Austen House
- Care home
- 79 beds
- Nursing care
- Dementia care
- Registered since 2011
- Wokingham, South East
Requires improvement
Rated on
Rating from the Care Quality Commission.
At a glance
6 ratings
Its last inspection moved it down from Good to Requires improvement.
4 years
since the latest rating was published. A rating this old may not show how the service is today.
3 of 41
rated care homes in Wokingham are rated Requires improvement, like this one.
Austen House: inspection record
Rated Requires improvement in October 2022, 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: Loddon Court (Good, 1 mile away) and Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh Court (Good, 1.1 miles away).
Nearest care homes:
- G Loddon Court Good, 1 mile away
- G Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh Court Good, 1.1 miles away
- G Cornerways Good, 1.3 miles away
- G Rookery Cottage Good, 1.6 miles away
- G Mulberry Care Limited Good, 1.6 miles away
About the service
From the Care Quality Commission's inspection report published 4 October 2022. Quoted under the Open Government Licence.
Austen House is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care for to up to 79 people. The service provides support to older people and younger adults who may also have dementia. At the time of our inspection, there were 73 people using the service. Austen House accommodates people across four units in one building. Each unit has separate adapted facilities. Two of the units specialise in providing care to people living with dementia.
What inspectors found
Medicines were not always managed safely. People and staff felt there were not always enough staff deployed and the provider had not ensured sufficient staffing levels in order to safely meet the needs of people. The provider had not ensured risks and actions identified in relation to fire had been undertaken. We recommended the provider reviews their recording and documentation regarding incidents and accidents. People told us they felt safe. Staff understood their responsibilities to raise concerns and report incidents or allegations of abuse.
Read the rest of CQC's summary
People were not always supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff did not support them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service did not always support this practice. We recommended the provider improves the decor of the premises in order to make it more dementia friendly. We also recommended the provider review their staff training provision in line with current best practice guidance.
The provider did not ensure systems were embedded to ensure compliance with the fundamental standards. The duty of candour was not always followed when required.
Staff worked well with people, families and health and social care agencies to support people's wellbeing. People reported that they were supported with their nutritional requirements. Staff knew people they supported well and cared about their wellbeing.
Questions to ask when you visit
- Safe was rated Requires improvement on 4 October 2022. Ask how medicines are managed, how staffing levels are decided and how incidents are reviewed.
- Effective was rated Requires improvement on 4 October 2022. Ask about staff training and how health appointments are arranged.
- Well-led was rated Requires improvement on 4 October 2022. Ask about changes in management and what has changed since the report.
- The last rating is 4 years old. Ask what has changed since then.
Registration details
- Registered manager
- Katherine Mahoney
- Registered with the CQC since
- What it provides
- Care home service with nursing
- Who it supports
- Dementia, Older People, Younger Adults
Inspection report
Read the full inspection report (opens the Care Quality Commission website)9 inspection reports, latest 4 October 2022. The reports are on the Care Quality Commission website.
The rating is the Care Quality Commission's. We show it as published and do not change it.
Who runs it
- Provider
- Barchester Healthcare Homes LimitedBrand: Barchester Healthcare
- Ownership type
- Organisation
- Companies House number
- 02849519 (opens Companies House)
Barchester Healthcare Homes Limited runs 153 services in England, 35 of them in the South East. 114 are rated Good or Outstanding, 12 are rated Requires improvement or Inadequate and 27 have no rating yet.
Other services run by Barchester Healthcare Homes Limited
- O Badgeworth Court Care Centre Outstanding. Care home with nursing, Gloucestershire, South West
- O Briardene Care Home Outstanding. Care home with nursing, Stockton-on-Tees, North East
- O Harton Grange Outstanding. Care home, South Tyneside, North East
- O Lucerne House Outstanding. Care home with nursing, Devon, South West
See all 153 services run by Barchester Healthcare Homes Limited
Getting help from Wokingham 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 Wokingham Borough Council
- Ask for a care needs assessment
- Phone: 0300 365 1234
- Contact adult social care online
- Support for carers
- Paying for care: Wokingham Borough Council
Checked on the council's website, November 2026.
Common questions
- Does Austen House provide nursing care?
- Yes. The Care Quality Commission lists Austen House as a care home with nursing.
- How many beds does Austen House have?
- The Care Quality Commission's register lists 79 beds at Austen House.
- When was Austen House last inspected?
- The Care Quality Commission's latest rating for Austen House was published on 4 October 2022.
- Who runs Austen House?
- Austen House is run by Barchester Healthcare Homes Limited. It runs 153 services in England, 35 of them in the South East.
- What is Austen House's CQC rating?
- Its overall rating from the Care Quality Commission is Requires improvement, published on 4 October 2022.
Contact
- Phone
- 0118 926 6100
- Address
- Kilnsea Drive, Lower Earley, Reading, RG6 3UJ Map (opens Google Maps)
Compare nearby
Nearest rated Good or Outstanding: Loddon Court (Good, 1 mile away) and Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh Court (Good, 1.1 miles away).
Nearest care homes:
- G Loddon Court Good, 1 mile away
- G Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh Court Good, 1.1 miles away
- G Cornerways Good, 1.3 miles away
- G Rookery Cottage Good, 1.6 miles away
- G Mulberry Care Limited Good, 1.6 miles away