Grange House

Grange House is a care home registered to provide accommodation for up to 17 people. At the time of the inspection there were 13 people living at the home, one of whom was in hospital. At the last inspection the service and rated good, at this inspection the service has been rated requires improvement. We found 3 breaches of regulation in relation to safe care and treatment, good governance and staffing. We have asked the provider for an action plan in response to the concerns found at this assessment.

Grange House has not had a registered manager since 2023. A manager had been working at the home until October 2025, but had not completed their registration process with CQC. At the time of the inspection there was no onsite management support for staff, the home did not have a deputy manager, therefore, senior care staff were responsible for the day to day running of the home. A new manager had recently been employed and was due to start the week following the inspection.

The provider had set up a staff messaging group and was available by telephone. The provider contacted the service daily, and participated in handovers, however, they were not based locally and were not onsite regularly to support and oversee running of the home.

Serious fire safety concerns were identified. We contacted the provider to request immediate steps be taken to mediate risk to people and the most serious concerns were addressed by the provider before the second day of inspection.

Recruitment processes were not robust, gaps in employment history had not been explored. Some staff references were not appropriate. References did not include the most recent employer, and one was from a family member. New staff had not completed a structured induction and staff support and supervision had been sporadic.

Monthly checks and governance processes had not been maintained since the previous manager had left in October 2025. We found gaps in care documentation and a lack of robust governance systems in place to monitor the home.

Some improvements were needed to the environment. We found maintenance concerns which had not been addressed in a timely manner.

People were happy living at Grange House and staff worked well as a team. Staff knew people well which mitigated the risks of them receiving unsafe care. Staff had worked tirelessly to provide safe and appropriate care which met people’s needs. We observed staff treat people with kindness and compassion. Staff took the time to get to know people and what was important to them. They worked closely with other health professionals and referrals were made when people’s needs had changed.