A residential care home has been warned it must make urgent improvements after failing eight out of nine key standards during an inspection.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has issued four warning notices to La Luz Residential Home, based in Tadworth High Street, following an unannounced inspection in November.

The CQC found that while staff at La Luz were treating people with respect and involving them in their care, the home was not providing the care, treatment and support residents need, and was not meeting safety standards nor providing sufficient staff or suitable management.

But the home’s manager of 18 years, Angel Soto, has strongly defended the care provided at La Luz, saying its residents are treated "as part of our family".

The home is a converted domestic property, which provides non-nursing care for up to 16 people, including dementia sufferers.

The specific issues identified by CQC inspectors included care plans not being regularly updated, and staff not taking adequate steps to protect those living or working in the home from the risks associated with unsafe premises.

Staff members had also not always undergone appropriate employment checks, and adequate steps were not being taken to ensure there were sufficient numbers of staff on duty to meet the needs of residents.

Ian Biggs, deputy director of CQC in the South, said: "We check the national standards of quality and safety in care that the law says everyone should be able to expect.

"These standards exist to protect people who cannot always speak up for themselves from being put at risk of harm. Providers have a duty to be compliant.

"Care plans must be complete and up to date, and people should be cared for by enough suitably qualified and trained staff to meet their needs.

"Our inspectors identified multiple failings at this home which required immediate attention."

Mr Soto, 63, of Eastdean Avenue, Epsom, said: "I and my staff treat our residents as part of our family. To us, they are mum and dad.

"For those appalling comments and reports to be made against our service is quite out of order.

"If we were that bad all the relatives would be very concerned. Our reputation is of a family environment and good standards of care."

Inspectors returned to the home before Christmas to see if the required improvements had been made, and a report of their findings is expected to be published soon.

A CQC spokeswoman added: "The issues identified at La Luz Residential Home were very serious and in need of immediate attention, and this is why CQC issued the provider with formal warnings to put them right.

"CQC carried out a follow-up inspection at La Luz in December to check if improvements had been made but cannot give any further details at this stage - that report will be published in due course.

"If improvements are not made after a formal warning is issued, CQC can take further action including issuing fines and, as a last resort, suspending or cancelling the registration of a service.

"This would mean a home was no longer legally allowed to operate, but this is a last resort given the disruption this may cause to people living there."