or in pain.

But they had only been given pain relief once in the last three months.

“The person was unable to verbally say when they were in pain,” inspectors said.

Staff at the care home in Guildford Road also left another patient alone in the kitchen despite having been told they should not do so due to behaviours which could harm others.

“The person took a drink that had been left on the table, drank it, then threw the empty cup across the floor,” inspectors said.

The report found 16 out-of-date tablets mixed in with in-date medicines.

And some staff “did not always address people in a dignified way”.

The report read: “We observed staff refer to a person as, ‘good boy’.”

A spokesman for Sussex Health Care said: “Providing our residents and their families with the highest levels of care and support is our priority. As such, we are disappointed by the CQC’s latest report. We have taken on board the CQC’s findings and are putting in place a series of measures to strengthen and enhance the service we provide to those we look after.

“We continue to work closely and constructively with the CQC.”