WATCHDOGS say a Basingstoke care home has hit five out of six targets – but it needs to do better on cleanliness and infection control.

Portal House fared well overall in the latest Care Quality Commission inspection report, hitting five of the six essential standards it was judged on.

The care home was judged to be hitting the standards for care and welfare of people who use services, management of medicines, safety and suitability of premises, requirements relating to workers and assessing and monitoring the quality of service provision.

However, inspectors found that cleanliness and infection control was not up to scratch at the home, in Wellington Terrace, Winklebury, run by Home Group Ltd.

Inspectors paid a visit to the care home, which provides support to people with mental health issues, in December and their report was published recently.

It concluded that there were “no effective systems in place to reduce the risk and spread of infection” and that there were no cleaning staff employed by the home, which is run by Home Group Limited.

Inspectors said: “The overall appearance of the home was unclean. Stair handrails, grab rails, walls and doors and some furnishings looked sticky and unclean. Skirting boards, doors, light switches and fittings had accumulated grime and dust.

“Toilets and surrounding floor covering had offensive odours and baths and sinks had an accumulation of dirt and grime that had not been cleaned following use by individuals.”

The report also noted that, although hand-washing facilities and protective clothing were available for staff to use to promote infection control, most of the bathrooms and toilets had no hand washing products.

Inspectors found this, “meant that the risk of infection to others was greater as hand washing equipment was not readily available for the prevention and control of infection.”

Carol Harrowell, Home Group head of client services, welcomed the report saying: “We’re disappointed not to have met all targets, as we have done during our last two inspections. The CQC found the service to be well run and providing care, treatment and support which met people’s needs.

“We submitted a very detailed action plan to the CQC to address concerns around providing a clean environment, which includes a deep clean from external specialists, reviewing cleaning schedules, new communal furniture and new easy clean surfaces.”