Cheriton Care Home

Ratings

• Overall

  Requires improvement

• Safe

  Requires improvement

• Effective

  Requires improvement

• Caring

  Good

• Responsive

  Requires improvement

• Well-led

  Requires improvement

Our view of the service

Date of inspection 10 November 2025 to 9 December 2025. The service is a care home providing care and support to older people, including people with dementia. At the time of this inspection 11 people were living at the service.

The inspection was carried out to follow up on enforcement actions from the previous inspection. We found 6 breaches of regulations in relation to safe care and treatment, consent, safeguarding people, person centred care, good governance, and notifications of incidents to us.

Risks to people were not always identified and therefore not mitigated. The service was not working to the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 which failed to safeguard people. People were not always safeguarded from the risk of abuse. Person centred care was not consistently provided. Good governance was not effective to enable the provider to identify the concerns we found. Records were not always accurate and were not always completed in a timely manner to reflect the care given. The service had not informed us of all incidents that they are required too.

Safe medicine practices were promoted. Staff were suitably recruited, and a cook, activity staff member and cleaner were employed which enabled care staff to focus on providing care. Staff were supervised and trained, although aspects of training was not embedded in practice to promote safe care. Areas of the service had been refurbished and updated with further refurbishment planned. The service was clean and homely.

Whilst improvements had been made since the previous inspection and the provider and manager were proactive in response to our feedback, and took immediate actions to address the findings, to safeguard people, they have continually failed to comply with regulations in relation to safe care and good governance. In instances where CQC have decided to take civil or criminal enforcement action against a provider, we will publish this information on our website after any representations and/ or appeals have been concluded.

We have asked the provider for an action plan in response to breaches of regulations relating to person centred care, safeguarding people and notifications of incidents to us to enable us to monitor progress within the service.

People's experience of this service

While the people and relatives we spoke to expressed that they were generally happy with their care, our assessment found elements of care did not meet the expected standards.

People and their relatives reported that life, care and management of the service and any arising issues, had all improved over recent months and not least since the introduction and appointment of the current Registered Manager.

People and their relatives were happy with their care, and they felt safe. They felt the staffing levels were mainly sufficient now as the service was not full. Relatives told us when they visit the there is a staff presence.

People and their relatives were happy with the environmental improvements to the service. They felt the service was cleaner and more homely.

People and their relatives told us there was an improvement to the meals, food choices and activities on offer, with people having regular access to a hairdresser. Relatives were happy that the service had recently facilitated a religious service and would like to see community activities included in the activities made available to people.

Relatives felt communication with them had improved and the service seemed better run under the new registered manager.