A South West London care home which costs up to £1,400 a week has been given the worst possible rating twice in a row by the care watchdog.

Inspectors found fans in patients’ rooms in Victoria House in Richmond were not always turned on although it was a heatwave when they visited.

Provider Abbeyfield Society is planning to close the care home on Ennerdale Road after it was rated “inadequate” again by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), with multiple rules broken. A final decision on its future will be made once a consultation with residents and staff finishes.

Inspectors visited during the heatwave in July and found patients in sun-facing rooms with open curtains despite temperatures on both inspection days having risen to levels which could have caused serious injury or death. Inspectors said the rooms’ temperatures were not consistently monitored and that staff had failed to follow heatwave guidance.

Inspectors also spoke to staff who did not understand the effects of heatwave, including the likelihood of heatstroke and death.

The report also said a patient was taken to hospital after a fall that nobody else saw, despite staff previously noticing they seemed confused.

Inspectors were concerned about staffing levels as the manager regularly cared for and gave medicine to patients. There was not always enough staff present as they did not always arrive on time, according to the report. There was also a high turnover of managers at the home.

The report said: “Staff morale was mixed and we observed some eagerness to do the right things but lacking robust direction from management. Other staff were clearly not interested in ensuring the service improved. Staff did not always work well together.”

It said the home had been revamped since the last inspection, which found splinters on grab rails, leaks, damp and a hole in the ceiling. But it said there were still outstanding works and that patients “lived in an environment that continued to pose a risk to their safety and wellbeing”.

The care home on Ennerdale Road was looking after 21 people at the time of the inspection. It was rated “inadequate” at a previous inspection in February. This means the home is still in special measures and will be reinspected in six months if it is not shut down before. The care home’s website says it costs between £950 to £1,400 a week.

A spokesperson for Abbeyfield Society said: “The Abbeyfield Society prides itself on the care and support we provide to our residents and, as such, this Care Quality Commission (CQC) result is absolutely not of the standard we expect for our homes.

“We are liaising closely with the CQC and have already addressed a significant number of the concerns raised in this report. We are working very hard to deliver the high standard of service our residents and their families expect.”

Speaking about the consultation, the spokesperson added: “We made the difficult decision to open discussions with residents and colleagues with a proposal to close Victoria House. The consultation runs for 30 days, after which a final decision on the future of the home will be made. A dedicated support team is in place to support the discussion process for everyone affected and should our proposals move forward, we will do everything we can to support residents to find suitable new accommodation nearby.”