Working at Herondale
2 Herondale, Basildon, SS14 1RR
Operated by Choice Support
8 bedsResidential homes
Workplace Score
2.7/10
AI analysis of latest data
Our AI workplace review
PlainSight AI Review
Last updated: 10 February 2026
Score: 2.7/10
Key Finding
"Staff feel supported with regular meetings and supervisions plus good refresher training, but staffing shortages, unsafe medicines handling, and poor management support hold it back."
Safety & Risk
1/10
✕
Notifications about safeguarding concerns were not always made in a timely manner to the local authority and CQC... Where it was needed for two staff signatures... only one staff signature was being recorded... A legally required register was not in place for recording these medicines.
Staff Culture
5/10
!
A staff member said 'Team meetings and supervision have been more regular. It’s about every month, have a one to one, able to share any concerns and all recorded. It’s very supportive. [Registered manager] really listens and is considerate.'
Staffing Levels
1/10
✕
The rotas we viewed from 2 to 15 June 2025 showed the registered manager having to undertake caring duties as there was not enough staff to cover the shifts.
Training & Dev
4/10
!
Staff had undertaken refresher training in topics relevant to their role. Since the last assessment, staff had received training in fire safety, support planning, and senior staff attending a safeguarding refresher.
Management
2/10
✕
The provider had not invested in the registered manager to manage the service effectively and safely with further learning and development which was a continued concern from our previous assessment.
Programmes
2/10
✕
The choice of activities available to people within the service had not changed since our last assessment... In a review record... suggested options were, ‘Cutting, sticking, colouring...’ In their comments... 'I am not a child anymore.'
Points to consider
Not enough staff on shifts, so sometimes only one carer covers everything and the manager has to do hands-on care too.
The rotas we viewed from 2 to 15 June 2025 showed the registered manager having to undertake caring duties as there was not enough staff to cover the shifts.
Medicines not handled safely with missing second staff signatures and no records for strong drugs.
Where it was needed for two staff signatures to be recorded when a person took their medicine, only one staff signature was being recorded... Only 1 staff member was signing for these medicines. A legally required register was not in place.
Provider fails to support the manager properly, so risks and governance issues keep piling up.
The provider had not invested in the registered manager to manage the service effectively and safely... Governance systems and audits had not significantly improved to identify or address the concerns.
AI Generated
CQC Inspection Overview
CQC Inspection
Last inspected: September 2025
Inadequate
Safe
✕
Inadequate
Effective
!
Requires improvement
Caring
!
Requires improvement
Responsive
!
Requires improvement
Management Quality
Well-led: Inadequate
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- Care Quality Commission (CQC) Inspection Data
- PlainSight staff reviews