The Vicarage Residential Care Home

Welcome to The Vicarage Residential Care Home, located in Audenshaw, Manchester, which provides accommodation and personal care for up to 30 residents. At the time of our inspection, 19 people were living at the home. Families considering this home will find a welcoming, relaxed environment with a dedicated staff team and management who are approachable and well-regarded by residents and their loved ones. While the home demonstrates strong practices in daily safety, infection control, and medication management, there are specific areas regarding social activities, communication of complaints procedures, and management oversight that require ongoing attention and improvement.

The home maintains a secure and protected environment where residents feel safe. Staff undergo robust recruitment checks, including criminal record checks, and there are sufficient staff on duty to meet residents' needs. Medicines are stored, recorded, and administered safely by trained staff, and effective infection prevention and control measures are firmly in place.

Care plans are detailed and reflect people's life histories, and the home follows legal frameworks regarding mental capacity and making decisions in residents' best interests. However, residents and relatives are not always sufficiently involved in the care planning process, and some families reported never having seen their relative's care plan.

The home creates a warm atmosphere and supports families to visit freely. Residents benefit from visits twice a week from an outside performer, and special events like Christmas meals are arranged. However, there is a distinct lack of daily social stimulation and meaningful activities tailored to individual preferences, with some residents noting that the television often repeats on a loop and expressing a desire to do gardening.

The registered manager and staff are described as very approachable, pleasant, and committed to caring for residents. While regular daily audits and governance systems take place, there is a need for stronger follow-through on lessons learned from past incidents and audits, and not all residents or relatives are aware of how to make a formal complaint.