Carrstone House Care Home

Ratings

• Overall

  Requires improvement

• Safe

  Requires improvement

• Effective

  Inadequate

• Caring

  Requires improvement

• Responsive

  Requires improvement

• Well-led

  Requires improvement

Our view of the service

Date of inspection: 01 September to 28 September 2026

Carrstone House is a care home, which provides care for people living with or without dementia and respite care. The service accommodates up to 72 people in a three-storey building. The ground and top floors are for people who are more independent and require less support. The middle floor is for people whose dementia is more advanced and who require a higher level of support. At the time the inspection commenced 50 people were living at the service.

The lift on the middle floor has a number code lock so service users on this floor cannot move between floors on their own. Each floor is designed the same and has a dining room, activities room, hairdressing, and spa rooms.

This was a comprehensive inspection of all quality statements, which was prompted due to concerns which had been raised regarding safe care and treatment. The service was registered in November 2024, and this was the first inspection.

We carried out unannounced visits to the service on 01 and 07 September 2026.

The service had not had a registered manager in place since 31 October 2025; the service had been supported by interim managers and the regional management team. A new manager had been appointed a week before the inspection commenced.

This inspection found the provider to be in breach of 4 legal regulations relating to need for consent, safe care and treatment, staffing, and governance. The provider did not have an effective quality assurance and governance system in place, which had resulted in shortfalls that placed the people who used the service at risk of harm. People's risks had not always been identified and mitigated, and where risks had been identified, their management was not always effectively assessed.

Consent had not always been lawfully obtained in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

We found that staff were caring and supported people in a kind and considerate manner.

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.

People's experience of this service

We received concerns from people and their relatives regarding staffing levels; staff turnover and the quality of the food provided. Feedback included that care had declined since having no registered manager in place, one relative said, "[Manager] left and staff started to leave, care went downhill," and "Care was very good and we had no complaints until June/July this year." Concerns raised by people who use the service and their relatives during the inspection included staffing levels, response times to call bells and the quality of the food provided.

However, we received positive feedback from people and their relatives about the kindness of regular care staff including, "[Staff] are very pleasant and very nice when we are there," "Regular staff are lovely, really really lovely" and “[Staff] are very friendly and approachable."

People and their relatives told us that they felt safe living at Carrstone House.