- Care home
Montrose Care Home
Assessment report published 23 February 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Montrose Care Home is a residential care home providing accommodation for people who require nursing or personal care for up to 22 people. The service provides support to older people, some of whom live with dementia, other mental health needs or a physical disability. At the time of our inspection there were 15 people living at the home. Nursing care is not provided by staff in the home. This type of care is provided by the community nursing service. Accommodation is provided over 2 floors, with the first floor having access via stairs or a lift. There are communal living and dining areas and a lounge leading out onto the gardens. There are various smaller seating areas throughout the ground floor. There were 15 people living at the home at the time of inspection.
The home had been registered under new ownership in June 2023. This was our first inspection under new ownership. The assessment took place between 7 January and 16 January 2026. We visited the service on 7 January 2026. During the inspection we assessed the quality statements under all key questions of safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led. This was a planned inspection to check the quality and safety of the care provided.
People received safe, effective, caring and responsive support at Montrose Care Home. The service was well-led. All leaders were open and responsive throughout the inspection process. When we identified some areas for improvement, the provider acted immediately to address any shortfalls. The medicines were mostly managed safely and met people’s needs, capacities and preferences. However, there were areas that needed improvement, such as, following specific instructions from the prescriber and consistent recording of application of prescribed creams and emollients to people. We found people’s equality-related needs were not always considered when the premises were adapted or decorated. The physical environment was not decorated or adapted to a consistent standard to meet the needs of people living with dementia. The provider told us they were aware of this and intended to make the environment more dementia friendly, which was included in the provider’s service improvement plan.
Systems and processes were in place to mitigate the risk of harm to people and to protect them from abuse. Staff had a clear understanding of their responsibilities under safeguarding, while the provider understood their regulatory responsibilities. People were involved in the management of risk to their care and support. People were supported by enough staff who had received the appropriate training to meet people’s needs. Infection control procedures were in place to keep people safe.
People’s needs, wishes and preferences were assessed and captured, and staff understood these needs. People were supported, when needed, to access healthcare services. People were encouraged to maintain relationships with family and friends.
Governance arrangements and systems were well established and ensured that peoples care was monitored and improved if needed. Leaders and staff worked together to provide responsive care for people at the home. Care plans were detailed and contained information that staff needed to support people to meet all their needs in a person-centred way.
People's experience of this service
People and their relatives spoke positively about the service, confirming people’s needs were met and staff provided safe and compassionate support. Comments from relatives included, “I’m grateful they look after my [loved one], it has taken a load off my mind. I know [they] are safe and being cared for” and “My [loved one] is safe because the carers at the home are very attentive.” We received positive feedback from people and relatives about staff at the home. People described staff as supportive, welcoming and attentive. People and their relatives spoke about positive relationships with the staff team. They said they were responsive to their needs and provided a consistent and caring approach to them. They told us that the staff and the home itself offered a relaxing and peaceful place for them to live. Comments from relatives included, “I have a peace of mind that my loved one is safe and happy, and feels ‘at home’, rather than ‘in a home’” and “Staff are friendly, helpful and caring; they seem to know [my loved one] well. [They] appear to have a good relationship with staff. [My loved one] always looks well cared for.” Some people could not directly tell us about their experiences. We spent time at the service and used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us. We saw people were included and listened to, and staff interactions with people were positive. We observed people appeared to be relaxed, happy, at ease and to enjoy the company of staff.