The owner of a care home which is closing down has defended its record after a third 'Inadequate' rating in a row.

Kingsgate Residential Home in North Street, Sheringham, is closing this month with the loss of 30 jobs, having been run by members of the same family since 1977.

The latest report from the Care Quality Commission, published on January 23, gave the home its lowest grading over concerns covering staff training, risk management and the recording of accidents.

It followed the home having been placed into special measures, and also being rated Inadequate after inspections in March 2019 and January 2020.

But owner/manager Ginny Taylor said the latest report did not show the home in its best light.

Mrs Taylor said: "There is lots in that report that was very upsetting. There were some things that we needed to do but we didn't have the finances to make the improvements.

"We feel the CQC has been really hard on us considering we've remained Covid free throughout the pandemic.

"It mentions in there that we missed a notification, but we notify them of absolutely everything. These are difficult times when we're all working double shifts.

"We had a boiler break down when our inspection was going on. It was rectified and mended, but I don't think the inspector quite understood the mechanics of what was going on."

Mrs Taylor said the majority of Kingsgate's 21 residents would be moved to new homes over the next 10 days.

In its report, the CQC said the home was not safe or well-led.

It said the inspector found residents were at risk of scalding from "extremely hot" taps and a large heater was also hot to the touch, posing a risk if anyone should fall against it.

The report added: "We received mixed views when we asked people if there were enough staff. One person told us staff got to them quickly when they required assistance. A second person told us, "I ring my bell, [and] I can wait 15 or 20 minutes before I see anyone."

"We took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection."