A North Staffordshire nursing home has been placed in special measures after being rated inadequate by a regulator – but the operator has raised concerns about the report's findings.

Ash Hall Nursing Home in Werrington was inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) during the summer and the inspection report, published this month, found it "inadequate" overall and in two other areas, and "requires improvement" in three other sections.

Operator Ash Hall Ltd has said it is working with the CQC and local authority to address the issues raised – and is aiming to achieve a good rating at its next inspection.

A meeting has been arranged for residents, relatives and staff to discuss the report and answer questions.

Inspectors said the provider had previously been in breach of legal regulations in relation to safe care and treatment and good governance – and improvements were not found at this assessment.

The report said: "We also identified additional concerns during this inspection, which meant the provider was in breach of the legal regulations relating to person-centred care, safe staffing and the need for consent.

"This service is being placed in special measures; the purpose of special measures is to ensure that services providing inadequate care make significant improvements.

"Special measures provide a framework within which we use our enforcement powers in response to inadequate care and provide a timeframe within which providers must improve the quality of the care they provide.

"The provider could not demonstrate people consistently received safe care and treatment – risks to people's health, safety and welfare were not always effectively assessed, monitored or managed.

"Concerns identified at the previous inspection, including staffing, environmental safety and oversight of care, had not been fully addressed.

"Systems for monitoring care delivery were ineffective, resulting in gaps in records, concerns with the management of time-critical medicines, and delays in people receiving support.

"Although audits and monitoring processes identified some issues, action taken had not resulted in sustained improvement; as a result, people remained at risk of harm.

"People did not always receive effective care and support because systems for assessing needs, monitoring outcomes and reviewing care were inconsistently applied.

"Although staff understood people's health needs and people had access to healthcare services, gaps in oversight and record keeping meant there was limited assurance that care was consistently delivered in line with assessed needs and best practice."

Residents and their relatives were "generally positive" about the care they received however, the report said. And staff were described as "kind, compassionate and respectful".

The report said: "People and relatives spoke positively about the support provided to maintain health and wellbeing. People told us staff supported them with medicines, nutrition and healthcare needs, and spoke positively about the quality of food.

"Relatives said healthcare professionals were involved when required and people generally felt able to make choices about their daily lives. However, some people experienced limited opportunities for social engagement.

"People and relatives felt able to raise concerns and told us staff responded to healthcare needs when required. However, some people described delays in receiving support with daily routines and said opportunities for activities and meaningful occupation were limited, particularly when activity staff were unavailable.

"Feedback indicated care was not always delivered in a way which reflected people's individual preferences and interests.

"While people expressed general satisfaction with their care and treatment, our assessment found elements of care which did not meet the expected standards."

A spokesperson for Ash Hall Ltd said: "Ash Hall Ltd has recently experienced a difficult period, including the death of (former operator) Mr Bowker and the appointment of a new home manager.

"We want to reassure residents, families and the wider community that throughout this time, the standard of care provided to our residents has not been affected. Every resident in our care is treated with dignity, compassion and a person-centred approach.

"We have concerns about the accuracy of certain findings in the CQC report, including some areas where we believe evidence we provided was not fully reflected in the final version. We are raising these points directly with the CQC.

"Moving forward, we are working closely with both the CQC and the local council to address the report's findings, with the aim of achieving a 'Good' rating at our next inspection, expected within six months.

"We have also arranged a meeting for residents, their families and significant others, and staff, to discuss the report openly and answer any questions.

"We would like to thank our dedicated team, whose hard work and compassion continue to be the heart of Ash Hall."