Safety fears raised at Herefordshire children's home Published duration 9 March 2018

image copyright Getty Images image caption In an inspection by Ofsted in February, the home was said to be in a "poor" overall condition.

Residents at a children's home have called police because of concerns over their own safety, said inspectors.

Watchdog Ofsted has also criticised cleanliness and conditions at the unnamed home in Herefordshire.

One person told an inspector she felt "scared" due to the behaviour of another resident

Formerly rated as "requiring improvement to be good", an interim inspection said it has "declined in effectiveness".

The home, run by Compass Children's Homes Limited, provides residential care for young people with emotional or behavioural difficulties.

In a February inspection, it was said to be in a "poor" overall condition.

In its report , Ofsted said: "The young people's bathroom floor is dirty, the bathroom sink is missing a tap, and there is no soap or hand towels."

An unsafe bed was the only issue it saw dealt with during the inspection.

'Lack of understanding'

The report also said of one of the residents: "There have been times when the young person has felt it necessary to call the police in fear for her own and staff safety.

"Levels of damage to the property from one young person have been significant, resulting in multiple windows being broken, showing aggression and seriously assaulting staff.

"These incidents have required the assistance of the police.

"When the impact of these incidents on the young person was discussed with the registered manager, he responded by saying, 'She's never been physically harmed.' This demonstrates a lack of understanding about the young person's emotional well-being."

Compass Children's Homes said "Since Ofsted's inspection of this particular home five weeks ago, the house has undergone a complete refurbishment, a new management team has been put in place and staff have been given additional training.