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CQC report explained · a nursing home

What the CQC found at Grove Court

Outstandingpublished 24 April 2026, 5 months ago

Rated Outstanding: inspectors found the home performing exceptionally well.

The latest report, explained

What inspectors found, July 2019

Grove Court was rated Outstanding overall; inspectors found safe, effective and kind care, with especially strong personalised support and leadership.

This was an unannounced inspection on 8 May 2019. The inspectors observed care, spoke with people, relatives, a visitor, staff and professionals, and checked care, medicines, staffing and management records.

The home provided residential and nursing care for up to 60 older people. Inspectors found that care was highly personalised. People were treated with dignity, supported to make choices and offered activities that improved their wellbeing.

Safe, effective and caring were rated Good. Responsive and well-led were rated Outstanding. The overall rating was Outstanding, meaning the inspectors found exceptional performance in the service overall.

The overall rating had improved from Good at the previous inspection in December 2016. Responsive and well-led improved to Outstanding, while safe, effective and caring stayed Good.

What inspectors praised
  • Personalised care

    Staff understood people's individual needs, preferences and life histories. Care plans were reviewed when people's needs changed.

    “People received care that was extremely personalised and responsive to their specific needs and preferences.” from the report
  • Meaningful activities

    The home offered varied group and individual activities based on people's interests. Staff also created new opportunities for people who had not joined existing activities.

    “Significant emphasis was placed on providing meaningful group and individual activities which promoted people's physical and emotional wellbeing.” from the report
  • Kind and respectful care

    People, relatives and visitors praised staff for being compassionate and respectful. Inspectors saw staff protect privacy and encourage independence.

    “Positive, caring and enabling relationships with people and staff had been fully established in the home.” from the report
  • Strong leadership

    The management team created a person-centred culture. Staff were motivated, supported to develop and involved in improving the home.

    “Effective and robust quality assurance systems had been embedded to monitor and continually develop the home in line with legal requirements and best practice.” from the report
  • Safe systems

    Inspectors found comprehensive risk assessments, safe medicines systems, suitable staffing and a clean environment.

    “Staff were well-informed about people's risks and how to care for them safely.” from the report
What inspectors were concerned about

Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.

Questions to ask them, based on this report
  1. 01How do you assess and update care plans when a person's needs or preferences change?
  2. 02What activities are available for someone who is unable or unwilling to join group activities?
  3. 03How do you support people with dementia or communication needs to make choices and express their views?
  4. 04How are medicines checked, ordered and reviewed, and how is staff competency assessed?
  5. 05How would you involve our family in end of life planning and support?

This inspection covered the care provided and the premises across all five CQC questions; all five ratings were reviewed rather than carried over from the previous inspection. This explanation was written from the published report of 16 July 2019 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.

An earlier report, explained

What inspectors found, December 2016

Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with good leadership and activities.

Inspectors visited the home without notice on 13 September 2016. They observed care, spoke with people, relatives, staff and health professionals, and checked care records, recruitment files, training records, complaints and quality checks.

They found enough staff, safe medicines systems and suitable checks to protect people from abuse and avoidable risks. Staff were trained, supported people's choices and understood consent and legal safeguards when people could not make decisions for themselves.

People were treated with kindness, privacy and respect. Care plans reflected individual needs and preferences. People were offered activities, outings and support to keep in touch with family and friends.

The overall rating and all five areas were Good. This means the inspectors found the home meeting the relevant standards at the time of this inspection, but it is not a guarantee that care is unchanged today.

What inspectors praised
  • Staffing and safeguarding

    Inspectors found enough staff to meet people's needs safely. Staff knew how to recognise and report abuse, and recruitment checks were completed before employment.

    “There were enough staff to support people safely and they were clear about their roles.” from the report
  • Kind and respectful care

    Staff treated people warmly and protected their privacy and dignity. They offered reassurance and responded to people's individual needs.

    “Staff treated people with warmth and compassion.” from the report
  • Personalised support

    Care plans included people's likes, dislikes, needs and choices. Staff supported independence and helped people take part in activities that suited them.

    “Care plans were detailed enough for care staff to understand fully how to deliver care to people in a way that met their needs.” from the report
  • Open management

    People, relatives and staff said management was approachable and supportive. The home used audits, meetings and feedback to monitor quality and safety.

    “The service had good leadership; we found an open and positive culture that supported people in a person centred way.” from the report
What inspectors were concerned about

Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.

Questions to ask them, based on this report
  1. 01How do you currently decide whether there are enough staff for each person's changing needs?
  2. 02How are medicines, including as-needed pain relief, checked and audited now?
  3. 03How will you support my relative's food preferences and any dietary or weight concerns?
  4. 04Which activities and outings would match my relative's interests, including if they prefer to stay in their room?
  5. 05How are relatives involved in care plan reviews and how are complaints followed up?

This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five CQC questions and the overall quality of the home. This explanation was written from the published report of 9 December 2016 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 Grove Court

2 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has improved, from Good to Outstanding.

  1. July 2019Outstandingcurrent ratingup from Good
    Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: OutstandingWell-led: Outstanding

    Read what inspectors found at Grove Court →

  2. December 2016Good
    Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good

    Read what inspectors found at Grove Court →

  3. December 2013

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  4. March 2013

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  5. August 2012

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  6. February 2012

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  7. January 2011

    Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 6 January 2011.

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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Most charge £1,020 to £1,260 a week. 17 can care for a couple. 7 years' experience on average.

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