SafeAre people protected from abuse and avoidable harm?81%Good
See the breakdownHide the breakdown2 of 8 exceptional
Infection prevention and controlGood
Involving people to manage risksGood
Learning cultureGood
Medicines optimisationGood
Safe and effective staffingGood
SafeguardingGood
Safe environmentsExceptional
Safe systems, pathways and transitionsExceptional
EffectiveDoes care achieve good outcomes and a good quality of life?79%Good
See the breakdownHide the breakdown1 of 6 exceptional
Assessing needsGood
Consent to care and treatmentGood
Delivering evidence-based care and treatmentGood
How staff, teams and services work togetherGood
Monitoring and improving outcomesGood
Supporting people to live healthier livesExceptional
CaringAre staff kind, compassionate and respectful?95%★Outstanding
See the breakdownHide the breakdown4 of 5 exceptional
Workforce wellbeing and enablementGood
Independence, choice and controlExceptional
Kindness, compassion and dignityExceptional
Responding to people's immediate needsExceptional
Treating people as individualsExceptional
ResponsiveAre services organised to meet people's needs?86%Good
See the breakdownHide the breakdown3 of 7 exceptional
Care provision, integration and continuityGood
Equity in experiences and outcomesGood
Listening to and involving peopleGood
Planning for the futureGood
Equity in accessExceptional
Person-centred careExceptional
Providing InformationExceptional
Well-ledIs the home well managed, with a culture of high-quality care?82%Good
See the breakdownHide the breakdown2 of 7 exceptional
Capable, compassionate and inclusive leadersGood
Freedom to speak upGood
Governance, management and sustainabilityGood
Learning, improvement and innovationGood
Workforce equality, diversity and inclusionGood
Partnerships and communitiesExceptional
Shared direction and cultureExceptional
Percentages are CQC scores from its newer way of assessing homes. ?
CQC scored 33 standards: 21 good, 12 exceptional. 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. ?
The Dispensary is in the Good, with Outstanding areas tier ?, with 11 other homes in County Durham.
92% of rated homes here are Good or Outstanding (England: 82%).
The Dispensary is a 5-bed residential care home in Durham, County Durham, run by Swanton Care & Community (Autism North) Limited. It is registered to care for younger adults, people with a physical disability, people with a learning disability or autism and people with mental health needs. The typical home in County Durham has 40 beds, so this one is on the small side.
Of the 6 closest rated homes, none is rated above it. It is one of 15 homes run by Swanton Care & Community (Autism North) Limited. 13 of those with a rating are Good or Outstanding. In County Durham, 92% of rated care homes are Good or Outstanding (England 82%).
CQC last rated the home in August 2025, giving it Good overall. Safe, effective, responsive and well-led were also Good. Caring was rated Outstanding. That is more recent than most ratings in County Durham, where the typical rating is about 4 years old. CQC scored 33 standards: 12 exceptional and the rest good.
