Inspectors identified a lack of care and compassion at a north Norfolk care home which they deemed unsafe and uncaring.

Ingham Old Hall Care Home has been rated inadequate and placed into special measures following its latest Care Quality Commission (CQC) report.

Issues at the Sea Palling Road home included 'low staff competency' and residents not being 'consistently treated with kindness, respect, dignity and compassion'.

Management at the home declined to comment on the report's findings, which included poor cleanliness and odour; used continence products in open bins; rusty bathroom equipment; and ripped toilet flooring.

No medicine audit had been completed at the home for six months, and care plans, which staff said they did not read, were called conflicting and unclear.

And a member of staff was overheard by inspectors 'speaking loudly and in an agitated tone towards a person with dementia'.

The unannounced inspection took place over two days in June this year, and found 22 people living at the home, some of whom may have dementia.

The home's last comprehensive inspection took place in May 2017, and found Ingham Old Hall to be in breach of regulations including safe care and treatment, nutrition, protection of privacy and dignity, governance, and safe staffing.

And this inspection found standards had slipped in all areas:

• Effectiveness had fallen from good to requiring improvement.

• Safety had fallen from requiring improvement to inadequate.

• Leadership had fallen from requiring improvement to inadequate.

• Responsiveness had fallen from good to inadequate.

• And caring had fallen from good to inadequate.

Inspectors described a lack of oversight at the June inspection and said no staff had up to date performance appraisals.

But one resident told the inspectors: 'I have got no problems. I am happy because carers reassure me that everything is all right, and I get my medicines on time.'

The report also stated that a requested action plan to address the CQC's concerns was received within the stipulated timescales, and indicated completion of all urgent risks and issues would be by the end of July 2018.