Acomb Court

Updated 16 December 2025

Date of Assessment: 12 January to 2 February 2026. We visited the service because this was a planned full assessment using our hybrid approach for services with an aged rating. The service is a residential care home supporting older people, including people living with dementia.

The environment was welcoming, bright and homely. We observed mealtimes were calm, well managed and person‑centred. Activities were taking place on each day of our visit, and people spoke positively about the range on offer. Staff responded well to people’s needs and supported them with patience and compassion.

Medicines were well managed with some enhancements made after feedback to strengthen procedures. The provider acted promptly to arrange portable appliance testing which was just out of date and confirmed planned flooring replacement had been completed before the end of the assessment. Care planning records were already being reviewed to improve the level of detail and to better show people’s and relatives’ involvement.

Call bells were answered quickly, and staffing levels were appropriate to meet people’s needs. Staff were committed to providing good care, although some told us they would welcome more face‑to‑face training. Leaders were visible throughout the home, and people spoke positively about the registered manager and care manager. Communication between some partner organisations had recently weakened, and meetings had been arranged to address and improve this.

Updated 16 December 2025

People told us they had a positive experience of living at the home. People and relatives told us staff were very kind, compassionate and supportive. We observed consistently positive interactions across both days of the assessment. People said they felt safe living at the home and described staff as attentive and caring. Feedback gathered also reflected this, with people and relatives reporting warm, respectful and reassuring support from staff.Several people and relatives spoke about staff responding appropriately when concerns were raised. One relative said, “They are very safe and when they banged their face, all the protocols were followed to ensure a good outcome.”

People also said staff were kind and respectful in their approach, and most felt there were enough staff available, although a few people said mealtimes sometimes felt busy.People were positive about the food, and many described enjoying their meals and having enough choice. One person told us, “The food is excellent without a doubt.” Activities were valued and people felt they could join in pastimes they enjoyed. Several people spoke positively about how staff encouraged them to take part and helped them stay occupied.

People described staff as extremely caring, warm and supportive. They said staff took time to get to know them and treated them as individuals. One person said, “You can’t get better care… they feel like family.” Relatives also said they were kept informed and were confident in the quality of care provided. A small number of people said they would like more involvement in planning or reviewing their care, particularly around their health needs. People said staff responded promptly when they needed help, including answering call bells quickly.

People who were less able to communicate verbally were observed during mealtimes and interactions with staff. These observations showed people appeared comfortable, and staff supported them in a warm, respectful manner.Relatives told us they were welcomed when visiting and felt the home had a friendly atmosphere. They said staff were approachable and managers were visible within the service.