The Mead
- Care home
- 60 beds
- No nursing
- Dementia care
- Registered since 2011
- Hertfordshire, East of England
Requires improvement
Rated on
Rating from the Care Quality Commission.
At a glance
3 ratings
Its last inspection moved it down from Good to Requires improvement.
4 months
since the latest rating was published.
46 of 210
rated care homes in Hertfordshire are rated Requires improvement, like this one.
The Mead: inspection record
Rated Requires improvement in June 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: Villa Scalabrini (Outstanding, 0.6 miles away) and Shaftesbury New Court Place (Good, 1.3 miles away).
Nearest care homes:
- – Meadowhill Care Home Not yet rated, less than 0.1 miles away
- O Villa Scalabrini Outstanding, 0.6 miles away
- RI The Radley Care Home Requires improvement, 1 mile away
- RI Forest Care Village Elstree and Borehamwood Requires improvement, 1.2 miles away
- G Shaftesbury New Court Place Good, 1.3 miles away
What inspectors found
From the Care Quality Commission's assessment published 22 June 2026 (assessment visit 31 March 2026). Quoted under the Open Government Licence.
Date of Assessment: 6 April to 6 May. The Mead is a residential care service providing personal care for up to 60 people. Some people were living with dementia. At the time of our inspection, 56 people were living at the service.
- Safe No rating
- Effective Good
- Caring Good
- Responsive Good
- Well-led No rating
Read the rest of CQC's summary
At our inspection in 2017, we rated this service as good. Since this inspection there have been 3 changes of registered manager, with the last manager deregistering in April 2026. A new manager had recently started at the home. Following this assessment, the rating has changed to 'requires improvement'. The provider was in breach of regulations relating to safe care and treatment, and good governance.
The provider had not always mitigated risks to people in a timely manner, and there were shortfalls in care planning and risk assessment processes. We also identified concerns relating to medicines management. At times, there were not enough staff to care for people; we discussed this with the new manager, who told us they would review how staff were deployed. Quality assurance systems needed improvement to ensure that there was sufficient oversight of the service, as audits had been completed but did not identify the issues we found during our assessment. The new manager was proactively reviewing how care was being delivered and could be improved.
The home needed some redecoration, but it was clean and had a homely atmosphere, and people were protected from the risk of harm.
People’s health was monitored and appropriate referrals were made to other healthcare professionals when necessary. People had enough to eat and drink and were treated with kindness and compassion. Staff sought consent from people before providing care and protected people’s dignity.
People were supported by staff who were caring, kind, and familiar with people’s needs and preferences. Staff were observed speaking respectfully to people, explaining what they were doing, offering reassurance, and taking time to support people to make choices, particularly during mealtimes.
We have asked the provider for an action plan in response to the concerns found at this assessment.
-
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 service was in breach of legal regulation in relation to providing safe care and treatment effective management of risks and the way people’s medicines were managed.
-
Effective
Good
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 remained good. This meant people’s outcomes were consistently good, and people’s feedback confirmed this.
-
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
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.
The service was in breach of legal regulation in relation to good governance.
Questions to ask when you visit
- Safe was rated Requires improvement on 22 June 2026. Ask how medicines are managed, how staffing levels are decided and how incidents are reviewed.
- Well-led was rated Requires improvement on 22 June 2026. Ask about changes in management and what has changed since the report.
- Ask to see the most recent Care Quality Commission (CQC) report and what the home did about any points in it.
Registration details
- Registered with the CQC since
- What it provides
- Care home service without nursing
- Who it supports
- Dementia, Older People, Physical Disability, Younger Adults
Inspection report
Read the full inspection report (opens the Care Quality Commission website)6 inspection reports, latest 7 December 2017. Latest assessment published 22 June 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
- Quantum Care LimitedBrand: Quantum Care Limited
- Ownership type
- Organisation
- Companies House number
- IP27608R (opens Companies House)
Quantum Care Limited runs 22 services, all in the East of England. 13 are rated Good or Outstanding, 5 are rated Requires improvement or Inadequate and 4 have no rating yet.
Other services run by Quantum Care Limited
- O Belmont View Outstanding. Care home, Hertfordshire
- G Anson Court Good. Care home with nursing, Hertfordshire
- G Beane River View Good. Care home, Hertfordshire
- G Fosse House Good. Care home, Hertfordshire
Getting help from Hertfordshire 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 Hertfordshire County Council
- Ask for a care needs assessment
- Phone: 0300 123 4042, Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5.30pm (closed weekends and public holidays)
- Support for carers
- Care home fee rates published by the council
Checked on the council's website, November 2026.
Common questions
- Does The Mead provide nursing care?
- No. The Care Quality Commission lists The Mead as a care home without nursing.
- How many beds does The Mead have?
- The Care Quality Commission's register lists 60 beds at The Mead.
- When was The Mead last inspected?
- The Care Quality Commission's latest rating for The Mead was published on 22 June 2026.
- Who runs The Mead?
- The Mead is run by Quantum Care Limited. It runs 22 services, all in the East of England.
- What is The Mead's CQC rating?
- Its overall rating from the Care Quality Commission is Requires improvement, published on 22 June 2026.
Contact
- Phone
- 020 8953 8573
- Address
- Castleford Close, Allerton Road, Borehamwood, WD6 4AL Map (opens Google Maps)
Compare nearby
Nearest rated Good or Outstanding: Villa Scalabrini (Outstanding, 0.6 miles away) and Shaftesbury New Court Place (Good, 1.3 miles away).
Nearest care homes:
- – Meadowhill Care Home Not yet rated, less than 0.1 miles away
- O Villa Scalabrini Outstanding, 0.6 miles away
- RI The Radley Care Home Requires improvement, 1 mile away
- RI Forest Care Village Elstree and Borehamwood Requires improvement, 1.2 miles away
- G Shaftesbury New Court Place Good, 1.3 miles away