A care home rated poorly by the national watchdog for health after staff we observed wearing PPE incorrectly has lodged an appeal against the findings.

Willow Court in Waltham Abbey was rated ‘requires improvement’ overall – the second lowest possible score’ – by the Care Quality Commission in a report published earlier this month.

The home, which looks after people with learning disabilities and autism, was said to be failing to provide an adequate level of safety for its users by CQC inspectors.

The care home was deemed to be failing to meet Government guidelines on infection control during the pandemic.

Inspectors wrote that while most staff wore Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) appropriately throughout the inspection, some staff were observed wearing their mask under their nose or chin.

Staff were also said to not be practising social distancing rules with each other, as per government guidelines to help reduce the spread of infection.

The home was further criticised for failing implement systems to ensure patient safety..

Inspectors wrote: “Although staff knew the care and support needs of people, information was not always clear about how to keep people safe. One person with epilepsy did not have an adequate risk assessment to give sufficient guidance to staff on how to support the person.”

Staff were praised however for their understanding of how to support people. One staff member told inspectors: "I was given training about how to look after people. I learnt what triggers people had and knew how to respond when it happened."

Relatives of care home users interviewed by the CQC told inspectors they believed their family members were safe.

One relative said: "I think [person] is safe, I'm not worried when I go to bed at night."

A spokesperson for Sequence Care Group, which runs the home, said: “We do not agree with all of the CQC's findings and have challenged these. Where we acknowledged that changes could be made, we have implemented a robust action plan to make the necessary improvements.

“Willow Court is a strong service with good relationships with Commissioners and families who stand by the home. As with all our homes, we continue to work towards excellence and to offer the highest quality care. We fully support Willow Court and the manager there to do this.”