Caroline House

7 - 9 Ersham Road, Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 3LG

01323841073

Care Type

Residential Care

Assessment date

7 November 2024

Provider

Sovereign Care Limited

Beds

28 beds

About Caroline House

Caroline House is a residential care home in East Sussex. Details of the Care Quality Commission's most recent findings are set out below.

Caroline House, in East Sussex, provides residential care for up to 28 older people living with dementia, mental health needs and sensory impairment. The CQC's assessment followed concerns about safety and governance, but the home retained its overall Good rating. Inspectors found people were cared for safely and well by staff who knew them, though leadership visibility had recently reduced and care documentation was not always up to date.

People and relatives spoke positively, describing kind, respectful staff and good support to stay in touch with family. However, inspectors judged the home Requires Improvement for being well-led, citing unclear management arrangements and gaps in oversight of infection control and moving and handling practice, with improvements already underway.

Source: CQC assessment, 16 December 2024

Specialist Care

DementiaOlder people

Fees and availability

We have not verified a current weekly fee for this home. Ask for a written quote based on the room and care needed, including any extra charges.

Check current vacancies, the admission assessment and visiting arrangements directly with the home.

Care and inspection details

Checked against the CQC register on 20 September 2026. This is a check of published information, not a visit to the home.

Registered service: Care home service without nursing
Registered capacity: 28 places — this is not a vacancy count
Registration checked: Registered · BN27 3LG

Registered care categories

Caring for adults over 65 yrs; Dementia.

These describe the registration. The home must assess whether it can meet the individual person's needs and whether a place is available.

CQC ratings in more detail

Overall rating shown by CQC: Good.

Assessment published 16 December 2024. Assessment date recorded: 7 November 2024.

Read CQC's assessment overview

The following is CQC's published account of its assessment, published 16 December 2024. References to “we” mean CQC. It describes findings at that time.

Caroline House is a residential care service that provides support for up to 28 older people living with dementia, mental health needs and sensory impairment. This assessment took place from 11 November to the 21 November 2024. We carried out on-site visits on 11 and 18 November 2024. At the time of this assessment there were 21 people living in the home. The assessment was planned in response to concerns raised about the safety of people and the management of the service and governance systems. We did not identify any significant issues during this assessment and the service has remained Good, with areas identified for improvement regarding peoples' documentation, oversight of staff practice in respect of infection control procedures, moving and handling and the management structure. We found recent changes in leadership had impacted on people, visitors and staff negatively. This was because the registered manager was not as visible or accessible due to supporting other services in the organisation. Staff and visitors were not sure of who was in day to day management of Caroline House. People's documentation was not always reflective of people's needs. We have been informed that a new person centred care system was being introduced which will include a complete review of people's needs and address the shortfalls found in care planning and risk assessments. Overall people were received a good standard of care and staff managed risks safely and effectively in a safe and clean environment. Whilst we observed some potential poor practices, these were addressed immediately by the registered manager further training and supervision arranged. Staff and management knew people well and received an induction, training and support that enabled them to manage people’s health and social care in a safe way. People received their prescribed medicines to manage their health needs and people received additional support from external health professionals when it was required.

Safe: Good
Effective: Good
Caring: Good
Responsive: Good
Well-led: Requires Improvement

Questions prompted by these ratings

Well-led: What has changed in management, checks and oversight since this rating?

These are questions for your visit, not a claim about conditions today.

Read Caroline House's CQC record and reports.

Contains Care Quality Commission information under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Ratings and registration details can change after the date checked.

5 Questions to Ask on Your Visit

When visiting Caroline House, consider asking...

1.What specific dementia training do staff receive and how recently?
2.How do you support a resident who becomes distressed or confused?
3.How does the home keep a record of a resident's life history and personal preferences?
4.How do you involve families as dementia progresses and communication becomes harder?
5.What happens when a resident's dementia reaches an advanced stage?

5 Things to Look For on Your Visit

When you visit Caroline House, look out for...

1.Is the environment calm, uncluttered and easy to navigate?
2.Do staff speak to residents with patience and dignity, even if they repeat themselves?
3.Are there memory cues around the home -- photos, familiar objects, clear signage?
4.Do residents seem settled and safe, or agitated and unsupervised?
5.Is there meaningful activity happening, or are residents just sitting quietly with nothing to do?

Could the NHS fund Caroline House's fees?

The average nursing home costs £1,535 per week. That's £79,820 a year. NHS Continuing Healthcare could cover all of it. No means test, no contribution from you.

Find out if the NHS could fund these fees