Applecroft Care Home

The following is CQC's published account of its assessment, published 14 April 2026. References to “we” mean CQC. It describes findings at that time.

We carried out this assessment between 3 February and 24 February 2026. Applecroft Care Home is a residential service providing nursing support to older people and people living with dementia. The service is registered to accommodate 75 people and at the time of our assessment there were 63 people living at the service. The service is divided into 5 units and can accommodate up to 15 people on each unit. Discovery is on the ground floor, Blossom and Permain on the middle floor and Russet and Pippin on the top floor.

We completed this assessment due to concerns we received about the culture and governance of the service. We found there was a positive culture and a new management team who were starting to make changes to the service. We identified some shortfalls in the management of medicines, staff guidance on moving and handling and providing a suitable environment for people living with dementia. The provider acknowledged these shortfalls, used them as lessons learned and was taking actions to help minimise them reoccurring.

People and their relatives were involved in assessments of their needs. Staff reviewed assessments taking account of people’s communication, personal and health needs. Although staff knew how to move people safely, some guidance for staff in using equipment lacked some essential detail. This was addressed during the assessment.

People’s eating and drinking was adapted according to their needs and reviewed to ensure they had enough to eat and drink to stay healthy. Staff and nurses monitored people’s health and ensured they attended medical appointments. We found some shortfalls when people had been prescribed medicines covertly and in monitoring stock to ensure it remained in date. The provider took actions to address these shortfalls including investigations into the root cause and learning lessons when things had not gone according to plan.

Staff treated people as individuals and supported their preferences. A relative told us, “The home have met him where he is.” Staff could identify when people got anxious or upset and understood how to calm people.

The management team were visible and had a shared vision and culture based on listening, learning and trust. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities and received appropriate training.