A PAIGNTON care home is facing closure by health watchdogs.

The Care Quality Commission has given notice to cancel the registration of Lynwood residential care home in Grosvenor Road after a safeguarding investigation.

It says it has serious concerns about standards at the home which cares for eight residents and employs 15 members of staff.

The home owners are appealing the decision and say they are working to address the outstanding issues.

But they fear their potential closure will be 'the first of many in the Bay'.

Directors Ian and Maureen Galbraith and manager, son Duncan, say their situation has come on the back of funding issues with Torbay Care Trust.

The trust's fees have risen by 1.5 per cent in three years compared to the 15 per cent rise in inflation.

They say they are paid just £390 a week for each of the home's five residents which are state funded while the care costs up to £500 a week.

Duncan Galbraith said: "It is unrealistic. We are a family run business which does not have a huge profit margin.

"We are the first of many in the Bay, homes like us cannot afford to continue."

Concerns were first raised by the CQC last May. It has made five unannounced inspections and raised issues about residents not being respected, protected against risks or receiving inappropriate or unsafe care, not being safeguarded because of lack of staff training and a lack of proper personal records.

A spokesman said: "We have had serious concerns about the standards of care at Lynwood.

"While we have been considering further action, the law does not allow us to go into detail at this stage. The welfare of the residents is our main priority, and we have been working with Torbay Care Trust to ensure there is no immediate risk of harm to the residents."

Torbay Care Trust has been monitoring standards at the home. A trust spokesman stressed the level of funding and the safeguarding concerns at the home were separate issues.

She said: "Residents and relatives should be reassured that we will continue to work with them and the staff to ensure the needs of the residents are fully supported.

"All care providers have a duty of care and must adhere to the standards and safeguarding processes that are set out by CQC and the trust. In this case, the level of concern raised clearly indicates the home is failing to meet these essential standards."

An independent report published last year found that fees paid by the trust are too low, leading to a deterioration in care quality.

The report was written by Tim Godfrey a specialist in healthcare at Bishop Fleming. He said that the Lynwood Care home case was 'the tip of the iceberg' and the level of fees in real terms represented a funding cut.

Mr Godfrey said: "The CQC has concluded that the home is failing standards and clearly that is a result of under investment coming from low fees and occupancy issues."