The Windmill Care Home Ltd

Ratings

• Overall

  Inadequate

• Safe

  Inadequate

• Effective

  Inadequate

• Caring

  Inadequate

• Responsive

  Inadequate

• Well-led

  Inadequate

Our view of the service

The Windmill Care Home Ltd is a care home that can accommodate up to 35 people. At the time of our assessment, there were 33 people living in the service, most of whom were living with dementia. The service was set across two floors with lift access. People had their own rooms and there were 2 communal lounges, dining area and garden.

We carried out unannounced site visits on 29 April 2026, 5 May 2026 and 12 May 2026. This assessment was in response to concerns we had about the service following a serious incident. We looked at all 5 key questions with all quality statements being assessed. We found the service provided by The Windmill Care Home Ltd was inadequate. We identified 9 breaches of the regulations in relation to person-centred care, need for consent, safe care and treatment, safeguarding, nutrition and hydration, dignity and respect, good governance and staffing.

The service did not provide safe care as risks in relation to people’s health and wellbeing had not been appropriately assessed, planned for or reviewed. Safeguarding incidents had not been identified or reported to the Local Authority. There was ineffective oversight of people’s medicines and reviews of people’s medicines did not always take place when required.

People did not receive person-centred care. Care records lacked sufficient detail and were not reflective of people’s current needs, they were also contradictory in places. People’s nutritional and hydration needs were not being met, and referrals were not always made for specialist input where people’s care needs changed.

Governance and oversight was ineffective. The provider failed to maintain oversight of the quality and safety of service being delivered and the audits undertaken by the management team failed to ensure the service people received was safe, effective and responsive. Where audits had been completed, they failed to identify the systemic failings we found at the service. The provider had failed to consistently notify CQC of notifiable events in line with the Regulations.

This service is being placed in special measures. The purpose of special measures is to ensure that services providing inadequate care make significant improvements. Special measures provide a framework within which we use our enforcement powers in response to inadequate care and provide a timeframe within which providers must improve the quality of the care they provide.

People's experience of this service

We received mixed feedback from people, their relatives and staff about the service. Whilst people and their relatives reported a general satisfaction with the service being delivered, some people reported delays in getting help to use the toilet.

We found care was not person-centred and people’s care records were not reflective of their current needs, wishes or aspirations. People and others significant to them were not always involved in the assessment and planning of their care. This meant people did not always receive safe care, which was tailored to their individual needs, preferences and wishes. People’s choices were not always respected. We found people were encouraged to be in communal areas or woken up early as it benefitted staff’s schedules.

There was poor provision of meaningful activities for people to engage with. This was confirmed by people we spoke with. People told us they preferred to stay in their rooms as they found the lounge area too noisy. One person told us, “I used to sit down there but now I stay in my room most of the time. It’s too noisy down there, 3 TVs blaring out.” People were not supported to access other areas such as the garden.