Country Court

The following is CQC's published account of its assessment, published 16 January 2026. References to “we” mean CQC. It describes findings at that time.

Date of assessment: 17 and 18 November 2025. Country Court is a care home providing accommodation and personal care for older adults, including people living with dementia. Whilst people told us they felt safe, and staff were observed to be kind and respectful, concerns persist around governance, risk management and care planning.

However, improvements had been made since the last inspection including better safeguarding oversight and more structured audits. Care plans were person centred and specific, although some risk assessments were generic and not routinely reviewed. Infection prevention and control practices were variable, and environmental audits identified refurbishment needs that had not been addressed. Furthermore, some staff did not correctly sanitise their hands. Staffing levels were sufficient, and staff spoke positively about teamwork and support from local managers.

Leadership remains a key area of concern. Governance systems did not ensure timely action on all identified risks, and some staff expressed frustration about the provider’s lack of engagement and investment. Whilst the acting manager and deputy were valued for their commitment, the absence of effective provider-level leadership undermines progress.

Overall, the culture within the home is caring and staff are dedicated, but systemic weaknesses in leadership, governance and planning mean the service cannot yet demonstrate consistent, high-quality, person-centred care.

We found the previous breach in relation to person centred care, safeguarding, consent, safe care and treatment were now met and the provider was no longer in breach of these regulations. There was a continued breach in relation to governance. There has been no registered manager in post for over 18 months, which was a breach of registration conditions. Whilst there are now governance systems in place, these are not always effective in identifying issues and addressing them in a timely way. This is a continued breach of regulation in relation to good governance.

In instances where CQC have decided to take civil or criminal enforcement action against a provider, we will publish this information on our website if appropriate, after any representations and / or appeals have been concluded.