- Care home
The Croft Nursing Home (Barrow)
Assessment report published 24 February 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of Assessment: 14 January to 30 January 2026. The Croft Nursing Home (Barrow) is a care home providing personal care and accommodation for up to 46 younger and older people who may have nursing needs, physical disabilities, learning disabilities, autism or have dementia. At the time of this assessment there were 46 people living there.
We assessed the quality statements from all the key questions; safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led and the overall rating for this service has remained good. We assessed the service against ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ guidance to make judgements about whether the provider guaranteed people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted.
Some staff recently employed did not have all their checks of suitability in place. People were protected and kept safe. Staff were aware of their safeguarding responsibilities. Staff involved people and those important to them in their care planning and decisions were made in people’s best interests where they did not have capacity to do so themselves. There were enough staff with the right skills, qualifications and experience. Staff received training and some supervision to support them in delivering safe and effective care. Medicines were managed safely. The home was clean and well equipped.
People and their families were fully involved in assessments of their needs. Staff regularly reviewed these assessments taking account of people’s communication, personal and health needs. People’s nutritional needs were assessed and met. The staff team worked well with other organisations and services to support people to manage their health and wellbeing.
People were treated as individuals and with kindness, dignity and compassion. People had choice in their care and were encouraged to maintain their independence. Staff ensured people received the right care and support and knew people well. People’s personal, cultural, social and religious needs were fully supported. People were supported to engage in regular meaningful activities, social interests and maintain relationships with family and friends. There was a team of designated staff who supported people daily to access activities of their choice in the local community The provider cared about the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled them to deliver person-centred care.
The service worked well with commissioners to ensure that continuity of care for people was managed. People’s individual communication needs were identified, and information was provided in a variety of accessible ways. People and their relatives were able to give feedback on care which was listened to and acted on. Staff understood about equality and diversity. The service contacted emergency services when required and knew when to involve specialist services in people’s care. There was a system in place for responding to concerns or complaints. People’s end-of-life wishes were noted and reflected in their care records.
The management team led the service with integrity, openness and honesty and valued diversity in their workforce. Staff felt very supported by the management team and were able to report concerns and said they were listened to. There was a range of quality monitoring and auditing processes in place. However, some issues seen during the assessment by the inspection team had not always been identified through the provider’s oversight and audit processes. The management team took immediate action to address those concerns. The management team had already recognised where improvements were needed in their systems and processes used and had developed a new tool that would capture those areas of concern.
The management team demonstrated a positive, compassionate, listening culture that promoted trust and understanding between them the staff and people using the service. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities. The service worked well with the local community to deliver the best possible care and outcomes for people.
People's experience of this service
People and their relatives told us they felt the service was safe. One relative when asked if they felt the service was safe said “Yes very much so.” Another relative told us, “[Relative] is well looked after and is safe.”
Relatives spoke positively about the number of staff available telling us, “Loads of staff around” and “always plenty of staff.” One relative said, “Whenever I’ve been there, I’ve felt enough staff around. See plenty of staff engaged with residents.”
People were complimentary about the food. One person said, “The food is good. I enjoy my meals.” Another person told us all about their healthy eating options. A relative told us, “[Relative] is being encouraged to eat more healthier and balanced meals.”
Several people described how staff treated them kindly and with dignity and respect. One person said, “The help I need is given with kindness and patience. The staff are just great people.” A relative told us, “[Relative] has a great relationship with the staff. They treat her with kindness and respect.”
The service provided and supported people to access a variety of meaningful activities. One person told us, “I’ve been out this morning to the local supermarket then went for a coffee and I bought some T-shirts in the sale.”
People and their relatives told us how supportive and caring staff were. One person said, “Staff are absolutely wonderful.” A relative told us, “Staff treat my relative amazingly, always respectful of their choices. Treat and talk to them as a normal person.”
People knew staff and the managers very well. One person said about their unit manager, “She’s brilliant and we can do whatever we want to, we have parties and go to the pub.” Relatives told us, “It’s (the home) is very well managed, keep us informed.” and “managers and staff are brilliant.”