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CQC report explained · a residential care home

What the CQC found at Churchfield Court

Requires improvementpublished 22 July 2025, 14 months ago

Rated Requires improvement: inspectors found the home was not performing as well as it should and told it what to change.

The latest report, explained

What inspectors found, November 2017

Rated Good; inspectors found kind, safe and well-organised care, with some small safety and record-keeping issues addressed during the visit.

This was an unannounced, comprehensive inspection on 25 September 2017. Inspectors spoke with people living at the home, relatives, staff, the managers, the provider and a health professional. They also observed care and checked care records, medicine records, staff files and quality checks.

The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. People told inspectors they felt safe and were treated kindly. Staff knew people's needs, supported choice and privacy, provided suitable food and helped people access healthcare and activities.

Inspectors found some issues during the visit. Two bottles of potentially hazardous cleaning substances were not locked away, some medicine records had not been signed, staff were not always permanently present in the main lounge, and some lounge tables were unsuitable. The manager acted on these issues or agreed to make changes.

What inspectors praised
  • Kind and respectful care

    People were treated with dignity and staff supported privacy, independence and personal choices.

    “We observed staff were keen to protect people's privacy and communicated with people using respectful language and in a dignified manner.” from the report
  • People felt safe

    Staff assessed risks such as falls and made sure walking aids were available. People said they felt safe and staff responded when help was requested.

    “We saw risk assessments had been undertaken to reduce any risks of accident or injury to people.” from the report
  • Good food and healthcare support

    People could choose meals and drinks, and staff knew about food preferences and risks. The home worked with health professionals and made referrals when needed.

    “The cook knew of each person's food likes, dislikes and risks.” from the report
  • Responsive to individual needs

    Care plans recorded personal routines and preferences. People could choose activities or spend time in their own way, and religious support was available.

    “We saw people had been involved in their assessments and reviews so that their individual preferences and abilities were updated, known and recorded.” from the report
  • Visible management and quality checks

    The manager was present and visible, and the home carried out regular checks across the service. Staff said they were supported by the management team.

    “We observed the registered manager and deputy manager were visible within the service.” from the report
What inspectors were concerned about
  • Cleaning substances left unlocked

    needs fixing

    Two bottles of potentially hazardous cleaning substances were left in the hairdressing room. The manager secured them immediately and reminded staff of the correct process.

    “However, we saw two bottles that contained cleaning substances that could be hazardous to health in the hairdressing room.” from the report
  • Some medicine records were incomplete

    needs fixing

    Several medicine administration records had not been signed on the last day of the month. The manager checked whether medicines had been given and planned to raise late deliveries with the pharmacist.

    “However, on the last day of the month, the day before our inspection, a number of MAR had not been signed.” from the report
  • Main lounge cover

    needs fixing

    Staff were available during the day, but there were times when nobody was permanently in the main lounge. The manager said staff deployment would be monitored.

    “However, at times there were no staff permanently in the main lounge.” from the report
  • Unsuitable lounge tables

    minor

    Some tables in a lounge were not at a suitable height for people eating lunch. The manager said suitable tables would be bought or furniture would be moved.

    “We noted that tables in one lounge where people wanted to eat their lunch were not of an appropriate height.” from the report
Questions to ask them, based on this report
  1. 01What has been done to ensure all cleaning substances are locked away after use?
  2. 02How do you check medicine records when pharmacy deliveries arrive late?
  3. 03What staffing arrangements are now in place so the main lounge is supervised when people need support?
  4. 04Have suitable tables been provided in the lounge where people eat lunch?
  5. 05How are people's views about activities, food and care reviews used to make changes?

This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five questions and included observations, discussions with people and staff, and checks of care, medicine, staffing and management records. This explanation was written from the published report of 4 November 2017 by an AI system and checked against the report text: every quoted line appears in the report. It is a guide to the report, not a substitute for it. Read the full report on cqc.org.uk.

The story over the years

Every inspection of Churchfield Court

3 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Good.

  1. November 2017Goodcurrent ratingstayed Good
    Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good

    Read what inspectors found at Churchfield Court →

  2. November 2015Goodup from Requires improvement
    Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good

    We are reading this report · the original is on cqc.org.uk

  3. January 2015Requires improvement
    Safe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  4. June 2014

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  5. November 2013

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  6. September 2012

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  7. December 2010

    Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 29 December 2010.

Ratings and report dates from the Care Quality Commission, Open Government Licence v3.0. A home can also be visited without a new rating being published, so the timeline shows published inspections.

Next steps

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