Linksway

17 Douglas Avenue, Exmouth, Devon, EX8 2EY

01395273677

Care Type

Nursing Care

Inspection date

12 June 2023

Provider

Exmouth Care Ltd

Beds

24 beds

About Linksway

Linksway is a nursing care home in Devon, offering round-the-clock support for those who need a little extra help with their health and wellbeing. The county's natural beauty and relaxed pace of life make it a comforting setting for residents and a reassuring place for families to visit. The team at Linksway understands how important it is for residents to feel at home, and that commitment to personal, attentive care sits at the heart of daily life here.

This 24-bed care home across two floors was providing care to 15 residents at inspection. However, significant concerns were identified around medication management, including incomplete medicines administration records, unsafe handling of topical medicines, and improper disposal procedures. The provider's medication policy required updating to reflect the service being delivered.

Risk management also needed improvement, with care plans lacking the detailed information staff required to support residents effectively. For instance, one person experiencing frequent distress had no specific care plan guidance, and residents' communication needs were not documented. Care plans were not available in accessible formats such as large print.

Documentation and recording did not consistently reflect the care actually being provided, and staff lacked sufficient knowledge to reposition people according to their individual requirements. The provider's governance systems had failed to identify most of these issues, indicating they were not functioning effectively.

Source: CQC inspection report, 8 August 2023

Specialist Care

Older 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 with nursing
Registered capacity: 24 places — this is not a vacancy count
Registration checked: Registered · EX8 2EY

Registered care categories

Caring for adults over 65 yrs.

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: Requires improvement.

Rating report published 8 August 2023. Latest inspection date recorded: 12 June 2023.

Safe: Requires improvement
EffectivePublished 19 March 2019: Good
CaringPublished 19 March 2019: Good
Responsive: Requires improvement
Well-led: Requires improvement

Questions prompted by these ratings

Safe: What changes have been made to medicines, staffing and safeguarding since this rating?
Responsive: How are care plans, activities and complaints adapted to each resident?
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 Linksway'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 Linksway, consider asking...

1.How many qualified nurses are on duty overnight and at weekends?
2.How do you manage a resident's relationship with their GP and hospital team?
3.What is your approach when a resident's condition deteriorates quickly?
4.What additional charges apply beyond the weekly fee?
5.How do you approach end of life care and involve families in those decisions?

5 Things to Look For on Your Visit

When you visit Linksway, look out for...

1.Is the nursing station visible and staffed, or hard to find?
2.Do staff respond promptly when a resident needs attention?
3.Are call bells answered quickly or left ringing?
4.Does the home feel calm or rushed and understaffed?
5.Are residents' medical records and care plans visible and up to date?

Could the NHS fund Linksway'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