Winchley care home at West Winch rated 'inadequate' by CQC

Health watchdog the Care Quality Commission rated the Winchley Home at West Winch, near King's Lynn as "inadequate" following an inspection in February.

Hazel Roberts, the CQC's deputy director of adult social care in the East of England, said: “When we inspected Winchley Home, we found that people weren’t receiving the standard of care they deserved.

"People weren’t always kept safe because the service hadn’t put the right systems in place, leading to significant and widespread shortfalls.

“People living at the home had complex needs but staff didn’t always have the information they needed to support people safely. "

Care plans for people at risk of choking did not accurately reflect their dietary needs, which placed them at risk of harm.

Staff working overnight had also not been trained to monitor blood glucose levels.

The CQC also said people were not always treated with dignity. It said it found evidence of people being woken and given personal care in the early hours of the morning, with no record that this reflected their wishes.

One of Winchley's 32 residents had suffered toothache for several days, but while staff had given them pain relief they had not sought dental advice.

The CQC report said a long-serving manager had left the home in December, 2025 and had been replaced by an acting manager who had not been given adequate support.

"We found that Winchley Home was providing an inadequate service to the people who used the service," it added.

"This inspection found the provider to be in breach of three legal regulations relating to need for consent, safe care and treatment, and governance."

The report said an action plan had been drawn up by the the home. The CQC normally checks that improvements have been made by carrying out a further inspection within six months.

If the rating then remains "inadequate", the commission can impose further conditions or begin the process of cancelling a home's registration.