Herondale

Herondale is a residential care home providing accommodation with personal care for up to 8 people. The service can provide care to older and younger people with mental ill health, people with learning disabilities and autistic people and those who misuse drugs and alcohol. At the time of the assessment, the service did not provide care or support to anyone with a learning disability or an autistic person. There were 5 people living at the service at the time of our assessment.

We carried out our on-site assessment on 8 and 9 June 2026. We looked at key questions safe and well-led. We also followed up actions taken from the last assessment published September 2025 where the provider was in breach of the regulation in relation to, managing people’s medicine, premises and equipment, good governance and staffing.

The provider had made improvements to the environment and fire safety since the last assessment and was no longer in breach of this regulation. However, governance systems and audits had not significantly improved to identify or address the concerns we found at this and the previous assessment.

The provider continued to be in breach of the regulations in relation to the management of medicines and good governance. In addition, there were breaches in relation to safe care and treatment. We met with the provider to seek assurance and asked them to provide an action plan in response to the concerns found at this assessment.

This service remains 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.

Herondale is a residential care home providing accommodation with personal care for up to 8 people. The service provides care to older and younger people with mental ill health, people with learning disabilities and autistic people and those who misuse drugs and alcohol. There were 8 people living at the service at the time of our assessment.

We carried out our on-site comprehensive assessment on 10 and 13 June 2025. We looked at all key questions and all quality statements and followed up actions taken from the last assessment where the provider was in breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.

The provider continued to be in breach of the regulations in relation to the premises and equipment, and good governance. In addition, there was a breach of the regulation in relation to staffing. Some improvements had been made in the areas of infection prevention and control, involving people and safe care and treatment and was no longer in breach of this regulation.

However, we found environmental risks including fire safety were not well managed or monitored. The bathrooms continued to be in a state of disrepair. Risks to people's safety were not always well documented and updated. There were not sufficient staff arrangements in place to support people effectively. Governance systems and audits had not significantly improved to identify or address the concerns we found at this and the previous assessment. We met with the provider to seek urgent assurance and asked them to provide an action plan in response to the concerns found at this assessment.

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. This service is 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.

We have assessed the service against ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ guidance to make judgements about whether the provider guaranteed people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. At the time of the assessment, the location did not provide care or support to anyone with a learning disability or an autistic person. However, we assessed the care provision under Right support, right care, right culture, as it is registered as a specialist service for this group of people.