Updated 7 July 2025
Date of assessment: 31 July – 15 August 2025.
Abafields Care Home provides accommodation and personal care for up to 52 older people, some of whom are living with dementia. Accommodation is provided over 2 floors and at the time of our inspection there were 35 people using the service. As part of the assessment we spoke with the acting home manager, 4 care staff, 9 people living at the home and 3 relatives.
At this inspection we identified breaches of regulations regarding premises and equipment and good governance.
We inspected this service due to concerns we received about the provider and their conduct within the home, although we found these allegations to be largely unsubstantiated.
The external home environment was not well maintained, and we found torn carpets and chipped paintwork in parts of the home. Staff supervisions and appraisals were not always completed as required and records for these could not be located easily. Some of the feedback we received from people living at the home was that more staff were required.
Mental Capacity Act (MCA) assessments were not always completed where restrictions were in place to demonstrate decisions were taken in people’s best interests, such as the use of sensor mats in people’s bedrooms and in one instance, a device similar to a bedrail. The acting home manager made arrangements for these to be completed after our inspection.
Care plans lacked important information about people’s needs. Accurate records about the care people received were not always maintained. In the absence of a registered manager, the provider did not carry out appropriate governance checks to monitor the quality of service. This meant any concerns could not be identified and acted upon in a timely way.
People told us they felt safe living at the home. Accidents and incidents were monitored, with analysis completed to promote any future learning. Safe recruitment procedures were in place with relevant pre-employment checks carried out.
Initial assessments were undertaken when people first moved into the home. People were involved in the care they received and their care plan. Everybody we spoke with told us they were happy with the care provided.
The feedback we received was that the service was well-led and that the new home manager was making visible changes. Staff said they enjoyed their roles and working at the home.