Birchmere House

Updated 31 October 2025

Date of assessment: 2 December 2025 to 26 January 2026. Birchmere House is a residential care home that also provides nursing care when this has been assessed as required. The home supports people living with dementia, mental health needs, physical disabilities and sensory impairments, across three floors. The ground and first floors mainly support people with residential care needs, while the second floor provides nursing care.At the time of the inspection, 61 adults were living at the service, and all were receiving the regulated activity personal care.

The assessment took place because information we received showed emerging risks at the service. Concerns included instability in the management team, delays in submitting required notifications to CQC, specialist dietary awareness and weaknesses in risk management and emergency procedures. A comprehensive assessment across all five key questions: safe, effective, caring, responsive and well‑led was caried out.

Overall, governance processes did not always identify the concerns we found during the inspection. Significant issues were noted with delayed call bell responses, high use of agency staff and insufficient staffing levels, particularly at night. Residents, relatives and staff told us this affected the consistency and quality of care. However, despite these concerns, a new manager and deputy were now in post, and staff understood how to respond in an emergency. People’s needs were reviewed regularly, and most felt involved in decisions about their care. Permanent staff knew people’s dietary needs well and staff were mostly observed to be warm and compassionate towards the people they supported.

The provider was in breach of the legal regulations relative to safe care and treatment and governance and oversight. 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 31 October 2025

People told us they generally felt safe living at the service, but delays in call bell responses, especially at night, made some feel unsafe or anxious while waiting for support. Many people said permanent staff knew their needs well and described them as kind, helpful and respectful. However, experiences were more mixed when agency staff were on duty. People and relatives told us agency staff did not always introduce themselves at night or know people’s routines, which left some feeling unsettled. People said their medicines were usually given correctly, although time‑specific doses were not always provided at the required times. Some people also told us their personal care was not always carried out at their preferred times, they did not have showers as often as they wanted, or that their preferred gender of care staff was not always offered. However, people described the home as clean, comfortable and welcoming, with access to communal areas and a range of group and individual activities. People said they were able to go outside or into the community if they wished. Most people felt able to raise concerns with the manager, although awareness of resident meetings varied and views differed on whether action was always taken.