- Care home
Acer Court Care Home
We served a warning notice on Avery Homes Nuthall Limited on 15 September 2026 for failing to meet the regulations related to the safe care and treatment, safe staffing and good governance for Acer Court Care Home.
Assessment report published 13 October 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of assessment: 8 to 11 September 2026
Acer Court Care Home is a residential care home providing personal care for up to 79 people. At the time of the assessment, there were 65 people residing in the home.
The assessment was carried out due to information of concern which had been shared with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Due to the age of the rating, a full assessment was completed.
We found poor infection control measures in place and the home was unclean, with damaged pressure care equipment in place. This placed people at risk of avoidable harm.
Medicines were not always effectively managed or administered as prescribed, placing people at risk of poorly managed pain and health conditions. People requiring time specific medicines were not always given this at the time prescribed. This placed people at risk of experiencing symptoms related to their specific health conditions.
Although the staffing levels matched the dependency tool used to determine safe staffing levels, we found people were often left without staff oversight in communal areas and people were left in their rooms for prolonged periods without safety checks. This placed people at risk of avoidable harm and without the support they required.
Mixed feedback was received regarding the management in the service. There appeared to be a poor culture within the home where staff did not feel able to speak up or raise any concerns with seniors or management. This impacted on staff morale, and in turn impacted on the care people received, resulting in care not being provided, or being provided in a task centred manner.
Governance systems and processes had either not found, or not addressed, the concerns found during this assessment. Poor governance systems placed people at risk of residing in an unsafe and poorly managed service.
The concerns noted in this report were shared with the provider who was keen to make the necessary improvements.
However, at the time of the assessment, we identified breaches in regulation in relation to safe care and treatment, safe and effective staffing and good governance.
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.
People's experience of this service
Not all people were able to provide us with feedback. We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is used by inspectors to capture the experiences of people who use services who may not be able to express this for themselves. This observation found low stimulation and interaction between staff and people living at the service.
People told us they generally felt safe living in the home, but a number of people told us of incidents where other people residing at the home entered their room uninvited which upset them. One person told us, “We like our door to stay closed in the day or one or two will occasionally walk in and I have to press the buzzer for help.”
People told us they felt the home was understaffed. They noted a reliance on agency staff which meant they could not build a rapport with their care staff. One resident had been told by staff that they were short staffed and another had seen a relatively new carer in tears, wanting to leave.
People told us their independence was encouraged and valued this.
People told us their bedtimes were flexible and no early waking by staff was mentioned, apart from for necessary medicines.
People told us staff largely gave them the time they needed but were aware of how busy they were and were not able to spend important quality time with them. One person said they felt lonely as no one spent much time with them.