A care home in Radcliffe has been put in "special measures" after its first inspection by the healthcare watchdog.

The Withins on Bury Road was given an overall rating of "inadequate" by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following an inspection in July.

The care home, which opened in June 2021 and is run by Next Chapter Heathcare Ltd, provides care and rehabilitation support for people with diagnosed mental health conditions.

In its report, published in August, the CQC gave both safety and leadership at The Withins individual "inadequate" ratings.

Inspectors also said the effectiveness, caring and responsiveness of the service "requires improvement".

Following the care home's first inspection, the CQC's report concluded that residents were not safe and were "at risk from avoidable harm".

"The overall rating for this service is 'inadequate' and the service is therefore in 'special measures'", the report said.

The report added: “The premises were not maintained appropriately to keep people safe from potential hazards.

“During the tour we found the basement door was unlocked, this contained a number of potential safety hazards."

The report noted that due to fire safety concerns, inspectors were forced to make an urgent referral to the fire safety protection team at Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service.

Inspectors said: “Fire safety was a concern at the service.

“There was no fire risk assessment in place to consider any potential fire risks the premises posed.”

However, inspectors noted that care home residents felt they were looked after by the service.

The CQC report said: “People consistently told us that they felt safe at the service.

"One person told us, 'I do feel safe here. I have been in poor services in the past, but I feel comfortable here'."

Inspectors also found that the privacy and dignity of residents were not always respected, pointing out that the administration of medicine was "not appropriate and outdated".

The report said: “On several occasions we observed people waiting outside the medicines room to receive their medicines through a hatched window.

“The approach taken by the service contravened best practice guidance.”

However, inspectors noted that people using the service were supported to maintain their independence by staff.

They observed one person who was able to help prepare their own food and drink which they had not previously been able to do.

In response to the report, a spokesperson for Next Chapter Healthcare said: “The CQC also commented on lots of positive work that has been done by the staff at Next Chapter Healthcare.

“Since the initial feedback, we have been working hard and made some significant changes to improve the rating as quickly as possible and to ensure our residents receive the best support possible.”