The Fields Care Home
- Care home
- 24 beds
- No nursing
- Dementia care
- Registered since 2010
- West Auckland, County Durham, North East
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.
2 months
since the latest rating was published.
10 of 136
rated care homes in County Durham are rated Requires improvement, like this one.
The Fields Care Home: inspection record
Rated Requires improvement in August 2026, 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: Devonshire House (Good, 1.7 miles away) and St Helens Care Home (Good, 1.8 miles away).
Nearest care homes:
- G Devonshire House Good, 1.7 miles away
- G St Helens Care Home Good, 1.8 miles away
- – Laurel Place Not yet rated, 2.2 miles away
- G Bowe's Court Care Home Good, 2.2 miles away
- G Lyons Court Care Home Good, 2.2 miles away
What inspectors found
From the Care Quality Commission's assessment published 10 August 2026 (assessment visit 9 June 2026). Quoted under the Open Government Licence.
Date of assessment 22nd June to 1st July 2026.
The Fields care Home is a residential care home registered to support 24 older people. At the time of our assessment, there were 21 people living at the service, some of whom were living with dementia.
- Safe No rating
- Effective No rating
- Caring No rating
- Responsive Good
- Well-led No rating
Read the rest of CQC's summary
At this assessment we found 2 breaches of the legal requirements in relation to premises and equipment and good governance.
The provider did not have effective governance systems in place to monitor, assess and improve the quality and safety of the service. Quality assurance processes had not consistently identified or addressed concerns relating to care records, environmental safety, staff support and compliance with legal requirements.
Care plans were not consistently reviewed and, in some cases, lacked important information relating to people's needs, preferences and identified risks. This meant staff not always have had access to accurate and up-to-date information to support people safely and in accordance with their wishes.
Environmental audits were not sufficiently robust and had failed to identify risks associated with window safety. As a result, opportunities to assess and mitigate potential environmental hazards had been missed.
Records demonstrated that consent had not been consistently sought or documented for all people using the service. This meant the provider could not always evidence that care and treatment decisions had been made in accordance with people's wishes, best interests, or the requirements of relevant legislation.
Arrangements for supporting and monitoring staff were also ineffective. Staff did not consistently receive regular supervision or annual appraisals, limiting opportunities to review performance, identify learning and development needs, and ensure staff were appropriately supported to fulfil their roles.
In addition, formal meetings for people using the service, their relatives and staff were not held consistently. This reduced opportunities for people to provide feedback, share their experiences and influence the development of the service. Consequently, the provider could not demonstrate that feedback was routinely sought, listened to and used to drive improvement.
-
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 some aspects of the service were not always safe and there was limited assurance about safety. There was an increased risk that people could be harmed.
The provider was in breach of legal regulation relating to the safety of the premises and equipment.
-
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
No rating
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 changed to requires improvement. This meant people did not always feel well-supported, cared for or treated with dignity and respect.
-
Responsive
Good
Responsive – this means we looked for evidence that the provider met people’s needs.
At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good. This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.
-
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 management and leadership was inconsistent. Leaders and the culture they created did not always support the delivery of high-quality, person-centred care.
The provider was in breach of legal regulation relating to good governance.
Questions to ask when you visit
- Safe was rated Requires improvement on 10 August 2026. Ask how medicines are managed, how staffing levels are decided and how incidents are reviewed.
- Effective was rated Requires improvement on 10 August 2026. Ask about staff training and how health appointments are arranged.
- Caring was rated Requires improvement on 10 August 2026. Ask how staff protect dignity and how residents are involved in decisions about their care.
- Well-led was rated Requires improvement on 10 August 2026. Ask about changes in management and what has changed since the report.
Registration details
- Registered with the CQC since
- What it provides
- Care home service without nursing
- Who it supports
- Dementia, Older People
Inspection report
Read the full inspection report (opens the Care Quality Commission website)6 inspection reports, latest 1 November 2018. Latest assessment published 10 August 2026; 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
- The Fields Care Home
- Ownership type
- Partnership
Getting help from Durham County Council
The council can assess what care someone needs and tell them what help with the cost they may get.
- Adult social care at Durham County Council
- Ask for a care needs assessment
- Phone: 03000 267 979
- Contact adult social care online
- Support for carers
- Paying for care: Durham County Council
Checked on the council's website, November 2026.
Common questions
- Does The Fields Care Home provide nursing care?
- No. The Care Quality Commission lists The Fields Care Home as a care home without nursing.
- How many beds does The Fields Care Home have?
- The Care Quality Commission's register lists 24 beds at The Fields Care Home.
- When was The Fields Care Home last inspected?
- The Care Quality Commission's latest rating for The Fields Care Home was published on 10 August 2026.
- Who runs The Fields Care Home?
- The Fields Care Home is run by The Fields Care Home.
- What is The Fields Care Home's CQC rating?
- Its overall rating from the Care Quality Commission is Requires improvement, published on 10 August 2026.
Contact
- Phone
- 01388 832655
- Address
- 123 Low Etherley, Bishop Auckland, DL14 0HA Map (opens Google Maps)
Compare nearby
Nearest rated Good or Outstanding: Devonshire House (Good, 1.7 miles away) and St Helens Care Home (Good, 1.8 miles away).
Nearest care homes:
- G Devonshire House Good, 1.7 miles away
- G St Helens Care Home Good, 1.8 miles away
- – Laurel Place Not yet rated, 2.2 miles away
- G Bowe's Court Care Home Good, 2.2 miles away
- G Lyons Court Care Home Good, 2.2 miles away