- Care home
Chestnuts Retirement Home
Assessment report published 19 August 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
About the service
Chestnuts retirement home is a care home registered to support up to 14 people. There were 12 people using the service at the time of inspection. The service is a small, family-run care home where people receive support in a homely environment.
Who the service is for
Chestnuts Retirement Home is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care for older people.
Our view of the service
We carried out this assessment on 22 and 27 July 2026. This service was previously rated as good. We carried out this assessment to confirm whether the rating of good remains accurate. This report does not provide detailed information on areas where we found practice continues to meet a good standard. Instead, our findings focus on any areas where the service needs to improve or where we found exceptional practice.
People can only be deprived of their liberty to receive care and treatment with appropriate legal authority. In care homes, this can be done through a procedure called the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), which is part of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). We checked whether the service was working within the principles of the MCA and how they managed DoLS within the service. We found that staff and management worked within the MCA. People were not subject to unlawful or excessive restrictions; they had choice, control and freedom over their lives.
Staff understood safeguarding, risk management and people's individual support needs. There was an open culture where concerns could be raised and learning from incidents and day-to-day events was discussed. Risks were managed in a way that promoted independence and choice while helping people to remain safe. Medicines were generally managed safely, with secure storage arrangements, accurate stock checks and systems to support safe administration. However, improvements were required to strengthen aspects of medicines documentation and ensure care records provided staff with clear guidance regarding people's health conditions, support needs and associated risks. Staffing arrangements enabled people to receive care when required and recruitment processes were in place to support safer recruitment. However, recruitment records did not always demonstrate that employment histories for staff had been fully explored in line with the provider's policy. Feedback from people and relatives was consistently positive, with many describing the service as a safe place to live.
Assessment and review processes helped ensure support reflected people's individual needs. Staff knew people well and demonstrated a good understanding of their preferences, routines and how they wished to be supported. Relatives spoke positively about the knowledge and skills of staff and the support provided to maintain people's health and wellbeing. Training, induction and supervision arrangements were in place and relevant to staff roles. Choice and independence were promoted, with people supported to make decisions about their day-to-day lives.
Kind and compassionate care was evident throughout the service. Staff knew people well and understood what was important to them. People's dignity and wellbeing were promoted and they were supported to make choices about their daily lives and the care they received. Positive relationships had developed between people and staff, with relatives frequently describing the home as warm, welcoming and family-like. Support was provided in a way that respected people's preferences and encouraged them to remain as independent as possible.
People were placed at the centre of their care and support and were encouraged to make choices about how they lived their lives. Care planning was person-centred and reflected people's preferences and interests. Staff knew people well and worked alongside them, and where appropriate those important to them, to review and adapt support as needs changed. People were supported to express their views and be involved in decisions about their care and treatment. Staff promoted independence, choice and control and made adjustments to meet individual needs. People and their relatives knew how to raise concerns and felt confident that these would be listened to and acted upon. The service demonstrated a commitment to providing personalised care that responded to people's changing needs and supported positive outcomes.
Leaders promoted a positive, person-centred culture and were committed to providing compassionate care that focused on people's individual needs. There was a clear commitment to involving people in decisions about their care and supporting them to lead fulfilling lives. Systems and processes were in place to monitor quality, safety and performance across the service and had supported a number of positive outcomes for people. However, opportunities remained to strengthen governance arrangements to ensure they consistently identified and addressed all areas requiring improvement. Some of the issues identified during the inspection, including aspects of care planning, medicines documentation, recruitment records and internal communication processes, had not been fully recognised through existing quality assurance systems. Leaders were open and responsive to feedback and demonstrated a commitment to continuous improvement. They took action in response to the findings of the inspection and showed a willingness to strengthen oversight and further develop the quality of the service.
People's experience of this service
We visited the service and spoke with people who used the service about their experiences of care and support. All people living at the service were able to communicate their views and experiences. We spoke with relatives and observed interactions between people and staff throughout the visit to understand how care and support was provided in practice.
People and relatives consistently spoke positively about the care and support provided. Many people told us they felt safer living at the home than when living independently. One person said, "I feel much safer here. I was having a lot of falls at home and some had been serious. Now I am here I haven’t had any falls but I know that if I do, someone will be here very quickly to help me." Another told us, "There is always someone around day and night so I know I am being kept safe because they are always here and they can see what is happening."
People consistently described staff as kind, caring and supportive. Comments included, "The staff are very nice and so helpful. They can’t do enough for you," and, "They will do anything for you, you just need to ask." Relatives were equally positive. One said, "I have been totally amazed at how good the care is and how caring the staff are." Whilst another told us, "The care has been second to none, I can’t fault it. It is like home from home, a real family feeling between the residents and carers."
Feedback showed people felt respected and treated as individuals. One person told us, "I am treated as an adult and allowed to live how I want to." Relatives highlighted the personalised approach taken by staff. One commented, "[My family member] loves it there. The care has been fantastic. It is personal and [my family member] is treated as an individual, they are not just a number."
People spoke positively about the opportunities available to remain independent, make choices and take part in activities. One person told us, "I can get up and go to bed when I want to. I feel that I can do what I want, when I want." Relatives highlighted the range of activities and stimulation available. One said, "The amount of stimulation [my family member] gets is very good and it has really helped them. They are always doing things with them. It is wonderful." Another told us, "The care is excellent... [my family member] is well hydrated, gets lots of stimulation, goes out regularly and goes into the garden which they enjoy." People enjoyed activities and entertainment within the home, with one person commenting, "They entertain us quite a bit. We play bingo and have people visiting. They are good at keeping us amused."
Feedback about food, the environment and management was positive. The home was described as, "Lovely," "Homely" and, "Kept very clean." People and relatives spoke positively about the management of the service, with one relative describing the manager as, "Approachable and helpful."