• Care Home
  • Care home

Pembroke House

Overall: Requires improvement read more about inspection ratings

11 Oxford Road, Gillingham, Kent, ME7 4BS (01634) 852431

Provided and run by:
The Royal Naval Benevolent Trust

Important:

We served a warning notice on The Royal Naval Benevolent Trust on 9 July 2026 in relation to a breach of Regulation 12 as they had failed to manage medicines effectively which put people at risk of harm at Pembroke House.

Latest inspection summary

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Our current view of the service

Requires improvement

Updated 18 May 2026

Date of assessment: 16 June 2026 to 08 July 2026. Pembroke House is a residential care home providing accommodation for persons who require nursing or personal care. We completed this assessment after receiving concerns about risk management, medicines, staffing, delays in people receiving medical care and safeguarding.

The service is registered to provide support to 55 older people and people living with dementia. At the time of our assessment 48 people lived at the service.

At this assessment we found the quality of the service had deteriorated since we last inspected the service in 2021. We identified 5 breaches of the regulations relating to medicines management, staffing, management of risk, infection control, premises and equipment, person centred care and governance.

There had been a lack of clinical and management oversight of risks because systems had not been embedded to ensure risk assessments provided staff safe ways of working with people who had epilepsy, constipation, concerns around skin integrity and people on blood thinning medicines. Staff had not always received training and support to enable them to meet the assessed needs of people. The provider had failed to maintain equipment at the service which put people at risk of harm. People were not always enabled to receive care and support which met their preferences. Some people told us they preferred baths and despite asking for these they were not supported to have one. Care plans lacked guidance for staff. The systems to monitor the quality and safety of the service were not always effective. When shortfalls had been identified, action had not always been taken in a timely manner to make improvements and the shortfalls continued.

Staff were recruited safely. Staff treated people with kindness and knew people well. Staff spent time with people encouraging them to participate in activities and maintain important relationships with their families and friends. Staff told us they had received mixed support from the management team. Staff recognised that the provider had put in place a new management team and changes and improvements were starting to happen.

In instances where CQC has begun a process of regulatory action, we may publish this information on our website after any representations and/or appeals have been concluded, if the action has been taken forward. We have also asked the provider for an action plan in response to the concerns found at this assessment.

People's experience of the service

Updated 18 May 2026

We carried out a short observational framework for inspection (SOFI) and observed staff engaging with people in a kind and patient way. SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us. We observed some kind and caring interactions between staff and people. However, we also observed interactions which required improvement, such as a staff member pulling a chair out from the dining table with a person sat on it without asking the person or explaining what they were doing.

People's feedback about the service they received was generally positive. Comments included, “I am well looked after”, “It is nice being looked after. I could not manage on my own anymore after having a stroke”, “I’m reasonably settled here and I’m staying”, “It’s wonderful” and “When things are done properly and on time, it is really good.”

Relatives gave us mixed feedback about the care and support their loved ones received. Comments included, “There is peace of mind knowing they are as safe as they can be. The nursing staff are very good”, “I really think they do a good job”, “Every single person you come across is lovely with my mum and they are all nice to me as well. I visit regularly and feel they know us” and “Pembroke has a lot of problems. Pembroke have dropped the ball repeatedly. I have to micromanage to make sure dad is safe.”

While people expressed general satisfaction with their care, our assessment found elements of care did not always meet the expected standards.