Working at Short Term Breaks - April Cottage
April Cottage, Witney, OX28 4TJ
Operated by The Brandon Trust
4 bedsResidential homes
Workplace Score
6.4/10
AI analysis of latest data
Our AI workplace review
PlainSight AI Review
Last updated: 10 February 2026
Score: 6.4/10
Key Finding
"Empathetic leadership and happier staff culture stand out, but limited activities beyond basic outings hold it back."
Safety & Risk
7/10
✓
Safeguarding concerns reported and dealt with appropriately; risks assessed and reviewed regularly; medicines managed safely with competencies checked.
Staff Culture
7/10
✓
Staff say 'It is a much happier place to work' and 'My views matter now'; regular team meetings to share ideas and best practice.
Staffing Levels
6/10
✓
Enough staff deployed to meet needs; regular agency staff used if needed and staff confirm time to complete tasks.
Training & Dev
6/10
✓
Induction, mandatory training like food hygiene and autism awareness, plus specialist like epilepsy and PEG; regular supervision now in place.
Management
7/10
✓
New registered manager praised by relative as 'exceptionally empathetic and sensitive manager'; improvements in quality assurance and staff support since last inspection.
Programmes
4/10
!
Staff take people on outings to see animals, town trips, eating out, and support interests like buying magazines; own minibus available.
Points to consider
No activities coordinator or special programmes, so the job is mostly routine care plus basic outings and trips.
Staff offered activities based on people's interests. Some people enjoyed going to see animals, others liked going out to the local town and eat out.
Some agency staff cover shifts even if they are regulars, so the team is not fully stable.
If agency staff were used, the registered manager ensured these were regular agency staff to provide consistent support to people.
Only basic and some specialist training with no funded qualifications or career development mentioned.
Training was provided on a range of subjects including, food hygiene, autism awareness and privacy and dignity. Staff also received training specific to the needs of people who used the service, such as epilepsy and Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (PEG).
AI Generated
CQC Inspection Overview
CQC Inspection
Last inspected: January 2020
Good
Safe
✓
Good
Effective
✓
Good
Caring
✓
Good
Responsive
✓
Good
Management Quality
Well-led: Good
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- Care Quality Commission (CQC) Inspection Data
- PlainSight staff reviews