Nightingale House Care Centre

“Who the service is for”

“The service supports older people, including people living with dementia.”

“Our view of the service”

“We carried out this assessment on 11 and 20 September 2026. This service was previously rated as good. We carried out this assessment to confirm whether the rating of good remains accurate. This report does not provide detailed information on areas where we found practice continues to meet a good standard. Instead, our findings focus on any areas where the service needs to improve or where we found exceptional practice.”

“People told us they felt safe and staff understood how to recognise and report safeguarding concerns. Risks to people were assessed and managed, and incidents were reviewed to identify learning. The environment was mostly clean and well maintained, with systems in place to monitor fire safety, health and safety and infection prevention and control. Medicines were generally managed safely. We found a patch used to treat symptoms of dementia was not being rotated between application sites in line with guidance. Following feedback, the provider took prompt action to address this. The service was staffed in line with the provider’s planned staffing levels. However, feedback from staff and relatives was mixed about whether there were always enough staff to meet people’s needs, particularly at busier times and weekends. Staff were recruited safely, although recruitment processes were strengthened during the assessment to ensure employment histories were complete and any gaps were explored and explained. Staff received training relevant to their roles and records showed good levels of training compliance. Systems were in place for staff supervision, and staff told us they felt supported by the management team and able to speak up and raise concerns.”

“People can only be deprived of their liberty to receive care and treatment with appropriate legal authority. In care homes, this can be done through a procedure called the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), which is part of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). We checked whether the service was working within the principles of the MCA and how they managed DoLS within the service. We found that staff and management worked within the MCA. DoLS authorisations were appropriately applied for and overseen. People were not subject to unlawful or excessive restrictions they had choice, control and freedom over their lives.”

“People’s needs were assessed and care was planned around their health, wellbeing and individual preferences. Relatives spoke positively about the assessment process and said staff gathered information about people’s needs, backgrounds and preferences. Staff worked closely with health and social care professionals to support people’s care and treatment. Professional feedback was consistently positive, describing staff as responsive, proactive and knowledgeable about people’s needs. Professionals gave examples of staff recognising changes in people’s health and wellbeing, seeking advice when needed and adapting their approach to achieve positive outcomes. One professional described how staff adapted support around a person’s fluctuating cognition and presentation, while maintaining their mobility and independence. People’s health and wellbeing were monitored, including their nutrition and weight. Care records identified people’s needs and risks, although some information was inconsistent or required further personalisation. Staff understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and supported people to make their own decisions. Some records needed strengthening to better reflect people’s capacity, consent and choices.”

“People were treated with kindness, compassion and dignity.…”