Housing 21 - The Watermill

The following is CQC's published account of its assessment, published 29 July 2026. References to “we” mean CQC. It describes findings at that time.

Date of assessment: 24 June to 2 July 2026. This assessment was carried out due to the age of the rating for the service. The service is a residential home providing accommodation and personal care to older people, some of whom are living with dementia. The home is divided into 4 ‘houses’.

Staff had been safely recruited and had received training relevant to their role. Staff followed infection control procedures to reduce the risk of cross infection.

People’s needs were assessed and guidance was followed by staff who knew people well, to ensure people’s needs and preferences were met. People’s health needs were met as staff worked in partnership with healthcare professionals. People were asked for their consent before care was provided and where people lacked the mental capacity to make specific decisions the provider had acted lawfully and ensured decisions were made in their best interests.

Staff were caring, kind and promoted people’s dignity and independence. People were supported to make their own choices and their decisions were respected.

People and their family members were involved in shaping their care and contributed to assessments of their needs. People’s communication needs were considered and there was a system in place to support feedback and manage any concerns or complaints.

The registered manager, supported by the provider, conducted checks and audits to monitor and improve the quality of care provided. The staff and management teams worked in partnership with external agencies and systems were in place to identify learning from events so the quality of care could be improved where required.

However, we found some people’s care plans had not been updated to reflect current information about their risks and improvements were needed to ensure safe storage of chemicals and equipment. Systems used for the management of medicines were not always safe in 1 of the 4 houses within the home. Some staff felt there were disparities in how they were treated, and raised concerns about working practices. They told us while they were confident to raise concerns, they did not always feel they were taken seriously. The registered manager and provider were responsive to our feedback and provided assurance that action would be taken to address concerns raised.