A Wiltshire care home has been placed under special measures after an inspection found residents “were not safe.”

The CQC deemed Avebury House, in Devizes, to be ‘inadequate’ this month, after a December inspection.

The investigation into the home in Canal Way was carried out after a ‘requires improvement’ rating last May.

Inspectors claimed Avebury House, which is operated by Coate Water Care, put residents “at risk of avoidable harm.”

Staff failed to “manage and store medicines safely” during the inspection, putting them in breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 Regulations 2014.

In one instance, a nurse failed to administer medication to a resident with specific medical needs, which put them “at risk of becoming quickly unwell and needing medical support.”

Tenants were also reportedly left at risk of malnutrition and dehydration.

Three people reported being thirsty and unable to reach the drinks in their room, while fluid monitoring records showed the recommended daily intake of 1500mls was not consistently met for all residents.

One person, recorded as at risk of malnutrition, slept through breakfast and lunch during the inspection. Records did not indicate they had been offered food between these times.

These findings led to Avebury House being rated ‘inadequate’ for safety.

They were also found to be ‘inadequate’ for how well-led their service was.

Inspectors judged the home had not followed improvement plans to rectify existing issues and was understaffed.

The home is in special measures and will be reinspected within six months.

If it remains ‘inadequate’ in any area during this inspection, the CQC may bar them from running the service.

A Coate Water Care spokesperson said: “We welcome the findings of the recent CQC inspection and are working hard to address areas that were identified as inadequate.

“Resident safety is our top priority. We are committed to taking the appropriate steps to ensure our staff can provide the best possible service for residents.

“Since the initial feedback in January, we have acted immediately to make significant changes.

“Like many social care services, our home has experienced increasing pressure following the pandemic, which led to an increased need for our services, alongside staff sickness and additional as well as refresher training.

“The team at Coate Water care are confident any areas of concern will be significantly improved when we are revisited within the next 6 months.

“We understand this report may cause concern and we wish to reassure everyone we are taking all steps needed to ensure we are safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.”