- Care home
St Josephs
Assessment report published 13 October 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
About the service
St Joseph's Care Home is a residential care home registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to 18 people. At the time of the assessment, 14 people were living at the home. The home is operated by Nugent Care, an organisation that provides care and support services across the North-West of England.
Who the service is for
The service provides support to people who have an acquired brain injury, a neurological disorder and/or a physical disability.
Our view of the service
Our assessment was carried out between 17 September 2026 and 23 September 2026 as part of a Return to Good assessment. Throughout the assessment, people consistently told us they were happy living at the home, felt safe and were cared for by staff who knew them extremely well. People described staff as caring, approachable and committed to helping them live fulfilling lives, while relatives consistently told us their family members were safe, well cared for and achieving positive outcomes.
People benefited from support delivered by a stable and committed staff team who had developed strong, trusting relationships with them. Staff demonstrated a good understanding of people's histories, preferences, aspirations, communication needs and support requirements and used this knowledge to provide highly personalised care. Care plans were detailed and reflected a thorough understanding of people's lives, relationships, interests, emotional wellbeing and what mattered most to them.
People were encouraged to make decisions about their day-to-day lives and remain as independent as possible. They were able to make choices about their routines, meals, activities and future plans, and were supported to pursue interests and opportunities that were meaningful to them. Staff consistently focused on enabling people to do the things that mattered most whilst managing risks safely and proportionately.
We observed warm, respectful and person-centred interactions between staff and people living at the home. People told us staff listened to them, provided reassurance when required and supported their emotional wellbeing. Staff themselves spoke with genuine warmth and affection about people they supported and demonstrated a strong commitment to helping people live happy and fulfilling lives.
Staff worked effectively alongside healthcare professionals to monitor people's health, wellbeing and changing needs. Records evidenced ongoing review of physical health, nutrition, mobility, skin integrity, long-term health conditions and emotional wellbeing. Staff sought specialist advice promptly when concerns were identified and adapted care to ensure support remained effective and responsive. Relatives spoke positively about communication and described staff acting quickly when people's needs changed and ensuring appropriate healthcare input was obtained.
The registered manager demonstrated excellent oversight of the home and an in-depth knowledge of the people living there. Governance arrangements were comprehensive and included daily, weekly and monthly monitoring systems, medication audits, clinical reviews, environmental checks and health and safety oversight. Records demonstrated issues identified through governance processes were acted upon and used to drive improvement. People received their medicines safely from trained and competent staff, with regular audits and competency assessments providing ongoing assurance. Safe recruitment practices were in place, with appropriate pre-employment checks completed before staff commenced employment. Staff consistently described leaders as approachable, supportive and responsive and told us they felt listened to and valued. There was evidence of a positive culture where learning, accountability and continuous improvement were embedded throughout the home.
People's experience of this service
People spoke very positively about their experience of living in the home and consistently told us they felt safe, happy and well cared for. One person told us, "Staff are very caring, they deserve medals. They always try and help as best as they can." Another person said, "Staff are brilliant, they cannot do enough for you, I love living here", whilst another told us, "I have lived here a very long time. I go out a lot, and I am very well looked after." One person explained, "Staff know exactly what I want and always get it for me."
People told us they had choice and control over their daily lives and were supported to do the things that mattered to them. People spoke positively about opportunities to spend time with family and friends, go shopping, visit libraries, enjoy holidays and participate in activities they enjoyed. These opportunities reflected people's individual preferences, interests and aspirations.
People valued the emotional support they received from staff. One person told us, "I always used to worry about things, but the staff sit and listen to me and take all my worries away." We observed staff spending time talking with people, offering reassurance and supporting people in a calm, respectful and caring way. Staff were seen taking time to sit with people, chat, offer drinks and snacks and respond to requests at people's own pace.
Relatives were equally positive about the care their family members received. One relative told us, "I cannot fault St Joseph's", whilst another described their family member as being, "So safe and very much cared for" and said, "I wouldn't want [relative] anywhere else." Relatives consistently told us staff communicated well, acted quickly when concerns arose and kept them informed of changes. One relative told us, "If anything is wrong they tell me straight away and make sure [relative] gets a doctor and call me."
Relatives described positive outcomes for their family members and told us staff went above and beyond to support people to live fulfilling lives. One relative explained their family member was so happy living at the home they no longer wished to return home for weekends or holidays. Another told us, "Everything is catered for. They try to keep everyone occupied as much as they can” and described how birthdays and special occasions were celebrated.
Staff spoke passionately about people they supported and demonstrated a genuine commitment to their wellbeing. Staff described supporting people to maintain family relationships, access meaningful activities and achieve personal goals. One member of staff told us, "Seeing them happy is all that matters", whilst others described the home as, "A real family" where people were "Safe and well looked after." Staff consistently spoke about supporting people to live happy, meaningful and independent lives.