During an assessment under our new approach
Date of Assessment: 21, 26 and 30 October 2026.
Bowes House is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care for up to 90 people who live with a range of health conditions such as dementia, diabetes, heart complaints, general frailty and mobility problems. The building is divided into four units, each providing specialist support. There are two units for older persons on the ground floor, one providing residential support and one providing nursing care. On the first floor there is a unit providing nursing care and another for people who lived with dementia. At the time of inspection there were 75 people living in the home.
Bowes House is operated by two companies: Care UK Care Services Limited and Care UK Community Partnerships Ltd.
These two companies have a dual registration and are jointly responsible for the services at the home.
We undertook this responsive assessment to check on specific concerns we had received about peoples' safety and well-being, the culture of the service and the management of risk in the service.
This was the first assessment for this service.We did not identify any significant issues during this assessment, and the service has been rated Good.
People and staff told us they would feel confident raising any concerns and that the management team would respond to them. Systems were in place that allowed people, relatives and staff to speak up and have their voices heard. The provider had liaised with external health professionals to provide joined-up care and treatment for people. This had promoted safe transitions for people moving between different services. People were safeguarded from harm by appropriately trained staff.
People may only be deprived of their liberty to receive care and treatment with appropriate legal authority. In care homes, this is managed through the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). We found staff and management worked within the MCA and understood when to apply for DoLS.
People received safe care. Staff managed risks safely and responded effectively to people’s needs. Staff and management knew people well and received induction, training and support to manage their health and social care needs. The home was clean and well maintained and provided a comfortable and safe environment. Redecoration and improvements to the premises were ongoing, following a plan with defined timescales. Medicines were managed safely.
People’s health, care, wellbeing and communication needs were assessed, and staff supported them in line with their individual needs. Staff could describe the positive outcomes people achieved. People enjoyed their meals and were supported by staff to follow a healthy lifestyle.
Staff treated people with kindness and compassion, and there was a positive and friendly culture in the service. People were encouraged to remain as independent as possible and there was a dedicated activity team that worked alongside the care team to promote mental and physical wellbeing.
The provider had good governance systems to identify and address improvements. Staff felt the management team were open and approachable. Regular discussions between staff and management about incidents and areas for improvement supported learning within the service.