Water Mill House Care Home
- Care home
- 70 beds
- Nursing care
- Dementia care
- Registered since 2014
- Hertfordshire, East of England
Requires improvement
Rated on
Rating from the Care Quality Commission.
At a glance
5 ratings
First rated Requires improvement in 2015, most recently Requires improvement in September 2023.
3 years
since the latest rating was published. A rating this old may not show how the service is today.
46 of 210
rated care homes in Hertfordshire are rated Requires improvement, like this one.
Water Mill House Care Home: inspection record
Rated Requires improvement in September 2023.
| 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: St Lauras (Good, 1 mile away) and Walsingham Support - 2 Ashley Close (Good, 1.3 miles away).
Nearest care homes:
- G St Lauras Good, 1 mile away
- – Manor View Not yet rated, 1.1 miles away
- RI Friars Mead Requires improvement, 1.2 miles away
- – Robin House Not yet rated, 1.3 miles away
- RI Walsingham Support - 1 Ashley Close Requires improvement, 1.3 miles away
About the service
From the Care Quality Commission's inspection report published 20 September 2023. Quoted under the Open Government Licence.
Water Mill House is a residential care home registered to provide personal and nursing care to up to 70 people. The service provides support to older and younger adults, people with physical disabilities or sensory needs and people living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 64 people using the service.
Read the rest of CQC's summary
The service is a modern purpose-built premises organised across three floors. Each floor has ensuite bedroom facilities (mostly single occupancy, but there are some double rooms for couples or people who wish to live together) and large communal spaces. There is a bistro on the ground floor, along with a hair and beauty salon, and large, well-maintained gardens.
What inspectors found
Care plans and risk assessments were not always accurate, and information was not consistent to ensure staff had the right guidance to provide safe care to people. Daily care records were completed erratically and therefore did not provide a true picture of the care people were offered and received. This put people at risk of harm because it was not possible to monitor effectively to ensure planned care was still appropriate to people's needs. Where 1 person had been assessed to have lost significant weight, there was no evidence of any action taken to reduce the risk to their health and wellbeing. This put them at risk of harm.
Read the rest of CQC's summary
Medicines were not always managed safely. Information about people's allergies was not recorded on medicines administration records, including allergies to certain medicines. The registered manager took immediate action to address this during the inspection. The provider had not ensured medical devices were maintained appropriately which may affect how they work.
The provider had systems in place to monitor the quality of the service, but these were not used effectively to identify shortfalls and make improvements.
People and their relatives told us they felt safe, and staff cared for them well. There were enough staff to care for people safely and, although busy, we saw they had time to speak with people as well as carrying out their other duties. The service was clean and well maintained.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
The provider and the registered manager demonstrated a strong commitment to providing good quality, person-centred care. They were quick to respond to feedback and there was evidence that information was shared with staff when things went wrong to support learning and make improvements. They were clear about their expectations of staff to work in line with the provider's values, and worked hard to develop the
team, providing support to staff who wanted to progress in their career.
People, their relatives and staff spoke positively about their experiences of the service. There was a pleasant atmosphere in the service and people, relatives, staff and management appeared to enjoy positive relationships for the most part.
Questions to ask when you visit
- Safe was rated Requires improvement on 20 September 2023. Ask how medicines are managed, how staffing levels are decided and how incidents are reviewed.
- Well-led was rated Requires improvement on 20 September 2023. Ask about changes in management and what has changed since the report.
- The last rating is 3 years old. Ask what has changed since then.
- Ask how nursing cover works at night and at weekends.
Registration details
- Registered manager
- Victoria Forsythe
- Registered with the CQC since
- What it provides
- Care home service with nursing
- Who it supports
- Dementia, Older People, Physical Disability, Sensory Impairment, Younger Adults
Inspection report
Read the full inspection report (opens the Care Quality Commission website)7 inspection reports, latest 20 September 2023. 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
- Carebase (Hemel) LimitedBrand: Carebase
- Ownership type
- Organisation
- Companies House number
- 08532372 (opens Companies House)
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 Water Mill House Care Home provide nursing care?
- Yes. The Care Quality Commission lists Water Mill House Care Home as a care home with nursing.
- How many beds does Water Mill House Care Home have?
- The Care Quality Commission's register lists 70 beds at Water Mill House Care Home.
- When was Water Mill House Care Home last inspected?
- The Care Quality Commission's latest rating for Water Mill House Care Home was published on 20 September 2023.
- Who runs Water Mill House Care Home?
- Water Mill House Care Home is run by Carebase (Hemel) Limited.
- What is Water Mill House Care Home's CQC rating?
- Its overall rating from the Care Quality Commission is Requires improvement, published on 20 September 2023.
Contact
- Phone
- 01442 269888
- Address
- Rose Lane (off Red Lion Lane), Hemel Hempstead, HP3 9TE Map (opens Google Maps)
Compare nearby
Nearest rated Good or Outstanding: St Lauras (Good, 1 mile away) and Walsingham Support - 2 Ashley Close (Good, 1.3 miles away).
Nearest care homes:
- G St Lauras Good, 1 mile away
- – Manor View Not yet rated, 1.1 miles away
- RI Friars Mead Requires improvement, 1.2 miles away
- – Robin House Not yet rated, 1.3 miles away
- RI Walsingham Support - 1 Ashley Close Requires improvement, 1.3 miles away