The Vicarage Nursing Home

Who the service is for

This service supports adults and adults living with dementia. People who are less mobile or bed-bound are accommodated on the ground floor.

Key findings

This assessment took place on 15 and 16 July 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 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 staff and management worked within the MCA and understood how to support people in their best interest. 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.

Accidents and incidents were used to help improve outcomes for people. For example, the provider monitored accidents and incidents for any trends or patterns. A pattern was identified of an increased number of falls which happened at a specific time of the day. A new twilight shift was put in place, and staffing was maximised around the communal areas where the falls occurred. The registered manager told us they had now started to see a reduction in falls around this time.

Risks to people were assessed and managed well. There were effective systems in place to safeguard people from abuse and any avoidable harm. Medicines were administered and managed safely with good systems in place and strong clinical oversight. The home was clean and staff demonstrated good infection control practices.

People were supported by enough staff who had the skills and knowledge to support them safely. Staff were dedicated to their roles and demonstrated a clear commitment to providing the best possible care and support to people living at the service. Staff were recruited safely.

The provider had effective systems in place to help ensure the environment remained safe for people living at the service. Equipment and facilities were appropriately maintained and serviced in line with requirements. Environmental risk assessments, including those relating to fire safety, were regularly reviewed and kept up to date. Actions identified through these assessments had been addressed in a timely manner to reduce risks and promote people's safety.

People’s care and support needs were assessed, monitored and their care was delivered in line with current best practice. Staff ensured people consented to the care being delivered as much as they were able to. Where people could not consent, there were effective systems in place to ensure any decisions made were in their best interest.

People were treated with kindness, empathy and compassion. Staff told us they focused on each person as an individual with their own needs. This helped to ensure people received person centred support which placed them at the centre of their care. There was involvement from GP’s and other health professionals to ensure people’s care was effective and they experienced positive outcomes.

The governance and leadership at the service remained good and concentrated on monitoring and improving the service. The provider used effective quality assurance processes to support learning and improve outcomes for people.