Abbeyfield Lear House
- Care home
- 33 beds
- No nursing
- Registered since 2010
- Wirral, North West
Requires improvement
Rated on
Rating from the Care Quality Commission.
At a glance
5 ratings
Its last inspection moved it down from Good to Requires improvement.
14 months
since the latest rating was published.
25 of 101
rated care homes in Wirral are rated Requires improvement, like this one.
Abbeyfield Lear House: inspection record
Rated Requires improvement in August 2025, down from Good.
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | ||||||||||||
| Safe | ||||||||||||
| Effective | ||||||||||||
| Caring | ||||||||||||
| Responsive | ||||||||||||
| Well-led |
Ratings published by the Care Quality Commission.
Compare nearby
Nearest rated Good or Outstanding: Meols Drive Care Home with Nursing (Good, 1 mile away) and The Old Garden Care Home (Good, 1 mile away).
Nearest care homes:
- RI The Dales Care Home Requires improvement, 0.2 miles away
- RI Riversdale Care Home Requires improvement, 0.3 miles away
- G Meols Drive Care Home with Nursing Good, 1 mile away
- G The Old Garden Care Home Good, 1 mile away
- G Red Rocks Nursing Home Good, 1 mile away
What inspectors found
From the Care Quality Commission's assessment published 26 August 2025 (assessment visit 4 April 2025). Quoted under the Open Government Licence.
The assessment of Abbeyfield Lear House took place between 23 April and 14 May 2025. Abbeyfield Lear House is a care home that provides accommodation and personal care for up to 33 people. At the time of the assessment, 21 people were living at the home. Site visits were conducted on 23 and 24 April 2025, with the remainder of the assessment completed offsite. This was a planned comprehensive assessment carried out as part of the Care Quality Commission’s routine schedule of assessments.
- Safe No rating
- Effective No rating
- Caring Good
- Responsive Good
- Well-led No rating
Read the rest of CQC's summary
During the assessment, two breaches of legal regulations were identified in relation to safe care and treatment and good governance. These breaches were specifically related to failures in medicines management, infection prevention and control, and safer recruitment practices which posed a risk to people's safety and demonstrated a lack of effective oversight and quality assurance processes. Systems designed to manage risk were not operating effectively, and governance arrangements required improvement. There was limited managerial oversight and accountability, which impacted the service’s ability to consistently identify, monitor, and respond to key risks in a timely manner. For example, the provider had been advised by the falls team to implement a chair sensor for one person to help prevent unwitnessed falls. However, this was not actioned, and the person continued to experience unwitnessed falls. Consequently, the provider was unable to consistently demonstrate that people received safe care and treatment.
As a result of these findings, the overall rating for the service is requires improvement. In instances where CQC has decided to take civil or criminal enforcement action against a provider, this information will be published on the CQC website after any representations and/or appeals have been concluded.
Staff were observed to be kind and respectful, and people appeared comfortable in their surroundings.
-
Safe
No rating
Safe – this means we looked for evidence that people were protected from abuse and avoidable harm.
At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has changed to requires improvement.
This meant people were not always safe and protected from avoidable harm.
-
Effective
No rating
Effective – this means we looked for evidence that people’s care, treatment and support achieved good outcomes and promoted a good quality of life, based on best available evidence.
At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has changed to requires improvement.
This meant the effectiveness of people’s care, treatment and support did not always achieve good outcomes or was inconsistent.
-
Caring
Good
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 question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good.
This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.
-
Responsive
Good
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 question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good.
This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.
-
Well-led
No rating
Well-led – this means we looked for evidence that service leadership, management and governance assured high-quality, person-centred care; supported learning and innovation; and promoted an open, fair culture.
At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has changed to requires improvement.
This meant the service was not consistently managed and well-led. Leaders and the culture they created did not always promote high-quality, person-centred care.
Questions to ask when you visit
- Safe was rated Requires improvement on 26 August 2025. Ask how medicines are managed, how staffing levels are decided and how incidents are reviewed.
- Effective was rated Requires improvement on 26 August 2025. Ask about staff training and how health appointments are arranged.
- Well-led was rated Requires improvement on 26 August 2025. Ask about changes in management and what has changed since the report.
Registration details
- Registered manager
- Natalie Ditzel
- Registered with the CQC since
- What it provides
- Care home service without nursing
- Who it supports
- Older People
Inspection report
Read the full inspection report (opens the Care Quality Commission website)8 inspection reports, latest 4 February 2022. Latest assessment published 26 August 2025; the Care Quality Commission's newer assessments are published on its website rather than as reports.
The rating is the Care Quality Commission's. We show it as published and do not change it.
Who runs it
- Provider
- Abbeyfield Hoylake & West Kirby Society LimitedBrand: Abbeyfield Society
- Ownership type
- Organisation
- Companies House number
- 00784499 (opens Companies House)
- Charity number
- 233269
Getting help from Wirral Borough Council
The council can assess what care someone needs and tell them what help with the cost they may get.
- Adult social care at Wirral Borough Council
- Ask for a care needs assessment
- Phone: 0151 606 2006, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. Out-of-hours emergencies: 0151 677 6557
- Support for carers
- Care home fee rates published by the council
Checked on the council's website, November 2026.
Common questions
- Does Abbeyfield Lear House provide nursing care?
- No. The Care Quality Commission lists Abbeyfield Lear House as a care home without nursing.
- How many beds does Abbeyfield Lear House have?
- The Care Quality Commission's register lists 33 beds at Abbeyfield Lear House.
- When was Abbeyfield Lear House last inspected?
- The Care Quality Commission's latest rating for Abbeyfield Lear House was published on 26 August 2025.
- Who runs Abbeyfield Lear House?
- Abbeyfield Lear House is run by Abbeyfield Hoylake & West Kirby Society Limited.
- What is Abbeyfield Lear House's CQC rating?
- Its overall rating from the Care Quality Commission is Requires improvement, published on 26 August 2025.
Contact
- Phone
- 0151 625 1883
- Address
- Lear House, 17 Darmonds Green, West Kirby, Wirral, CH48 5DT Map (opens Google Maps)
Compare nearby
Nearest rated Good or Outstanding: Meols Drive Care Home with Nursing (Good, 1 mile away) and The Old Garden Care Home (Good, 1 mile away).
Nearest care homes:
- RI The Dales Care Home Requires improvement, 0.2 miles away
- RI Riversdale Care Home Requires improvement, 0.3 miles away
- G Meols Drive Care Home with Nursing Good, 1 mile away
- G The Old Garden Care Home Good, 1 mile away
- G Red Rocks Nursing Home Good, 1 mile away