Applegarth Nursing Home

On this page

• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

Caring – this means we looked for evidence that the provider involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

At our last assessment we rated this key requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has remained requires improvement. This meant people did not always feel well-supported, cared for or treated with dignity and respect.

The service was in breach of the legal regulation in relation to governance.

This service scored 50 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

Due to the concerns identified during the assessment, we could not be assured that people consistently received high-quality, compassionate care that fully upheld their dignity and individual preferences.

People's experiences of care were mixed. Some people and most relatives spoke positively about the support people received and the caring approach of staff. A relative told us, “They are all very kind.” However, some people described inconsistencies in the quality of interactions they experienced. Comments included, "Some are ok, some don't care, they aren't bothered" and "Most are good, but the poor ones are a trial."

Despite the shortfalls identified, we also observed positive practice. Staff were caring and respectful in their approach, took time to engage with people in a warm and friendly manner.

An effective system was not fully in place to ensure people were treated as individuals and that their care, support and treatment reflected their needs, preferences and circumstances.

Records did not always reflect people's current needs and circumstances, and some sections had been recorded as ‘Not applicable’ without an explanation, including aspects of people's emotional wellbeing and religious, spiritual and cultural needs. This meant that staff did not always have access to information about what was important to people and how their individual preferences should be met.

People's experiences were mixed. A person spoke positively about the impact the service had on their wellbeing and independence, others felt their individual wishes and expectations were not always acted upon. Relatives generally spoke positively about the care provided. A relative told us, “I think her care is excellent.”

During our assessment, we observed inconsistencies in the way staff supported a person. This contributed to the person becoming unsettled and experiencing increased distress. This demonstrated the impact which inconsistent approaches had when support was not delivered in line with an individual's needs.

Despite the shortfalls identified, we also observed positive practice. Staff supported people to participate in activities and maintain social connections.

An effective system was not fully in place to promote people's independence, choice and control.

We identified concerns regarding whether care records consistently supported people's independence and choice. Records did not always clearly describe what people were able to do independently, how staff should encourage independence, or how people would be supported to achieve their individual goals and outcomes. This meant staff did not always have clear guidance about how to maximise people's independence or support them to make choices about their daily lives.

People gave mixed feedback about opportunities to exercise choice and maintain independence. A person told us, "The (staff member) is all chat and nothing happens." However, a relative said, "They do a lot with (relative), he goes out and stuff, they take him to Silloth, and he has been to Blackpool, more than we could ever do."

Despite these shortfalls, we also observed positive practice. The service employed a lifestyle and leisure team who organised activities and outings both within the home and in the local community. During our assessment, people were observed participating in activities and social interactions.

An effective system was not fully in place to ensure staff responded appropriately to people's needs in the moment and identified changes in their health and wellbeing.

We observed inconsistencies in the way staff supported people in areas such as moving and handling and when a person experienced distress. We also identified that staff were not consistently using a structured approach to identify, record and communicate changes in people's health and wellbeing. Care records did not always contain clear, accurate and up-to-date information to guide staff in responding to people's needs and changes in their condition.

Feedback from people about how staff responded to their needs was mixed. Whilst some people told us staff were helpful and provided support when needed, others described inconsistent experiences. A person told us, "They take a while to come if you want them," whilst another said, "Safe, well if the good staff are on."

Despite these shortfalls, we also observed positive interactions between staff and people. Staff were visible throughout the home, provided reassurance when people required support and responded to requests for assistance.

An effective system was not fully in place to promote the wellbeing of staff. Staff described variable experiences of support and wellbeing, which indicated that systems in place to promote staff wellbeing were not always effective.

Whilst opportunities were available for staff to provide feedback through surveys, meetings and provider visits, engagement with these processes was limited. Some staff told us they lacked confidence that concerns raised would result in meaningful action or improvement.

Whilst some staff felt supported, others told us they did not always feel valued, listened to or supported by managers. Comments included, "We just need support. There's mixed messages and poor communication, things are done by word of mouth" and “We tend to deal with things and move on and internalise things." Staff appraisals had not been carried out as scheduled. The registered manager told us appraisals would recommence in September/October 2026.

However, not all feedback was negative. Some staff spoke positively about their experience of working at the home, telling us they enjoyed their role, felt proud to be part of the team and considered the management team to be supportive and approachable.