Plymouth care home remains inadequate after inspection

demoduck.co.uk editorial team 2026-07-30 11:58 3 min read

A large, multi-story residential building exterior set against a clear blue sky.

Ashleigh Manor Residential Care Home in Plymouth has been rated inadequate again after inspectors found continuing failures in safety, staffing, care planning and leadership. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has imposed new conditions on the home’s registration and will monitor its progress monthly.

The inspection ended in May 2026, following an earlier visit that found nine breaches of regulations and led to enforcement action. At the latest inspection, 55 older people were living at the home, including people with dementia and people experiencing frailty.

Families should be aware that Ashleigh Manor remains in special measures. The home must now complete a thorough assessment before admitting anyone new, while CQC monitors whether improvements are made quickly enough to protect residents.

Seven regulations still breached at Ashleigh Manor

Inspectors found the home remained in breach of seven regulations covering safe care and treatment, person-centred care, consent, safeguarding, dignity, staffing and overall management.

CQC re-rated the safe, effective and well-led areas as inadequate. Caring and responsive were downgraded from good to requires improvement.

Two previous concerns had been resolved: the failure to submit notifications about incidents and the failure to display the correct CQC rating.

However, inspectors said wider problems remained. Care plans and risk assessments were often generic, contained conflicting information and did not consistently reflect residents’ current needs.

In one example, a risk assessment identified choking and malnutrition risks linked to eating and drinking, while the person’s care plan described them as fully independent, eating a normal diet and having no swallowing concerns. CQC said conflicting information could leave staff unclear about the support required.

Safety, medicines and staffing concerns

Inspectors found that not all staff had completed safeguarding training, potentially affecting their ability to recognise or respond to suspected abuse.

Environmental safety problems identified at the previous inspection had also not been fully addressed. Fire doors were propped open and exits were blocked, creating risks for residents, staff and visitors during an emergency.

Plymouth care home remains inadequate after inspection

The inspection also identified concerns about medicines management. Some medicines cabinets were not locked, and inspectors saw occasions when staff had signed to confirm medicines had been given even though the medicines remained in their packaging.

Staffing levels were not always sufficient to meet residents’ needs, particularly at night. CQC said this meant people were not always supported promptly and could be less safe during an emergency.

Residents’ dignity and rights under scrutiny

Although residents and relatives described positive day-to-day experiences, inspectors found that dignity and privacy were not consistently protected. Bedroom doors were frequently left open while people were in bed.

CQC also found inconsistent staff understanding of legal safeguards designed to prevent unnecessary restrictions. The home was using restrictions, including medicines to manage behaviour and supervision of visits, without clear evidence that they were proportionate or in residents’ best interests.

The findings follow other CQC inspections of adult social care services, including recent care rating findings in Lambeth, where inspectors reported a different overall outcome.

Monthly improvement reports required

CQC deputy director of adult social care for Devon, Stefan Kallee, said leaders had made some improvements but had not done enough to address earlier concerns. He said significant weaknesses in leadership meant people remained at risk of avoidable harm.

Ashleigh Manor’s leaders have been told where immediate and significant improvements are required. The registration conditions require the home to assess prospective residents thoroughly before admission and provide CQC with monthly updates on improvement work.

Special measures provide close monitoring and a structured period for improvement. If the required changes are not made, CQC has said it will consider what further action is needed to keep people safe.

Source: Care Quality Commission News

Context & actions About this article

Source check Source check

This report follows the Care Quality Commission’s published update dated 30 July 2026 and separates confirmed findings from the required next steps.

Checks

Checked the inspection publication and update date: 30 July 2026.
Confirmed the home’s inadequate rating and special-measures status.
Cross-checked the seven continuing regulatory breaches and two resolved breaches described...
Confirmed the registration conditions requiring pre-admission assessments and monthly prog...

Care Quality Commission News Check wider Plymouth care home coverage