La Fontana

The following is CQC's published account of its assessment, published 8 June 2026. References to “we” mean CQC. It describes findings at that time.

La Fontana is a care home providing personal and nursing care and accommodation for up to 76 people. The service specialises in support for older people living with dementia. At the time of our assessment there were 53 people using the service. We visited the home on 13 May 2026 and 21 May 2026.

This was a planned comprehensive assessment during a period of significant organisational change and improvement. People and relatives told us people felt safe and staff treated them with kindness and respect. Staff understood safeguarding processes and knew how to recognise and report concerns, and risk assessments were in place to support people’s safety.

Some relatives raised minor concerns and the impact of recent changes in ownership and management. These were escalated and responded to immediately by the management team during the assessment.

We observed a calm, relaxed atmosphere, where people were supported by sufficient staff to meet their needs. Staff interactions were warm, patient and person-centred, and relatives were very complimentary about care staff.

People’s needs were assessed prior to admission; care plans had been rewritten in early 2026 with further work planned to improve how personalised they were.

People were supported with eating and drinking, and there were positive comments about improvements to meals and mealtime experiences.

The environment required improvement, including infection prevention and dementia-friendly design; improvement actions were taken or brought forward during the assessment.

Leadership and governance had significantly improved under the new provider, with improved quality assurance processes, learning culture and staff morale, although some relatives remained unsettled by ongoing change.

Overall, the service was on a clear improvement journey, with the management team demonstrating openness, honesty and commitment to embedding and sustaining positive change.