A care home which is set to close in the new year has been rated "inadequate" by healthcare watchdogs.

Edward Moore House in Gravesend is one of three facilities run by Rapport Housing and Care that is shutting because of staffing problems and rising energy costs.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspected the home in Trinity Road in September after it received concerning information about its care, treatment, leadership and staffing.

The service was rated as "good" in 2017 but this dropped to "inadequate" following the inspection and it was placed into special measures.

Its ratings for being effective, caring and responsive were scored as "requires improvement" and those for being safe and well-led were said to be "inadequate".

Head of inspection at the CQC, Hazel Roberts, said: "When we inspected Edward Moore house, we were disappointed to find there were not enough permanent staff in place.

"Agency staff were being hired instead, which meant that people were not being encouraged to be as independent as they could be or have the care they wished to have.

"Inspectors found on the second day they visited the service, a number of people had already been woken up and were out of bed, dressed and in the lounge sitting, but sleeping in their chairs at 6am.

"One person had taken a fall at 3am and had been supported to dress and left in their bedroom in an armchair sleeping.

"This demonstrated that people were not being well treated with dignity or respect.

"Some relatives did say said they were concerned about the lack of physical activity people could do and the lack of independence.

"CQC have taken enforcement action against the service, whilst this is ongoing, the provider, Rapport Care Housing and Care has told us they are closing the service.

"In the meantime, we will continue to monitor the service closely to ensure people are safe."

During the visit, inspectors found people were not always supported by skilled staff due to hiring a large number of agency carers who did not know the home as well as permanent staff members.

Staff were also found to not always have accurate guidance around residents' needs as records were not regularly updated and contained contradictory information.

"Staff were kind and caring in their approach..."

The report added: "High levels of agency staff, who did not always know people's needs, increased the risk of poor care occurring due to the poor guidance provided to staff."

Medical records were also found to be lacking and although residents had access from healthcare professionals the outcome of appointments were not always added to their records.

Inspectors also said "people were at risk of skin breakdown as pressure-relieving equipment was not set up correctly" and safeguarding concerns were not always identified or dealt with.

The service was said to be poorly-led with many people not being aware who the manager was, staff lacked training and meetings were not regularly held.

The report added: "Despite the negative feedback about the lack of support from the senior management team, staff working at the service were positive about the management team."

Feedback from people living at Edward Moore House and their relatives was also mainly positive.

The report said they told inspectors "staff were kind and caring in their approach", were "friendly and informative" and residents said they were "good friends" with them.

It added: "Permanent staff and agency staff – that had been regularly working at the service – knew people's needs well and individual interactions with people were pleasant. There was a calm atmosphere at the service."

The service provides support to older people and those living with dementia. At the time of the inspection there were 31 people living at the home.

It is expected to be shut by mid-January alongside Dene Holm in Northfleet – which was also rated 'inadequate' this year by the CQC – and Connors House in Canterbury – with some relatives finding out it was to shut via social media.

In a statement issued by chief executive Leon Steer in October, it said running the homes was no longer viable due to the "staffing crisis", "chronic underfunding from the government" and "rising energy costs".

Speaking today, he said: “We have taken immediate action on the CQC's findings and despite the forthcoming closure of Edward Moore House, we are working closely with the CQC on the improvements we need to make, our residents’ safety and well-being is our highest priority.

"The decision to close the home was due to ongoing viability concerns and was nothing to do with the CQC rating.

"Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent staffing crisis within the care sector, all our homes held a ‘good’ rating from the CQC, and we are working hard to restore these ratings.

"The social care sector is currently under extreme pressure and is in urgent need of reform. We are amidst the greatest workforce crisis in history and staff shortages are cited as a key problem in 75% of CQC reports of care homes which have received a lower rating.

"In addition to that, a poll by the South East Social Care Alliance found that almost half (45%) of care providers in the region are thinking of exiting the sector because of underfunding for local authority/ NHS funded residents. Health care leaders have previously warned that the sector is facing a ‘ticking time bomb’ and action is needed immediately if it is to remain sustainable."