Kirkella Mansions

What families say

People talk about bright rooms that catch the morning sun and views of gardens that bring a bit of the outside world in. The atmosphere feels settled and calm, with staff who seem to genuinely notice what each resident needs. There's music and singing for those who want to join in, creating gentle moments of connection even when mobility becomes difficult.

Based on 4 Google reviews · 0 reviews on carehome.co.uk · most recent 2026-04-10

The eight family priority themes

• Staff warmth72
• Compassion & dignity72
• Cleanliness72
• Activities & engagement65
• Food quality65
• Healthcare68
• Management & leadership70
• Resident happiness70

What inspectors found

Inspected 2019-10-10 · Report published 2019-10-10 · Inspected 4 times in the last three years

• Is this home safe?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"The inspection rated this domain Good at the October 2024 assessment, recovering from a previous Requires Improvement overall rating. Inspectors will have examined staffing levels, medicines management, infection control, and the physical safety of the environment. No specific findings, observations, or concerns are detailed in the published summary. The home is registered for 25 beds and supports people living with dementia, which requires particular attention to safe environments and consistent staffing. A Good rating in Safe means inspectors were satisfied with what they found on the day.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good rating in Safe is reassuring, but our family review data shows that 14% of families specifically highlight staff attentiveness as a key concern u2014 and attentiveness is hardest to assess from a rating alone. Good Practice research is clear that safety risks in care homes most often emerge at night and during staff changeovers, when permanent staff are replaced by agency workers who don't know your parent's routines or triggers. Because the published report doesn't detail night staffing numbers or agency usage at Kirkella Mansions, you'll need to ask directly. If your parent has dementia, ask what happens if they become distressed at 2am u2014 who responds, and do they know your parent well enough to help?","evidence_base":"The IFF Research and Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review found that consistent staffing u2014 the same faces, day after day u2014 is one of the strongest predictors of safety for people with dementia. Agency reliance, even occasional, disrupts the familiarity that reduces anxiety and risk.","watch_out":"Ask the home directly: 'How many permanent, named staff are on the dementia unit after 8pm on a typical weeknight, and how often do you use agency staff to cover nights?' Then ask to see the agency usage log from the past three months."}

  Verified by inspectorMentioned, not assessed

• Is the care effective?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"The Effective domain was rated Good at the October 2024 inspection. This domain covers whether staff have the right training, whether care plans are personalised and up to date, whether healthcare professionals are accessed promptly, and whether food meets residents' nutritional and dietary needs. No specific findings about dementia training content, care plan review frequency, GP access arrangements, or food quality are published in the summary. A Good rating indicates inspectors found acceptable standards across these areas at the time of the visit.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"For a home that lists dementia as a specialism, the Effective domain is where the real work happens u2014 and where gaps can stay hidden from ratings. Our family review data shows food quality (20.9% weight) and dementia-specific care (12.7%) are among the most frequently mentioned themes in family reviews. Good Practice evidence tells us that care plans should be treated as living documents, updated whenever your parent's condition or preferences change, not just reviewed annually. Ask to see your parent's draft care plan before they move in u2014 not just whether one exists, but whether it describes your parent as an individual: their preferred name, what comforts them, what frightens them, what they used to love doing.","evidence_base":"The Leeds Beckett evidence review found that dementia training quality varies enormously across care homes, even where inspection ratings are equivalent. Training that includes communication with people who have advanced dementia u2014 not just awareness u2014 produces measurably better outcomes for residents.","watch_out":"Ask: 'Can you show me an example of how a care plan is updated when a resident's needs change u2014 and how do families get involved in that review?' Then ask what specific dementia training staff have completed in the last 12 months and who provided it."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is this home caring?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"The Caring domain was rated Good at the October 2024 inspection. This domain assesses whether staff treat residents with kindness and respect, whether privacy and dignity are upheld, and whether residents are supported to maintain their independence. No direct quotes from residents, relatives, or staff u2014 and no specific observations of staff interactions u2014 are published in the summary. A Good rating in Caring is among the most subjective domains and depends heavily on what inspectors observed during their visit.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Staff warmth and compassion together account for over 112 percentage points of weighting in our family review data u2014 by far the most important themes to families choosing a home for a parent. The challenge is that warmth cannot be inspected from a checklist; it shows in the moments between tasks. Good Practice research tells us that non-verbal communication u2014 eye contact, a hand on the shoulder, using your parent's preferred name u2014 matters as much as spoken words, especially for someone with advanced dementia who may have lost language. When you visit Kirkella Mansions, don't just watch the formal interactions. Watch what happens when a member of staff passes your parent in the corridor. Do they stop? Do they make eye contact? Do they use their name?","evidence_base":"The IFF Research rapid evidence review found that person-led care u2014 where staff know and respond to an individual's history, preferences, and non-verbal cues u2014 significantly reduces agitation and distress in people with dementia, independent of the physical care environment.","watch_out":"When you visit, ask a staff member what your parent's preferred name is, and what they know about their life before care. If the answer is vague or generic, that tells you something important about how 'known' your parent will feel there."}

  Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded

• Is the home responsive?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"The Responsive domain was rated Good at the October 2024 inspection. This domain covers whether the home provides meaningful, varied activities tailored to individuals, whether residents' preferences and life histories inform daily life, and whether end-of-life care is planned and compassionate. No specific information about the activity programme, one-to-one engagement for people who cannot join groups, or end-of-life planning is published in the summary. For a home with a dementia specialism, the responsiveness of daily life to individual needs is a critical quality marker.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Activities engagement carries a 21.4% weight in our family review data, and resident happiness u2014 which activities directly support u2014 carries 27.1%. Good Practice evidence is clear that for people with dementia, group activities alone are insufficient: meaningful one-to-one engagement, including everyday tasks like folding laundry, looking at photographs, or tending plants, provides continuity with a person's earlier life and significantly reduces agitation. If your parent has advanced dementia and cannot participate in a group exercise class or quiz, what does their afternoon look like? That's the question no rating can answer for you u2014 you need to ask it directly and watch what happens during an unannounced visit.","evidence_base":"The Leeds Beckett evidence review found that Montessori-based and activity-based approaches u2014 particularly those incorporating familiar household tasks u2014 produce measurable reductions in behavioural symptoms of dementia and improvements in self-reported wellbeing, where residents retain capacity to express this.","watch_out":"Ask: 'If my parent can't join a group activity u2014 because they're tired, or anxious, or their dementia has progressed u2014 what would a member of staff do with them one-to-one on a Tuesday afternoon?' Then ask to see the actual activity records from the past four weeks, not just the planned schedule."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is the home well-led?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"The Well-led domain was rated Good at the October 2024 inspection, representing a recovery from the home's previous Requires Improvement overall rating. The home has two registered managers u2014 Miss Georgia Florence May Dixon-Hall and Mr Jeffrey Anthony Donnelly u2014 alongside a Nominated Individual, Mrs Rebbecca Fadairo, representing the provider Donnelly Care Homes Ltd. A Good rating in Well-led indicates inspectors were satisfied with governance, culture, and leadership at the time of the visit. No specific detail about manager tenure, staff culture, or how the home responded to the previous Requires Improvement rating is published.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Management and leadership carries a 23.4% weight in our family review data, and Good Practice research is consistent: leadership stability is one of the strongest predictors of sustained care quality. The fact that this home has recovered from a Requires Improvement rating is genuinely encouraging u2014 it suggests the leadership team identified problems and addressed them. However, with two registered managers listed, it's worth asking which manager is present day-to-day and how long they have been in post. Communication with families (11.5% weight in our data) is also a Well-led indicator: ask how the home would contact you if your parent had a fall, a health change, or a difficult day.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research evidence review found that care homes where frontline staff feel empowered to raise concerns without fear u2014 a marker of good leadership culture u2014 have consistently better outcomes for residents than those where staff report top-down pressure to present positively.","watch_out":"Ask both registered managers: 'What was the main thing that needed to improve after the previous inspection, and how do you know it has been sustained?' Also ask: 'If my parent had a difficult night, how would you let me know, and by what time the next morning?'"}

  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 cares for people over 65, including those living with dementia. They have experience supporting residents through serious health conditions and end-of-life care.. Gaps or open questions remain on While the home accepts residents with dementia, families particularly praise how staff support people through the later stages of illness with patience and understanding. — areas worth probing directly during a visit.