Shenstone Court Care Home

Updated 24 June 2026

Date of assessment: 06 July 2026 to 14 July 2026.

The home provides accommodation and personal care for up to 64 older people, including people living with dementia. At the time of the inspection, 53 were using the service.

During our assessment, we identified concerns regarding medicines management and governance oversight. We found examples of delays in obtaining prescribed medicines, medicines recording and storage issues, stock control discrepancies and inconsistencies within some medicines-related records. Although the provider had systems in place to monitor quality and safety, these had not always identified or prevented the concerns found during our assessment. Some feedback also highlighted occasional delays in responding to people at busy times and inconsistencies relating to hydration oversight and mealtime support.

However, we found many positive aspects of care and support. People, relatives and professionals told us staff knew people well, recognised changes in their health and generally responded appropriately to their needs. Staff interactions were consistently caring, respectful and person-centred, and people were supported to maintain their interests, relationships and independence.

People were supported by staff who understood their preferences and routines, and care records demonstrated individualised approaches to managing risks, decision-making and healthcare needs. The home worked closely with a range of health and social care professionals, and feedback confirmed staff generally recognised deterioration, made appropriate referrals and communicated concerns in a timely way. We observed a welcoming environment where people were engaged in meaningful activities and supported to access community opportunities and healthcare services.

Leaders were visible, approachable and responsive throughout the assessment. The registered manager had taken some action to investigate concerns, strengthen medicines oversight and introduce additional monitoring processes. Staff spoke positively about leadership and felt able to raise concerns. Overall, we found a caring and supportive culture where people’s wellbeing was promoted, but further improvements were needed to ensure medicines management and governance systems consistently identified, mitigated and responded to risks.

We found 2 breaches of regulation in relation to the ways people’s medicines were managed safely and governance at the service. We have asked the provider for an action plan in response to the concerns found at this assessment.

Updated 24 June 2026

People and relatives were generally positive about their experience of living at Shenstone Court Care Home and told us staff were kind, caring and knew them well. People described positive relationships with staff and relatives spoke warmly about the impact care and support had on their family members. One relative told us, “Staff are brilliant”, while another said their family member had gained weight following a period of ill health and that, “The home has communicated with us over health, medications and food.”

People and relatives were generally positive about their experience of living at Shenstone Court Care Home and told us staff were kind, caring and knew them well. People described positive relationships with staff and relatives spoke warmly about the impact care and support had on their family members. One relative told us, “Staff are brilliant”, while another said their family member had gained weight following a period of ill health and that, “The home has communicated with us over health, medications and food.”

During our visit, we observed friendly and respectful interactions between staff and people living at the home. Staff supported people discreetly, maintained privacy and responded politely to requests for assistance. People appeared comfortable in the presence of staff and were seen moving around the home, spending time in communal areas and engaging with others. The atmosphere was welcoming and relaxed. Inspection observations found the home to be clean, personalised and well used by people and their families.

People told us they were supported to maintain interests and activities that mattered to them. One person described enjoying independent access to community activities, while relatives spoke positively about staff supporting meaningful hobbies and outings. We observed a varied programme of activities across the home and saw people participating in games, social events and discussions. A trip to Cadbury World was planned during the inspection and people also spoke positively about opportunities to access the wider community.

People felt able to raise concerns and provide feedback. One person told us, “Porridge has been very thick, I had to say something, and it was ok today,” this demonstrated staff listened and responded when concerns were shared. Another relative described how staff acted promptly when an issue arose, saying their family member’s clothes and bedding were changed immediately following a spill.

Some people and relatives told us staffing had improved, and call bells we observed were answered by polite staff. However, people’s experiences were not always consistent. Some people told us they sometimes waited for support with care needs, particularly at busy times. People also gave mixed feedback about medicines, meals and drinks. Some people said medicines were not always available or given on time, and we observed that drinks were not always accessible to people in communal areas or bedrooms. We also observed limited communication and prompting during some mealtime support. Leaders were responsive when these concerns were shared and took immediate action to review equipment, medicines and mealtime oversight.

Overall, people described many positive experiences of care. Staff knew people well, supported their choices and encouraged them to remain involved in activities that mattered to them. However, people’s experiences were not always consistent, particularly in relation to medicines, drinks, mealtime support and waiting times at busy periods.

We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection to understand the experiences of people who may not have been able to tell us verbally about their care.