A care home where a resident’s relative told inspectors they ‘often smelled of urine’ and sometimes had other people’s clothes on has been put into special measures. Care Quality Commission (CQC) officials say it’s to ‘protect people’ following inspections at Gorton Parks Care Home. The facility has been branded ‘inadequate’. Watchdog bosses told the home it expected to see rapid improvements following ‘totally unacceptable findings’, including five breaches of legal regulations. One relative told inspectors their loved one ‘often smelled of urine’ and ‘sometimes had on other people’s clothes’. A spokesperson for the home said staff are ‘disappointed by the CQC’s decision to place it in special measures’ after a ‘history of good regulatory compliance’. Alison Chilton, CQC deputy director of operations in the north, said: “When we inspected Gorton Parks, it was concerning to see that poor leadership and ineffective risk management had led to people being placed at harm in a place they call home. “People’s relatives raised several concerns about basic hygiene and people’s dignity not being maintained. One relative told us their loved one often smelled of urine and sometimes had on other people’s clothes which is totally unacceptable.” Gorton Parks Care Home provides nursing and personal care to up to 120 people, including those living with dementia and physical disabilities. The inspection was carried out following issues identified during a previous inspection. A warning notice was served due to unsafe care and treatment. During the 2024 visit, inspectors discovered care home staff failed to check on an elderly woman with dementia who routinely used a rubbish bin as a toilet . A report was published last week following an inspection in February. Officials discovered a rise in infectious illnesses among residents, and ‘insufficient’ staff levels to meet the needs of residents, with many not helped to eat. Some relatives told CQC staff had spent no time with their loved ones, with some describing poor hygiene, as residents have been left in the same clothes for days. One relative told the CQC her loved one’s toilet was left ‘horrendous and filthy’, while inspectors found some bedroom floors ‘felt sticky and unclean’, with bedding found stained. Inspectors found the environment in the home was not safe – with damaged wardrobes, floors and radiators set to a dangerous temperature . “We saw someone showing distress on several occasions who required support and reassurance from staff, but they were often too busy to assist,” Ms Chilton added. “Another person was consistently shouting for staff’s attention but wasn’t always acknowledged. People weren’t supported with eating at mealtimes or their weight management. They were left with a hot meal in front of them for ten minutes or more before any attempt at prompting them to eat was made. “Leaders didn’t make any adjustments to solve language barriers for someone who didn’t speak English. They were unable to understand staff often resulting in them refusing care and support which had a negative impact on their overall health.” The visit was a follow-up to an inspection in 2024, during which the nursing home was warned of poor risk assessments, storing of medicines and inadequate staffing levels. Inspectors found this time that the service had failed to improve and was ‘performing badly’ in all areas. Officials have dropped the rating of the nursing home to ‘inadequate’ across the board – including ratings for how safe, well-led, caring, and effective and responsive it is. The home has been put in special measures, meaning it will now be closely watched by the CQC to ‘keep people safe and it will be monitored to check sufficient improvements have been made’. “We have told leaders where we expect to see rapid improvements and will continue to monitor the home closely to keep people safe during this time,” Ms Chilton said. “We will return to check on their progress and CQC has begun the process of taking regulatory action to address the concerns which Advinia Care Homes Limited has the right to appeal.” A spokesperson for Gorton Parks Care Home, which is run by Advinia Health Care Limited, said: “We are disappointed by the Care Quality Commission’s decision to place Gorton Parks Care Home into special measures. The home has a history of good regulatory compliance. “While this is a disappointing outcome, we are fully committed to restoring standards and ensuring every resident receives safe, quality care. “Due to increasing dependencies of residents and constraints on government funding, and pressures on getting trained staff, the care sector is struggling to manage. “However, Advinia, which operates many good-rated homes throughout the country, is ensuring that trained staff are mobilised quickly and have requested the authorities to reassess the needs of high need residents and allocate proper resources. “We are hence working closely with Manchester City Council to deliver a robust action plan. Our focus now is on delivering sustained improvement and the compassionate care our residents deserve.”