SafeAre people protected from abuse and avoidable harm?69%Good
See the breakdownHide the breakdown2 of 8 below good
Infection prevention and controlSome shortfalls
Safe environmentsSome shortfalls
Involving people to manage risksGood
Learning cultureGood
Medicines optimisationGood
Safe and effective staffingGood
Safe systems, pathways and transitionsGood
SafeguardingGood
EffectiveDoes care achieve good outcomes and a good quality of life?67%Good
See the breakdownHide the breakdown2 of 6 below good
Consent to care and treatmentSome shortfalls
Monitoring and improving outcomesSome shortfalls
Assessing needsGood
Delivering evidence-based care and treatmentGood
How staff, teams and services work togetherGood
Supporting people to live healthier livesGood
CaringAre staff kind, compassionate and respectful?75%Good
See the breakdownHide the breakdownAll 5 good
Independence, choice and controlGood
Kindness, compassion and dignityGood
Responding to people's immediate needsGood
Treating people as individualsGood
Workforce wellbeing and enablementGood
ResponsiveAre services organised to meet people's needs?71%Good
See the breakdownHide the breakdown1 of 7 below good
Providing InformationSome shortfalls
Care provision, integration and continuityGood
Equity in accessGood
Equity in experiences and outcomesGood
Listening to and involving peopleGood
Person-centred careGood
Planning for the futureGood
Well-ledIs the home well managed, with a culture of high-quality care?75%Good
See the breakdownHide the breakdown1 of 7 below good
Governance, management and sustainabilitySome shortfalls
Capable, compassionate and inclusive leadersGood
Freedom to speak upGood
Learning, improvement and innovationGood
Partnerships and communitiesGood
Workforce equality, diversity and inclusionGood
Shared direction and cultureExceptional
Percentages are CQC scores from its newer way of assessing homes. ?
CQC scored 33 standards: 26 good, 1 exceptional, 6 below good. Use “See the breakdown” on each key question for its standards. ?
CQC hasn't inspected this home for more than 5 years. It re-inspects based on risk, so an old rating doesn't count against a home on this site, but it may not reflect the home today. ?
Carewell (Health Care) Limited runs St Mary's Care Home, a nursing home in Chester Le Street, County Durham with room for 54 residents. CQC registers it to look after older people and people with a physical disability.
99 other homes in County Durham share its tier, “Good”. The kitchen has a food hygiene rating of 4 (good), from June 2026. In County Durham, 84% of homes score 5. Of the 6 closest rated homes, none is rated above it.
CQC rated it Good overall and in all five key questions in February 2025. Its previous rating, in December 2022, was Requires improvement, so the home has improved. That is more recent than most ratings in County Durham, where the typical rating is about 4 years old. CQC found some shortfalls in “consent to care and treatment”, one of 6 standards out of 33 scored below good.
