During an assessment under our new approach
Date of assessment: 25 August to 8 September 2026.
Watford House Care Home is a residential care home providing support to older adults, some of whom live with dementia. The service is registered to support up to 40 people. At the time of our inspection, 30 people were living at the service.
We carried out this assessment in response to information of concern we received about risks to people using the service. The assessment was carried out with one site visit and a review of evidence off site. We identified breaches in regulation in relation to safe care and treatment and good governance.
The provider failed to ensure the environment, equipment and facilities were adequately maintained and kept clean. There were significant shortfalls identified in relation to the overall repair of the home, furniture and fittings, decoration, cleanliness and food hygiene. The provider did not act in a timely manner to resolve issues prior to this assessment.
Medicines were not always managed effectively and concerns were identified in relation to medicine management. Issues related to stock control, missed signatures on medicine administration records, and medicine storage arrangements. Staff were not always working in line with the providers medicine policies. Whilst the providers systems showed staffing levels were adequate to meet peoples needs, during the assessment we observed people having to wait for pro-longed periods to have their needs met.
However, the registered manager and senior leaders were keen about driving improvement at the service. Issues which were identified during this assessment were prioritised with actions commencing almost immediately. The provider was working towards action plans set by external stakeholders with learning being taken to improve care delivery to achieve better outcomes for people. Care plans contained individualised information and risks were mitigated.
People were treated with kindness and compassion. Staff protected their privacy. They treated them as individuals and supported their preferences. People had choice in their care and were encouraged to maintain relationships with family and friends. The provider supported staff wellbeing. Staff felt supported to give feedback and were treated equally, free from bullying or harassment. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities.