- Care home
Alban House Residential Care Home
Assessment report published 19 February 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of assessment:16 December 2025 to 19 January 2026. We visited the service on 16, 17 and 18 December 2025. Alban House is a residential care home providing care and support to a maximum of 23 older people. At the time of our assessment there were 14 people living at the home.
The assessment was carried out to follow up on the breaches in legal regulation. The provider was previously in breach of the legal regulation in relation to safe care and treatment, the need for consent, person-centred care, dignity and respect, staffing and good governance.Improvements were found at this assessment and the provider was no longer in breach of these regulations.
Staff were increasingly adopting a proactive culture regarding health and safety incidents or concerns. However, further work was needed to ensure all concerns were reported and recorded appropriately to ensure people’s safety. This work needed embedding and sustaining in practice.
People’s individual risks were being identified more effectively, and the necessary risk assessment reviews were increasingly carried out to keep people safe. However, further embedding of risk management processes was needed to continually drive improvements in the way staff managed people’s risks. Professionals confirmed improvements had been made with how the service managed people’s identified risks.
The provider undertook regular health and safety checks of the premises as part of their auditing system. This demonstrated closer attention was being paid to the safety of the premises. These improvements needed sustaining and embedding in practice. Fire safety management had improved and protected people and others within the building. Further work was being undertaken to ensure all fire doors were compliant with fire safety regulations. Safety systems and equipment used at the service were maintained and serviced at regular intervals to make sure these remained in good order and safe for use.
The provider had invested in the premises and further investment was planned to ensure people’s individual needs could be met by the adaptation, design, and decoration of the premises.
Infection control practices had improved and there were now measures to ensure people’s safety. Staff followed improved systems and processes to administer, record and store medicines safely. These improvements needed to continue to be sustained and embedded in practice.
Staff were more effectively deployed across the home, so people’s care and support needs could be met in a timely manner. This needed sustaining and embedding in practice to ensure consistency in approach.
Staff were deployed in line with people’s assessed care and support needs. Where additional staff were needed, as far as possible, consistent agency staff were utilised to support continuity of care. The provider had now made sure night staff had received training in how to support people with their medicines, to enable people to access their medicines when required during the night.
On reviewing the staff training matrix, it was evident there were gaps across mandatory training modules. Staff training remained one of the provider’s priorities to ensure staff were equipped with the knowledge and skills to support people in a person-centred way.
The management team were establishing a more effective framework to ensure all performance and conduct issues were formally documented and managed in line with policies and procedures to protect the quality and safety of people’s care and support. For example, addressing any poor staff practice through disciplinaries, with actions taken to mitigate future risks. This work needed sustaining and embedding in practice.
Improvements had been made to how the provider assessed, monitored and improved the quality and safety of the service. Risks were increasingly being mitigated, and governance systems identified areas where improvements were needed. For example, to infection control, medicines management, the safety of the premises and work required to people’s individual care and support plans and risk assessments. These systems and processes needed embedding and sustaining within the service.
The service’s service improvement plan evidenced extensive work undertaken to ensure people received safe, effective and high quality care. This, and positive collaboration with health and social care professionals, including the local authority, demonstrated the provider’s goal to deliver equality of experience, outcome and quality of life for people. This work needed to continue to be sustained and embedded in practice.
This service has been in Special Measures since 10 September 2025. The provider demonstrated improvements that have been made. The service is no longer rated as inadequate in any of the key questions. Therefore, this service is no longer in Special Measures.
People's experience of this service
People confirmed they felt safe with the staff that supported them and were able to raise any concerns. Comments included, “I know I can speak to some of the staff and they will help me. I can speak to [home manager] because he is my keyworker as well” and “The staff are really nice, I do feel safe.”
People told us staff helped them feel safe without minimising their independence. They felt able to move freely around the home and spend the day as they wished. Throughout our visits we saw people being encouraged by staff to be independent. For example, whilst moving around the home, and eating independently with the aid of adaptations where assessed as needed.
People confirmed the home was clean and tidy with a homely feel. One person commented, “The staff keep the home clean, they are always cleaning.”
People confirmed they received their medicines in a timely and safe manner. One person commented, “The staff help me with my medicine.” People said their care and support was delivered in the way they wanted and staff recognised when they were unwell and contacted health professionals in a timely manner. People’s specific nutrition and hydration needs were met in line with current guidance.
People said staff were kind and caring. People’s comments included, "Staff are friendly and help me” and “The staff are chatty most of the time. I like the staff they are kind to me.” A relative commented, “Mum always says everyone is kind… Since her arrival at Alban House [length of time] she is happy and well looked after, which gives the family total peace of mind. The staff are friendly, caring and approachable.”
People were supported to maintain relationships and networks that were important to them, this included access to their friends and family. Activities formed an important part of people’s lives. The provider had recruited an activities coordinator since our last assessment and people were increasingly engaged in a variety of person-centred activities. For example, games, arts and crafts and celebrating key times of the year. There were also plans to increase people’s access to the local community to further ensure their well-being.
A relative commented, “On one of my visits, mum was in her room knitting with the activities lady. This was so lovely to see as mum had always been a keen knitter… Nowadays this isn’t something mum would do, but with encouragement from the activities lady she was knitting away and chatting. A one to one session like this is just what mum needs from time to time.”
There were opportunities for people, and people that matter to them, to raise issues, concerns, and complaints. Surveys had been completed by people using the service and relatives in December 2025. The surveys asked specific questions about the standard of the service and the support it gave people. Where actions were required, these had been followed up. For example, new chairs purchased which were more comfortable and an increase in activities which met people’s individual interests.