A health and social care watchdog has acted to protect the safety and welfare of residents of two Bradford nursing homes after inspectors found “worrying” standards of care.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has issued three warning notices requiring improvements at Rookwood Nursing Home in Victor Road, Heaton, and one notice requesting improvements at Oakhurst Nursing Home, Oak Mount, Manningham.

Both homes provide care for adults aged 18 to 65 with enduring mental health problems.

The warnings follow visits to each home by CQC inspectors who found the registered provider, London-based European Care (B) Lifestyles Limited, was failing to meet the Government’s essential standards of quality and safety at both locations.

In its reports, the CQC identifies a series of concern. Inspectors found many areas of both homes were extremely dirty. Poor standards of hygiene, as well as a lack of infection control measures indicated a clear risk to residents at both locations.

They also raised concerns over fire safety at Rookwood.

There were insufficient fire safety measures in place and the CQC alerted Bradford Fire Safety team as a direct result of their visit.

At Oakhurst inspectors found three rooms where the hot water was running at more than 50 degrees Celsius posing a high risk of scalding.

Moira Wilson, strategic director of adult and community services at Bradford Council, said: “We are working to ensure European Lifestyles, which took over the homes around three months ago, addresses the problems raised.”

A spokesman for Rookwood and Oakhurst Nursing Homes said: “Everyone at Rookwood and Oakhurst nursing homes is focused on ensuring these issues are resolved.”