All inspections: Chesford Grange Care Home

We carried out an unannounced inspection of this service on 27 May 2026 and 1 June 2026. Chesford Grange Care Home is a care home providing nursing and personal care for up to 74 people at the time of the inspection, 73 people were using the service. The service supports older people and younger adults living with dementia, mental health conditions, physical disabilities and sensory impairments.

We carried out this inspection in response to previous enforcement action taken following the last inspection.

The provider had made significant improvements since the last inspection, particularly in relation to governance systems and the management of medicines. Safeguarding practices had also strengthened, with improvements in incident monitoring, oversight, and the timely submission of safeguarding referrals. Further progress had been made in escalating concerns to healthcare professionals and ensuring care plans were accurate, up to date, and reflected people's current needs.

Staff demonstrated an understanding of how to identify, raise and respond to safeguarding concerns. There were sufficient skilled staff to support people safely, medicines were managed appropriately and infection prevention and control practices had improved. The provider promoted learning from incidents and used this to improve practice. Although an environmental concern relating to overheating in communal areas was identified during the inspection, immediate action was taken to address it. Overall, systems and processes supported people to receive safe care while maintaining their independence, choice and wellbeing.

Staff knew people well and provided personalised support that reflected their needs, preferences and choices. People and relatives spoke positively about the care provided. People were involved in decisions about their care and encouraged to maintain their independence. Staff responded appropriately to people's wellbeing needs and were supported by the management team to deliver person-centred care.

Leadership, governance and oversight arrangements had strengthened since the last inspection. Staff felt able to raise concerns, share ideas and contribute to service development, creating an open and inclusive culture. Effective quality assurance systems were used to monitor performance, identify risks and drive improvement. The provider worked proactively with external professionals and used feedback, audits and learning to improve outcomes for people. Staff told us they felt valued and involved in the ongoing development of the service.

Date of Assessment: 4 February to 20 February 2025. The service is a residential care home with nursing care. The service provides support to older and young people younger adults living with dementia, mental health conditions, physical disabilities and sensory impairments. This assessment was carried out due to concerns we received about the care, support and treatment of people living in the home.

Lessons had not been learnt since the previous inspection. Risks to people were not always managed safely. Assessments of people’s needs were not always reflective of people’s current support needs. People’s medicines were not always managed or stored safely. The home environment was not always monitored safely, and infection prevention control measures were not sufficient to minimise against potential infection risks. Clinical staffing levels did not always meet the provider’s dependency levels and staff did not always receive the training and support to deliver safe care. People were at times subject to restrictions without legal authorisation. People’s dignity, privacy and autonomy were not always promoted. Leaders did not create a culture based on listening, learning and trust. Governance and auditing systems were not effective when monitoring risks to people.

However, a new manager had recently started in post. Staff were positive about the new changes and felt confident in the new managers leadership.

We have found 3 breaches of regulation at the service relating to safe care and treatment, safeguarding 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 found an additional breach of regulation relating to dignity and respect. We asked the provider for an action plan in response to the concerns found at this assessment.

About the service

Chesford Grange is a care home providing personal and nursing care to up to 74 people. The service provides support to both younger and older adults some who may have a diagnosis of dementia, mental health conditions and or a physical disability. At the time of our inspection there were 53 people using the service.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

The governance systems in place did not always identify issues relating to safety and quality within the service; this meant lessons could not always be learned when things went wrong. Some people’s care records had not been reviewed and updated to ensure they contained the correct level of information about people’s needs.

There was a new electronic medication system in place. However, not all staff were using the system correctly which meant we could not be assured people were receiving their medication as prescribed. We received mixed feedback about the level of staffing across the service, and some relatives told us they were unsure who the management team were.

Processes were in place to protect people from the risk of harm and abuse and staff were trained to respond to safeguarding concerns, although the lack of managerial oversight meant some safeguarding referrals had not been made. There were measures in place to mitigate the risk of the spread of infection across the service.

Care was delivered in line with people’s assessed needs and people were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives. Staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported support this practice. People had access to healthcare as needed.

Staff were observed to be kind and supported people in a dignified way. People were encouraged to be as independent as possible.

Activities in the home were socially and culturally relevant for people and activity staff were enthusiastic about improving the programme of activities available. There was a complaints policy in place and compliments about the service had been received. People received good end of life care.

There was a new manager in place who was dedicated to improving the service and driving change to improve outcomes for people living at Chesford Grange. They were committed to ensuring people, relatives and staff had a voice and were encouraged to feedback about the service.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection and update

This service was registered with us on 28 January 2022 and this was the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

Chesford Grange Care Home

All Inspections

During an assessment under our new approach

During an assessment under our new approach

16 November 2022

During a routine inspection