An HC-One care home that is set for closure has been rated Inadequate by the CQC.

The Elms Care Home in Cambridgeshire is one of four care homes the leading care home operator is to close due to recruitment issues.

In its report published today, the CQC said the home, which cares for up to 37 people living with dementia, was not providing the standards of care people had a right to expect.

The report highlighted the service’s high reliance on agency workers which had resulted in people not receiving timely or consistent care.

The CQC said the service was not well-led, people did not receive medicines as prescribed and fluid and food intake was inconsistently managed.

However, the regulator added that “people reported liking the food provided and communal activities” and “told us of kind interactions they received from staff”.

Julie Kerry, HC-One executive director – quality and chief nurse, said: “We are clear that we have not provided the standard of care at The Elms that residents and their loved ones deserve, and that we should have provided. These shortcomings all stem from severe recruitment and retention challenges which made the day-to-day running of the home very difficult.

“We can only apologise for the upset these shortcomings and the resulting closure decision have caused. We are looking closely at what lessons we can take from this experience and where greater oversight could or should take place, but we appreciate this comes too late to change the experience of the residents that have been living at The Elms.

“The immediate priority is to make sure that all residents can quickly and safely move to a new home that meets their care needs. We have a dedicated team working with the council and with residents to support this process ahead of the CQC’s closure deadline.”