Enter and view: Rendle House Residential Care Home

Healthwatch Cornwall undertook an enter and view visit to Rendle House Care Home on 24 November 2025. The purpose of the visit was to observe the service, talk to residents and staff, and assess the quality of care and overall experience within the home.

Rendle House is a purpose-built residential care home for people with learning disabilities and is operated by HFT. At the time of the visit, the home had previously been rated “Inadequate” by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), although a more recent inspection was pending publication. 

During the visit, Healthwatch representatives spoke with two residents, two care staff, and members of the management team, while also observing the facilities and interactions within the home. They noted that relationships between staff and residents were positive, with calm, supportive communication and a relaxed atmosphere. Residents appeared comfortable, engaged in activities, and were observed smiling and interacting positively with staff. 

The physical environment of the home was generally clean, warm, and designed to feel like a domestic setting. Communal areas were well-lit and decorated, and accessible communication tools such as visual aids and sign language prompts were in use to support residents. Residents’ rooms were personalised and appropriately equipped, although some maintenance issues were identified. These included a broken wardrobe door and damage to a stairway banister, which posed potential safety risks.

Other issues observed included a lack of external signage, making the home difficult to locate, and unclear entry instructions for visitors. Administrative areas were found to be untidy in places, although care records were securely stored and well organised. 

Resident feedback was limited due to communication needs, but both residents indicated that they were happy, felt well cared for, and enjoyed the food and environment. Staff feedback was also positive, with team members describing supportive management, good training opportunities, and no safeguarding concerns. Management acknowledged past issues and described an ongoing “transformation plan” to improve the service, alongside efforts to stabilise leadership and enhance care quality.

The report made several recommendations, including improving signage and access information, addressing maintenance issues promptly, ensuring rooms are fully prepared for new residents, regularly reviewing staffing levels, and maintaining strong leadership to support ongoing improvements. 

In response, the provider stated that actions had already been taken to address these recommendations. These included producing maps and clearer directions for visitors, resolving maintenance issues, maintaining staffing reviews and contingency planning, and implementing a service improvement plan. The provider also noted that the home’s CQC rating had improved to “Requires Improvement” following a recent inspection and that further progress was being made.