- Care home
The New Wycliffe Home
Assessment report published 8 September 2025
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of onsite inspection 14 and 15 July 2025. The New Wycliffe Home is a care home without nursing for 49 people. The service provides support to older people and younger adults living with dementia, sensory impairment and or a physical disability. This was the provider’s first rated inspection since registration. At the time of the inspection, the provider was working with the local authority to make improvements at the service. The purpose of the inspection was to seek assurances that improvements were being made.
At the time of the inspection, 30 people were living at the service. During this inspection we identified 2 breaches of regulation regarding staffing and governance. We have asked the provider for an action plan in response to the concerns found. At the time of our inspection there was not a registered manager in post. A new manager had submitted an application to register. We are currently assessing this application.
The provider’s learning culture needed to improve. Accidents and incidents were analysed to consider any themes, patterns and learning to reduce recurrence, evidence to show this was discussed with staff was limited. The provider had a complaints policy and whilst we saw some examples of how complaints had been investigated and responded to, information of how the provider implemented learning from them was limited.
The provider’s systems and processes that assessed safety, mitigated risks, and monitored quality had not been fully effective. New and improved procedures needed further time to fully embed and be sustained.
Staffing levels and staff training were identified as needing further improvement. We were not sufficiently assured staffing levels safely met people’s individual care needs, and this also compromised people’s dignity and respect at times.
Recent improvements had been made to how staff were being supported with their work. The provider had safe recruitment procedures.
Improvements were ongoing in assessing people’s care needs and clinical risks, including the involvement of people and their relatives. However, we were concerned about the length of time improvements had taken from when the concerns were identified.
The management of medicines needed improving. This included storing medicines in line with manufacturers guidance, monitoring quantities of medicines and administering them as prescribed.
The provider had made improvements to the safety of the environment, including refurbishment works that were ongoing.
The provider used recognised assessment tools to assess and monitor people’s care needs, including clinical needs. The manager was aware staff required further support in record keeping and was supporting the staff to upskill them.
People had a choice of meals and drinks, and their religious or cultural needs in relation to dietary preferences were assessed and planned for.
Where people had restrictions placed upon their liberty these were done so lawfully. Ongoing improvements were required in ensuring the Mental Capacity Act 2005 was fully adhered to.
Activity coordinators provided a variety of activities for people to participate in, including community activities. External entertainers also visited the service. Postive links with the local community had been developed. Evidence of activities and opportunities for people who were cared for in bed or who chose to remain in their bedroom was limited.
People’s communication needs had been assessed and planned for. Information was provided in a variety of formats to meet people’s individual needs. Resident meetings had recently been reintroduced to enable people to be involved in the service and to make suggestions and provide feedback.
Staff culture was an area of ongoing improvements. The management team had supported staff to develop a greater understanding of their roles, responsibilities and accountability. Whilst there had been a high turn over of staff, new staff had been recruited, resulting in a more stable staff team. The manager had plans to further develop the staff team.
External professionals told us they had experienced some communication difficulties and expressed some concerns in how health needs had sometimes been addressed; however, they confirmed improvements had been made and were ongoing.
People's experience of this service
We received feedback from people living at the service and visiting relatives. Concerns about staffing levels was a reoccurring theme. Examples were given of people having to repeatedly wait for staff assistance.
We received mixed feedback about how health care needs were met. Some people and relatives were positive and told us how swift action was taken when required, such as referrals to external healthcare professionals. Others told us they felt improvements were required in how health needs were met.
People and relatives overall spoke positively about the caring approach of staff. Some concerns were raised about staff communication and how new staff were less knowledgeable about people’s individual care needs, routines and preferences.
People and relatives advised that they had not been involved in the development and review of their care plans.
There was a recognition of improvements within the service since the current manager took up their position
Our observations of staff engagement with people included 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. Our observations found staff to overall be attentive, responsive, kind and compassionate. We found staff were knowledgeable about people’s care and support needs, including routines, preferences, what was important to them, including people’s communication needs. However, we also saw examples of staff being task focused and how people’s dignity and respect was compromised particularly during mealtimes due to staffing levels.
People told us they had a choice of food and drinks, and a variety of snacks and drinks were regularly provided during the day and evening. People and relatives told us how religious and cultural needs and preferences were known, understood and supported. People received opportunities to attend community places of worship on a regular basis. We also observed a multi faith room was being developed within the service.
People and relatives were positive about the activities and opportunities including support provided to access the local community, and confirmed there were no restrictions on visiting.