- Care home
Bell House Care Home Limited
Assessment report published 24 August 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Dates of assessment: 14 to 22 July 2026. This included 2 site visits on 14 and 15 July 2026. Bell house is a care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to 24 people, some of whom are living with dementia. At the time of assessment, there were 21 people living in the service. This was a fully comprehensive assessment under the Single Assessment Framework, covering all quality statements. The reason for assessment was due in line with the Care Quality Commissions (CQC) priorities. The provider was previously in breach of regulation in relation to safe care and treatment. Improvements were not found at this assessment, and the provider remained in breach of regulation. We found the quality of the service had declined since the last assessment, and found the provider was in breach of a further 3 legal regulations regarding person centred care, consent and good governance.
During the assessment, we identified a lack of effective oversight and governance, and leaders failed to drive necessary improvements. We identified several safety concerns regarding poor infection prevention and control, medication and the environment. Safeguarding processes were not robust, with some notifiable events not reported to CQC. Safe staffing arrangements were not in place, as we identified the provider did not have the relevant safe recruitment paperwork in place. Care was not person centred, and there were restrictive practices in place, impacting on people’s independence, choice and control.
The service has been 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 use 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.
People's experience of this service
Feedback from people and relatives was mixed. Some people advised they felt safe in the service. One person told us, “Yes I feel safe, no reason not to.” However, some relatives expressed significant concerns about their relatives’ care. One relative told us, “It would be nice if the staff could protect [my relative] from others.” Some people told us they attended regular activities in the home, including exercise, however, we observed a significant lack of stimulation for people, including restricted access to outside space. One person told us, “I got out one day and I only got 10 minutes, and I asked if I could stay out and they said no.”
Some people and relatives told us staff were kind. One relative told us, “The staff are always polite and friendly.” However, this view was not consistent across the service. One person told us, “The staff are ok as long as you do as they say. I don’t even get out for a smoke.” Care was not always described as person centred and feedback from people indicated they were largely not consulted on their care. One relative told us, “[My relative] does not always get their own clothes back from the laundry.”