A FAILING nursing home has been branded "inadequate" and placed into special measures by the healthcare watchdog.

A Care Quality Commission report into The Cedars Nursing Home in Landford, home to more than 50 elderly people, found there were too few staff to ensure safe care.

The report highlighted poor management and said effective action was not taken in response to concerns about the service.

And inspectors witnessed staff breaching rules under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

The CQC report said: "The home did not take appropriate measures to keep people safe.

"Medicines were not always managed safely and the infection control procedures were not always followed."

And it said staff did not understand their responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the action they needed to take if people did not have capacity to consent to their care.

The surprise inspection took place on June 8 and10.

The report said: "People told us staff were kind and did their best, but were hampered by there not being enough of them.

"We observed staff being kind to people, but also saw examples where staff were communicating in ways that did not demonstrate respect for people."

And it said: "Care plans were not always fully completed or kept up to date to reflect people’s needs. This meant staff were not given clear information about people’s specific needs or the action they should take to meet them.

"The home was not well managed."

The result comes despite the CQC telling the home's bosses they must improve after an inspection last year.

The previous manager promised problems with staffing would be addressed by December 2014.

Now inspectors have found appropriate action has not been taken, they have told the Cedars it must improve or face being shut down.

The home will be inspected again within six months.

The Cedars Nursing Home gave the following stateent statement.

"The wellbeing of people entrusted to our care is our priority and we are sorry that the care delivered at The Cedars Nursing Home did not meet the standards that we expect all of our care homes to provide . We are implementing a comprehensive improvement plan that is being overseen by our regional management team.

"We have recruited a new Home Manager who is making a real difference for the better. We’ve introduced more rigorous management oversight and monitoring as well as an enhanced on-going training programme to ensure our processes and procedures to support quality of care are strictly followed. In addition, we are using a recognised "safe staffing guide" to ensure there are always the right number and skills mix of staff on duty for the needs of our residents.

"We are committed to deliver person-centred care that meets the individual needs and preferences of each resident and we are reassessing residents' care plans with them and their family members to ensure this is being provided at all times."