Dalemain House

Updated 9 June 2025

Date of assessment: 3 July to 25 July 2025. Dalemain House is a residential care home, providing accommodation and personal care to older people, some of whom were living with dementia. At the time of our assessment, 19 people lived at the home. This assessment was carried out due to emerging risk.

We found 3 breaches of the legal regulations relating to safe care and treatment of people, person centred care, and governance. The provider was previously in breach of the legal regulation in relation to good governance. Improvements were not found at this assessment, and the provider remained in breach of this regulation.

People were not always provided with safe care and treatment. The provider failed to effectively analyse accidents and incidents to identify patterns and prevent recurrence. Learning from incidents was not shared with the staff team to support continuous improvement.

The environment posed fire and safety risks. Furniture was unsecured, window restrictors were missing, and people had unrestricted access to high-risk areas within the home. The provider did not always manage medicines safely.

Staff completed online training; however, the provider did not deliver face to face training or carry out competency assessments so there was no assurance staff were competent to carry out their roles.

Governance systems and processes were not robust, which impacted the provider’s ability to assess, monitor and improve the quality of care people received. The provider demonstrated limited understanding of regulatory requirements and risk management. In some cases, they failed to notify CQC about incidents and safeguarding concerns. The service has operated without a registered manager since 2021; this concern was highlighted in the previous assessment which was carried out in 2022.

Care plans and risk assessments lacked clear guidance for staff on how to manage individual risks for some people.

People did not always receive care that was person centred. People had limited opportunities to engage in meaningful and stimulating activities.

Staff were caring, compassionate and demonstrated a good understanding of people’s needs. Their interactions with people were positive, and they collaborated effectively with other agencies to ensure consistent care.

In instances where CQC has begun a process of regulatory action, we may publish this information on our website after any representations and/or appeals have been concluded, if the action has been taken forward.

Updated 9 June 2025

People and their families generally expressed positive views about the care provided at Dalemain House. Family members said their relatives were safe and staff understood their needs well. Comments included, “The care makes me feel [name] is safe” and “They know about [name] is and all of the staff know how to handle them.”

Family members knew who the manager was and felt confident raising concerns. Most reported good communication with the provider, stating they were updated about any changes in their relative’s health. They felt the home was well managed.

People and their families described staff as “Lovely”, “Kind”, “Friendly” and “Helpful.” They were happy with the environment, stating, “The home is clean” and, “I see staff wearing PPE.”

Family members confirmed their relatives had access to enough food and drink and were offered choice at mealtimes that suited their preferences.

While some family members felt the home provided enough activities, others believed this area could improve. Some family members raised concerns about environmental hazards, a lack of person-centred care, and their relative’s experiencing isolation. These concerns were fed back to the manager and an action plan implemented.