A CARE home has been put in special measures after residents were allowed to wander around naked during the inspection.

The discovery was made by inspectors visiting the Charmandean Road home in Worthing, who branded the service “inadequate”.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) highlighted several areas in its damning report of the home, which accommodates up to eight people with learning disabilities and other health needs.

Inspectors found that staff failed to protect people’s privacy and dignity as they let a resident wander the home naked.

The report said: “One person was in a state of undress in shared areas of the home for the majority of our inspection, this included the hallway by the front door. 

“Staff had not considered how to protect this person's modesty prior to opening the door to visitors.”

Inspectors also found that staff shortages had impacted on the ability of people to access the activities they wanted.

One resident said: "I like to go out a lot, but they are always short staffed". 

Inspectors found that the service did not always record incidents, and failed to learn from them and how they might be avoided or reduced.

Staff told inspectors of a number of incidents of “self-injurious” behaviour which had not been managed.

The kitchen was found to be too small for its needs and had not been adapted for people who used wheelchairs. 

Care workers did not have the necessary skills to engage with those who used other ways to communicate, such as sign language and sounds. 

One person told inspectors they felt isolated and expressed concerns about their wellbeing.

Staffing levels were reported to be consistently below the number required to meet people's needs and to keep people safe.

Although the report said people were relaxed with staff and spoke positively about the service and the staff. And that staff followed effective processes provide the support people needed to take their medicines safely.

The last rating for the service under the previous provider was good, published on 14 October 2017.

Charmandean Road has now been put into special measures.

This is a process by which the CQC attempts to improve an inadequate service.

To do this, the health watchdog provides a clear timeframe within which the care home must improve, normally within six months.

Failure to improve the service could lead to the shutting down of the care home.