Wolverhampton care home placed into 'special measures' after inspectors found breaches in 'care and treatment' of residents
A care home in Wolverhampton has been put into special measures by the Care Quality Commission after inspectors found "staff didn’t treat people respectfully" and "wasn't always safe".
Ashley Court Care Home Limited, on Penn Road, Wolverhampton, has been placed into special measures after its rating was downgraded by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
The care home, which provides support to both older and younger people, some of whom live with dementia, was previously rated 'requires improvement', then 'inadequate'. Now it has been placed in special measures following the report from the most recent inspection, in November 2025.
The CQC carried out the inspection in response to concerns about the care residents were receiving at Ashley Court Care Home, with inspectors finding that leaders hadn't taken all of the necessary actions needed to make improvements since a previous inspection.
Inspectors also found a breach in two regulations in relation to staffing, dignity and respect, person-centred care and the Mental Health Capacity Act.
The independent health regulator rated Ashley Court Care Limited 'inadequate' for being safe and well-led, down from 'requires improvement', while the ratings for 'effective' and 'caring' dropped from 'good' to 'requires improvement'.
Amanda Lyndon, the CQC's deputy director for adult social care for the West Midlands, said: "When we inspected Ashley Court Care Limited, it was disappointing that despite outlining exactly where improvements were needed at our previous inspection, we found that leaders had allowed people’s care to deteriorate significantly and wasn’t always safe.
“During our inspection, we saw some people looking unclean and unkempt and had clearly not been supported to meet their personal needs.
"We asked staff for information about how people with mobility issues accessed the bath or shower, but didn’t always receive it, indicating that people weren’t always receiving it."
Inspectors found that staff members didn't have effective processes to follow to ensure that people's needs were being assessed before they began using the service, and care plans that were in place weren't always updated accordingly.
Staff members were also found not to interact with people unless it was a "given task", and also didn't ensure that medicines were given to people, disposed of or stored safely.
Ms Lyndon added: “It was also concerning to see that staff didn’t involve all people in decisions about their care or tell them about changes as a result. People’s care also didn’t always meet their diverse needs and preferences, and staff didn’t treat people respectfully or in a dignified way.
“Leaders didn’t have effective systems in place to help identify concerns or make improvements to people’s care.
"One person had been referred to an external health professional for sore skin. Despite this, we found this person seated in a wheelchair with no cushion or padding for a long time, putting them at risk of further sore skin.
“Although staff assessed information about incidents which took place, this wasn’t always used to learn lessons or make changes, putting people at potential risk of harm."
The report revealed that staff members and leaders didn't always consider the principles of the Mental Capacity Act, and also neglected the cleanliness of the home, with a "strong smell" present throughout.
Special measures status means the home will now be closely monitored to ensure that people are safe whilst improvements are made, and that creates a structured timeframe for improvements to be carried out.
Ms Lyndon said: "Despite us asking for an action plan at our last inspection, it was clear that leaders hadn’t taken all the actions they said they were going to, keeping them in breach of the legal regulation relating to people’s safe care and treatment.
“We have again been clear with leaders about what we expect to see moving forward to ensure they are no longer in breach of regulations.
"We will return to check on their progress and have proposed using our regulatory powers further to ensure people are receiving the care they have a right to expect."
The resident did note that they felt 'happy' and 'safe' living in the home, and were pleased with the care they received.
In response, Ashley Court Care Home Limited said it did not believe the CQC's judgment was an "accurate or fair reflection" of standards at the home and it would seek a review of the rating.
A spokesperson for Ashley Court Care home said: "We are very disappointed in the CQC’s assessment and we strongly believe a single-word rating does not reflect the standard of care we deliver for our residents.
"We do not believe their assessment is an accurate or fair reflection of our home and will be lodging a rating review with the CQC.
“The inspector’s report highlighted a substantial range of positive aspects of our care, including that residents are happy with their care, feel safe living at Ashley Court, and that our team members are supportive and know people’s individual needs.
"It also notes the high-quality training our team undertake, and that safeguarding procedures are followed.
"We recognise there are some areas where we can do better, and through our culture of continual learning and improvement, we are focused on making those changes.
“We note the CQC itself is undertaking a major revision to how it inspects care services, with a more tailored approach to assessment. We welcome this move and believe a re-inspection under a new system would give a more accurate picture of the high standards of care we offer to residents."