Chataway Nursing Home

Chataway Nursing Home in Crumpsall, Manchester, provides personal and nursing care for up to 26 adults living with mental health conditions. At the time of the inspection by the Care Quality Commission, 22 people were living at the home. The recent inspection highlights several areas requiring administrative and safety improvements, alongside notable strengths in the daily compassionate support and engagement provided to residents by the staff team.

When looking at safety, the home faced some shortcomings that need attention. Inspectors found that certain building safety checks and maintenance work, such as electrical reports and lift servicing, had not been addressed quickly enough, though the provider promised to complete them. Additionally, cleaning chemicals like bleach were left unattended on a trolley, and night staff fire drill records were incomplete. Medicines management also required improvement, as there were missing stock checks, delays in administering prescribed eye drops, and a lack of annual competency assessments for senior staff handling medications.

For effectiveness, staff induction processes were not robust enough for new employees entering the health and social care sector without prior qualifications. The home also needed to improve its application of the Mental Capacity Act, as consent forms were often unsigned and staff lacked a clear understanding of restrictive practices, such as routine hourly night checks. While parts of the building looked tired and required refurbishment, ongoing maintenance and an open-plan layout allowed residents to socialize freely and personalize their rooms.

The caring aspect of the home was a strong point. Residents were treated with compassion, kindness, and respect, with staff consistently knocking on doors and asking permission before entering private rooms. Care records reflected individual cultural and religious backgrounds, and residents confirmed they met regularly with their assigned keyworkers to discuss their care.

The service was also responsive to individual daily needs. Residents received personalized care, were able to make daily choices, and were supported to maintain relationships and take part in group activities and local community trips. However, inspectors noted that the home no longer used a bespoke recovery model or tools like the recovery star to track rehabilitation, meaning the provider needs to consult current guidance to better support residents' long-term independence and goals.

Finally, regarding leadership and management, quality assurance processes were not always effective because internal checks failed to identify the safety and operational issues found during the inspection. Despite this, staff reported feeling very supported by a newly appointed manager, and safe recruitment processes were properly followed with all necessary background checks completed before new staff started working.