Old Alresford Cottage

The following is CQC's published account of its assessment, published 15 June 2026. References to “we” mean CQC. It describes findings at that time.

We carried out this inspection from 13 April to 7 May 2026. This assessment was carried out in response to information we had received about the service. Old Alresford Cottage is a care home without nursing for up to 44 people. At the time of our assessment 37 people were using the service. We assessed 19 quality statements from the safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led key questions. We have combined the scores for these areas with scores from the last inspection to give the rating for this assessment.

We found 1 breach of the legal regulations in relation to safe and effective staffing. The provider had not always sought satisfactory verification of the reason staff left all previous roles in health and social care and had not always sought evidence of their conduct in these roles.

At the last inspection we found breaches of legal regulation in relation to managing risk and good governance. At this inspection enough improvement had been made, and the provider was no longer in breach of these regulations.

We found medicines were managed safely. Improvements had been made in relation to managing risk and to most governance systems.

The provider had a good incident learning culture and people could raise concerns. Managers investigated incidents thoroughly. People were protected and kept safe. Staff understood and managed risks. Managers made sure staff received training and regular support to maintain good-quality care. People received their medicines as prescribed.

People were treated with kindness and compassion. Staff protected their privacy and dignity. They treated them as individuals and supported their preferences. People had choice in their care and were encouraged to maintain relationships with family and friends. Staff responded to people in a timely way. The provider supported staff wellbeing.

People knew how to give feedback and were confident the provider took it seriously and acted on it. People received fair and equal care and treatment and were involved in planning their care.

Leaders and staff had a shared vision and culture based on listening, learning and trust. Leaders were visible, knowledgeable, and supportive, helping staff develop in their roles. Staff felt supported to give feedback and were treated equally, free from bullying or harassment. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities.