Ridgway Court

What families say

The atmosphere here strikes visitors immediately — staff are consistently friendly and welcoming, creating an environment where genuine affection flows both ways. People have observed how residents and staff share real warmth with each other, the kind of connection that makes daily life feel more comfortable and less institutional.

Based on 2 Google reviews · 0 reviews on carehome.co.uk · most recent 2026-04-10

The eight family priority themes

• Staff warmth55
• Compassion & dignity55
• Cleanliness55
• Activities & engagement50
• Food quality50
• Healthcare50
• Management & leadership55
• Resident happiness55

What inspectors found

Inspected 2017-12-15 · Report published 2017-12-15

• Is this home safe?

  Good

  {"found":"The home received a Good rating for safety at its most recent inspection in December 2017. This indicates that inspectors were satisfied with safeguarding arrangements, medicines management, and staffing levels at that time. Because the full inspection text was not available, we cannot confirm specific observations about falls management, infection control practice, or night staffing ratios. The home is registered to support people living with dementia and physical disabilities, which means safe moving and handling, and consistent staffing, are particularly important. The age of the inspection means this rating should be treated as a starting point for your own enquiries rather than a current guarantee.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good safety rating is the minimum you should expect for any home you consider for your parent. For a small home of 16 beds, the staffing ratios at night are critical u2014 there may be only one or two members of staff on duty after 8pm, which is very different from the daytime picture. Our family review data shows that consistent, familiar staff u2014 not agency cover u2014 is one of the strongest predictors of feeling safe about a parent's care. Good Practice research consistently finds that night hours are where safety incidents are most likely to occur, and that homes relying heavily on agency staff have less consistent risk awareness. Ask specifically about overnight cover before you decide.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research and Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review (2026) found that night staffing levels and agency staff reliance are among the strongest predictors of safety risk in care homes u2014 a finding that is especially relevant for small homes where one staff member may be responsible for the whole building overnight.","watch_out":"Ask the home: 'How many staff are on duty between 10pm and 6am, and are they permanent employees or agency workers?' If the answer includes regular agency use or a single waking member of staff for all 16 residents, probe further about how emergencies are managed."}

  Verified by inspectorMentioned, not assessed

• Is the care effective?

  Good

  {"found":"The Effective domain was rated Good at the December 2017 inspection, suggesting inspectors were satisfied with training, care planning, and healthcare arrangements. The home supports people living with dementia and physical disabilities, so dementia-specific training and access to specialist healthcare input are particularly relevant. Without the full inspection text, we cannot confirm what training was in place, how regularly care plans were reviewed, or how GP and specialist access was managed. A Good in this domain is a reasonable baseline, but seven years is a long time u2014 staff teams, training programmes, and care planning systems may all have changed.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"For your parent living with dementia, 'effective' means that the people caring for them genuinely understand how dementia affects communication, behaviour, and physical health u2014 not just that paperwork is in order. Our family review data shows that dementia-specific knowledge (cited by 12.7% of positive reviews) makes a tangible difference to daily life. The Good Practice evidence base is clear that care plans should be living documents, updated as your parent's needs change and informed by what you know about their life history, preferences, and communication style. Ask whether you would be invited to contribute to care plan reviews and how often those reviews happen.","evidence_base":"The 2026 rapid evidence review found that care plans which incorporate detailed life history and are reviewed regularly with family involvement are associated with significantly better outcomes for people living with dementia, particularly in managing distress and supporting meaningful daily routines.","watch_out":"Ask: 'Can I see a sample of how you record a resident's personal history and preferences, and how often is that information formally reviewed?' Look for whether the answer mentions family involvement and a named key worker."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is this home caring?

  Good

  {"found":"The Caring domain received a Good rating at the most recent inspection, indicating that inspectors were broadly satisfied with how staff treated residents at that time. A home of 16 beds has the potential to offer very personal, unhurried care where staff genuinely know each resident as an individual. Without the inspection text, we cannot confirm specific observations about how staff spoke to residents, responded to distress, or respected privacy during personal care. For people living with dementia, the quality of individual interactions u2014 tone of voice, physical proximity, use of a person's preferred name u2014 matters enormously and cannot be inferred from a rating alone.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Staff warmth is the single most important theme in our family review data, cited as the decisive factor in 57.3% of positive reviews. Compassion and dignity follow close behind at 55.2%. What families consistently tell us is that they can feel within minutes of a visit whether the atmosphere is warm or merely professional. Good Practice research shows that for people living with dementia, non-verbal communication u2014 touch, eye contact, a calm tone u2014 is often more meaningful than words. On a visit, watch how a member of staff greets your parent if they pass in a corridor, or how they respond if a resident appears confused or upset. That moment tells you more than any brochure.","evidence_base":"The 2026 evidence review found that person-centred care u2014 defined as knowing the individual's life history, preferences, and communication style u2014 consistently reduces distress behaviours and improves wellbeing in people living with dementia, and that this cannot be achieved without low staff turnover and strong team culture.","watch_out":"On your visit, notice whether staff use your parent's preferred name and make eye contact when speaking to residents. Ask the home: 'How do you find out what name a new resident likes to be called, and how do you make sure all staff u2014 including those on nights and at weekends u2014 know that?'"}

  Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded

• Is the home responsive?

  Good

  {"found":"The Responsive domain was rated Good at the December 2017 inspection, suggesting inspectors found the home was meeting individual needs and providing meaningful activities. A small 16-bed home can, in principle, offer highly tailored daily life u2014 but this depends entirely on staffing levels, the skills of the activities lead, and the culture of the home. Without the inspection text, we cannot confirm what activities were available, whether they were adapted for people living with advanced dementia, or how the home supported residents who could not join group activities. End-of-life planning u2014 a key marker of responsiveness u2014 also cannot be confirmed.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Resident happiness is the third-highest theme in our family review data, cited in 27.1% of positive reviews. For your parent living with dementia, 'having a life' does not necessarily mean a packed activity schedule u2014 it means moments of genuine engagement, connection, and enjoyment that are tailored to who they are. Good Practice research is clear that group activities alone are not enough; people with more advanced dementia need one-to-one engagement, and activities rooted in familiar household tasks or personal interests can be more meaningful than organised entertainment. Ask specifically what happens on a day when your parent does not want to join the group.","evidence_base":"The 2026 rapid evidence review highlighted strong evidence for Montessori-based and household-task approaches to activity in dementia care, noting that familiar, purposeful activities u2014 folding laundry, tending plants, sorting objects u2014 produce better engagement and wellbeing than passive entertainment for people at all stages of dementia.","watch_out":"Ask: 'What would a typical Tuesday look like for my parent if they didn't want to join a group activity u2014 who would spend time with them one-to-one, and what would that look like?' If the answer is vague, ask whether there is a named activities lead and what their hours are."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is the home well-led?

  Good

  {"found":"The Well-Led domain received a Good rating at the December 2017 inspection, indicating that leadership and governance were satisfactory at that time. For a small 16-bed home, leadership is often concentrated in one or two people u2014 typically the registered manager u2014 which makes management stability particularly important. If the manager who was in post in December 2017 has since left, the culture and quality of the home may have changed significantly. Without the inspection text, we cannot confirm the manager's tenure, staff turnover rates, or the quality of the home's systems for learning from incidents and acting on feedback.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Management quality matters to families in 23.4% of our positive family reviews u2014 and what families most want is a manager who is visible, responsive, and honest when things go wrong. Good Practice research consistently finds that leadership stability is one of the strongest predictors of quality trajectory: homes with a stable, experienced manager tend to improve or maintain their ratings, while management instability often precedes a decline. Our family review data also shows that communication with families u2014 knowing who to call, feeling that concerns are taken seriously u2014 is a key marker of good leadership. Ask directly how long the current manager has been in post.","evidence_base":"The 2026 evidence review found that bottom-up staff empowerment u2014 where frontline care workers feel able to raise concerns and are listened to by management u2014 is a stronger predictor of sustainable quality than top-down governance systems alone, and that this culture is set by the registered manager.","watch_out":"Ask the home directly: 'How long has the current registered manager been in post, and has there been any change in senior leadership in the past two years?' Also ask: 'If I had a concern about my parent's care, what would happen u2014 who would I speak to, and how quickly would I hear back?'"}

  Verified by inspector

Source: CQC inspection report →

What the evidence base says

Against the DCC Good Practice in Dementia Care standards, this home’s evidence aligns most strongly on The home provides specialist care for people over 65, with particular expertise in supporting those living with dementia and physical disabilities.. Gaps or open questions remain on For those living with dementia, the team works to ensure everyone can take part in activities where possible, helping maintain connections and engagement throughout their journey. — areas worth probing directly during a visit.