The Flowers Care Home Limited

Updated 7 January 2026

The dates of assessment were from 8 January 2026 to 29 January 2026, and we visited the service on 8, 12 and 13 January 2026. The Flowers Care Home is a residential care home providing support for younger and older people, including people living with dementia. At the time of our assessment there were 18 people living in the service. This assessment was initiated following intelligence from partners and professionals identifying emerging risks.

The service was inadequate across all areas, placing people at significant risk of harm and, in some cases, life-threatening danger. Fire safety failings and uncontrolled access to steep, unsupervised stairs created an immediate risk to life. People were not safeguarded from known risks of potential harm or abuse, and systems to identify, monitor and respond to safeguarding concerns were ineffective. Staffing levels were unsafe, with agency staff lacking knowledge of people’s needs. Infection control was poor, bedding and equipment were unclean, and essential maintenance and safety checks were incomplete or undocumented. Medicines were not consistently managed, and care plans contained contradictions and omissions.

People’s basic needs were not consistently met. People were left hungry, offered limited food choices, and did not always receive fortified or nutritious meals. Care was not person-centred, with little choice over routines, meals, or activities. Communication and cultural needs were often unmet, and residents cared for in bed had minimal meaningful interaction. People with mental health needs were admitted without assurance staff were trained or competent to support them safely.

Leadership and governance were ineffective. Audits were inaccurate, incidents were not consistently recorded or acted upon, and staff feared speaking up. The previous registered manager’s absence and lack of provider oversight left the service without competent leadership.

We raised all identified concerns with the provider, who failed to take any effective action to protect people’s safety. As a result, the Local Authority had to intervene directly, arranging meal provisions to ensure people were fed, deploying additional senior staff to support safe care, and we escalated our fire safety concerns to West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service. This lack of provider action placed people at ongoing and avoidable risk and demonstrates a complete failure of leadership and accountability.

The provider was in breach of 9 legal regulations in relation to person-centred care, dignity and privacy, safe care and treatment, safeguarding, nutrition and hydration, safe environments, good governance, staffing and fit and proper persons.

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 user our enforcement powers in response to inadequate care and provide a timeframe within which providers must improve the quality of the care they provide.

In instances where CQC have decided to take civil or criminal enforcement action against a provider, we will publish this information on our website after any representations and/or appeals have been concluded.

Updated 7 January 2026

Despite the concerns identified during the assessment, many relatives told us they felt their loved ones were generally safe. However, some relatives acknowledged risks associated with people wandering and occasional aggressive behaviour from other residents. Concerns were also raised about delays in staff responding to call bells, with relatives reporting waits of up to 15 minutes, particularly where people were unable to use call systems independently.

Some relatives raised concerns about inconsistent standards of hygiene. One relative told us, “Upstairs it did smell of urine,” which was consistent with the inspection findings.

Relatives consistently described staff as kind and compassionate. One relative told us, “They talk to [person] and put them at ease,” reflecting some positive interactions observed during the inspection.

Food was generally described as adequate; however, some relatives expressed concerns that it did not always meet people’s nutritional needs. This was supported by inspection findings and records which showed weight loss in some people.

Overall, relatives expressed general satisfaction with the service but recognised areas requiring improvement, particularly in relation to personal care, communication, and the environment. One relative summarised this by saying, “There’s always room for improvement.”