Working at Birchwood Care Home
1 Birchwood Road, Newbury, RG14 2PP
Operated by West Berkshire Council
60 bedsNursing homes
Workplace Score
4.5/10
AI analysis of latest data
Our AI workplace review
PlainSight AI Review
Last updated: 10 February 2026
Score: 4.5/10
Key Finding
"Staff feel valued with good training and activities programmes, but no registered manager and unsafe medicines management hold it back."
Safety & Risk
3/10
✕
Medicines were not always managed safely... the service still experienced high levels of medicine errors.
Staff Culture
6/10
✓
Staff told us the manager inspired trust and confidence and made them feel valued and respected... 'The manager has done really well... we've got a smile back on our faces and want to come to work.'
Staffing Levels
4/10
!
The service used a high level of agency staff (55%).
Training & Dev
6/10
✓
Staff had completed the provider's mandatory training, which was aligned to The Care Certificate... Staff were consulted about additional training they required in specialist areas relevant to the needs of individual people, such as training in caring for people living with dementia.
Management
2/10
✕
At the time of our inspection there was not a registered manager in post. A new manager had been in post for 3 months and had submitted an application to register.
Programmes
6/10
✓
There were 3 activities coordinators who delivered a published programme of stimulating activities, tailored to meet people's individual needs.
Points to consider
No permanent manager in place yet, which means leadership and oversight have serious gaps.
At the time of our inspection there was not a registered manager in post.
Medication errors are still common and some medicines aren't stored or handled safely.
Medicines were not always managed safely... high levels of medicine errors.
Heavy reliance on agency staff at 55%, so you might have to shadow them to ensure good care.
The service used a high level of agency staff (55%).
AI Generated
CQC Inspection Overview
CQC Inspection
Last inspected: March 2023
Requires improvement
Safe
!
Requires improvement
Effective
✓
Good
Caring
✓
Good
Responsive
✓
Good
Management Quality
Well-led: Requires improvement
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- Care Quality Commission (CQC) Inspection Data
- PlainSight staff reviews