- Care home
Stambridge Meadows Care Home
Assessment report published 26 October 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Stambridge Meadows Care Home is registered to provide personal care for up to 49 older people, some of whom may be living with dementia. The service does not provide nursing care. At the time of the assessment, 30 people were living at the service. Accommodation was provided across 2 floors, with access to a large garden and the local community. We carried out an unannounced assessment between 7 and 15 October 2026, including an on-site visit on 7 October 2026.
The purpose of this assessment was to determine whether the service had made improvements since our previous assessment, which took place between 16 April and 7 May 2026. At that assessment, the provider was in breach of 2 regulations relating to safe care and treatment and good governance. At this assessment, we found the provider was no longer in breach of these regulations and had made improvements across the service, particularly in relation to legionella management, safe care and governance.
Care records and feedback showed that support reflected people’s needs, preferences and routines. People were supported to maintain their independence, access health and social care services and take part in activities within the home and local community.
Systems were in place to safeguard people, manage individual risks and support safe medicines practice. Staff had completed safeguarding training and told us they understood how to raise concerns. People’s risks were assessed. Staff had access to care plans and risk assessments to guide their practice. We observed medicines being administered in line with people’s assessed needs and staff responsible for medicines had received training and competency assessments.
Recruitment checks were completed and staff received training and support relevant to their roles. Staff told us they felt supported by the management team, although some senior staff were overdue for supervision at the time of the assessment. Health and safety checks covered equipment and the environment, including fire safety, water temperatures and window restrictors.
Monthly infection prevention and control audits were completed, and the home was clean and tidy. Following the previous breach, the provider had taken action to improve how legionella risks were monitored and managed. Systems were in place to monitor water safety and associated risks and the records reviewed showed improved oversight by the management team. This provided assurance that the concerns identified at the previous assessment had been addressed.
The registered manager was visible and involved in the day-to-day running of the service. Governance arrangements had improved since the previous assessment and records showed management oversight of areas including care delivery, health and safety, infection prevention and control and care planning.
People's experience of this service
People and their relatives gave largely positive feedback about their experiences of the service. People said they felt safe, well cared for and supported by kind and attentive staff who understood their individual needs. One person said, “I am looked after very well. I love the activities,” while another said, “Of course I’m safe here, I would not be here otherwise. The staff are very kind and caring to me and they do a good job.”
People spoke positively about staff responsiveness and the support they received. One person said, “Even when the staff are busy, they still have time to talk to me.” Another explained, “Staff look after me very well. The staff have a chat to me often.” A further person said staff were, “Always asking me if I am alright or do I need anything.”
There was positive feedback about the range of activities and increased opportunities for engagement. One person said, “There is always lots of activities going on, so I join in most of them.” Another said, “Yes, I join in the activities, they have a lot going on. The staff do work hard for us.” Relatives also described people spending less time in their rooms and accessing community activities, including minibus trips and a dementia-friendly snooker club.
Relatives said they were kept informed about changes in people’s health and were invited to care plan reviews. Feedback also indicated that standards had improved under the current management team.