A warning has been served on an “unsafe” care home in Deal, after a watchdog claimed it is failing to protect residents, workers and visitors.

Rosehurst Care Home in Church Path must make urgent improvements after the Care Quality Commission (CQC) served a notice on owner Rosehurst Care.

At a surprise inspection last month, inspectors found the 19-room home was in a poor state of repair in places and the garden, including the patio, had not been maintained adequately.

The report said: “The back garden was unsafe for people to use due to a lack or maintenance and a build-up of rubbish.”

Kizilay Tekan, company secretary, said most of the changes have been made.

Professionals are being hired to ensure they meet the CQC’s deadline of early December.

The weekly cost to stay in the privately-owned home is between £396 and £580, as advertised on carehome.co.uk.

It houses 19 residents and has 20 members of staff including care staff, domestic assistants, cooks, maintenance staff and a newly-recruited gardener.

Ian Biggs, deputy director of CQC, said: “The issues at this home were in need of immediate attention.

“People who live and work in care homes have the right to spend their time in premises that keep them safe and promote their wellbeing.”

Mrs Tekan added: “The work had been scheduled before the inspection. We had paid someone to do some work in the garden but they let us down.

“The garden is now safe and a lot of the issues they have brought up have been done.”

Mr Biggs added: “We check the standards of quality and safety in care that the law says everyone should be able to expect.

“These standards exist to protect people who cannot always speak up for themselves.

“Inspectors will return in the near future to carry out another unannounced inspection.

“If we find the home is not making the required progress, we won’t hesitate to use our legal powers to protect the people who live there.”