The Coach House in Hatfield has retained its ‘Good’ rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC), with the service rated Good across all five areas assessed: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led.
The latest assessment took place between 11 and 26 May 2026, with the report published on 1 July. It continues The Coach House’s longstanding Good rating, following its previous full inspection in 2018.
Based on Old Rectory Drive in Hatfield, The Coach House is a small residential mental health service providing personal care and accommodation for up to 10 people. It supports adults living with mental health needs who benefit from a structured, supportive environment while maintaining and developing their independence.
The Coach House sits alongside Howe Dell Manor, another Nouvita Healthcare service on the same site. Although separately registered services, their proximity provides an established mental health care setting in Hatfield with different levels of care and support available.
What did the CQC say about The Coach House?
The latest report highlighted positive practice across the service, from safety and medicines management through to relationships between residents and staff.
Inspectors found good systems in place for reporting and responding to accidents, incidents, complaints and safeguarding concerns. Risks relating to people’s health and wellbeing were assessed, managed and reviewed, while there were sufficient staff available to meet residents’ needs.
Medicines were also found to be managed safely, with residents supported to administer their own medication where appropriate to help maintain their independence and control.
The report recognised the way The Coach House works with other professionals too. CQC found that staff worked positively with health and social care professionals and made referrals for specialist support when required, resulting in positive outcomes including improvements in people’s health and wellbeing.
Inspectors also observed positive interactions between residents and staff, noting that people were treated with dignity and respect.
Perhaps some of the strongest feedback, however, came directly from the people living at The Coach House.
Residents told inspectors they were happy living at the service and described close, supportive relationships with the staff caring for them. One resident told CQC:
“The staff here are the best staff I have had help me.”
Residents also told inspectors they felt confident raising concerns and were involved in planning their own care, including regular key-work sessions to think about and plan for their future.
Supporting physical and mental health
The assessment also highlighted the practical support residents receive when their health needs change.
CQC found that staff made prompt referrals to a range of health and social care professionals when required. One resident, who receives support with type 2 diabetes, spoke particularly positively about staff accompanying them to medical appointments and tests, saying that this support had made an important difference to their health.
This reflects an important part of the care provided at The Coach House. Supporting someone’s mental health doesn’t happen in isolation from their physical health, everyday routines or wider wellbeing, and the team works with external professionals where additional expertise or treatment is required.
Independence remains an important part of everyday life
While residents at The Coach House require varying levels of support, maintaining independence and having choice over everyday life remains an important part of the service.
CQC found that people were supported to have choice and control and that staff worked in the least restrictive way possible. Residents were able to pursue their own activities, while group activities were also organised throughout the week.
One resident described regularly going shopping and for lunch, alongside enjoying walking and other activities in the community.
The CQC described The Coach House as a “friendly and sociable service“, while inspectors’ own observations found interactions between residents, staff, management and the provider to be positive, cheerful, caring and respectful.
A culture that continues to develop
The assessment also identified areas where further work could strengthen the service.
Inspectors found that some improvements were required to ensure residents’ individual goals and aspirations were fully embedded within their day-to-day care. The report noted that work was already underway to develop this aspect of the service, while residents were fully involved in other areas of reviewing and developing their care.
The CQC also noted that senior managers had identified opportunities to further develop oversight and quality-monitoring processes.
Importantly, inspectors found the provider and senior managers to be accessible, approachable and committed to a learning culture, with staff demonstrating accountability for driving improvements within the service.
Emma Blomfield, Registered Manager at Nouvita Healthcare, said:
“We’re incredibly pleased to see The Coach House retain its Good rating, with all five areas of the service rated Good.
“There are some particularly lovely comments in the report from the people who live at The Coach House, and I think those say a great deal about the relationships the team has built with residents. Knowing that people feel happy here, trust the staff supporting them and feel involved in their own care is something we’re very proud of.
“It was equally encouraging to see the CQC recognise the team’s work around safety, independence and partnership with other health and social care professionals.
“The report has also given us areas where we can continue developing, and that’s important. A Good rating doesn’t mean standing still. We’ll continue listening to residents, learning and looking at how we can make the service even better.”
About The Coach House
The Coach House is part of Nouvita Healthcare’s network of specialist mental health and social care services and is located in Hatfield, Hertfordshire.
The residential service provides 24-hour support within a small, community-based environment, helping residents maintain their mental and physical health while developing the skills, confidence and independence appropriate to their individual circumstances.
Its location alongside Howe Dell Manor brings two separately registered Nouvita services together on the same site, providing different levels of specialist support for people living with mental health needs.
The latest CQC assessment confirms The Coach House as Good overall, with individual Good ratings for Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led.
Read the full CQC assessment of The Coach House
Learn more about The Coach House