Wishmoor

What families say

Based on 6 Google reviews · 0 reviews on carehome.co.uk · most recent 2026-04-10

The eight family priority themes

• Staff warmth72
• Compassion & dignity72
• Cleanliness70
• Activities & engagement60
• Food quality60
• Healthcare65
• Management & leadership75
• Resident happiness70

What inspectors found

Inspected 2023-12-20 · Report published 2023-12-20 · Inspected 3 times in the last three years

• Is this home safe?

  Good

  {"found":"The inspection rated this domain Good, representing an improvement from the previous Requires Improvement judgement. The published report does not set out specific detail on staffing numbers, falls management, or medicines administration beyond the overall rating. A named registered manager, Miss Tania Estelle Edwards, is in post, which provides a point of accountability. The improvement from the previous rating suggests that safety concerns identified earlier have been addressed, though the published text does not describe what those concerns were or how they were resolved.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"An improvement in the Safe domain from Requires Improvement to Good is genuinely significant. It means inspectors found the home had addressed whatever shortcomings were previously identified, though the published findings do not spell out the detail. Our Good Practice evidence base highlights that night staffing is the point where safety most commonly slips in smaller residential homes, and with 28 beds this is a particularly important question. The published report does not confirm night staffing numbers, so this is something you will need to ask about directly rather than take on trust.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research and Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review found that agency staff reliance and inconsistent night cover are among the strongest predictors of safety incidents in small residential care homes. A stable, named manager is a protective factor.","watch_out":"Ask to see the actual staffing rota for the past two weeks, not the planned template. Count how many permanent staff are on the night shift and whether any agency cover has been used, particularly on the dementia unit."}

  Verified by inspectorMentioned, not assessed

• Is the care effective?

  Good

  {"found":"The Effective domain was rated Good. The published inspection text does not provide specific detail on care plan content, GP access arrangements, dementia training, or food quality beyond the overall domain rating. The home supports people living with dementia as well as those with physical disabilities, which requires staff to hold a range of relevant skills and knowledge. The Good rating indicates inspectors were satisfied with the home's effectiveness, but the specifics of what was observed are not set out in the available text.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"For a home that supports people with dementia, the Effective domain matters enormously. Our Good Practice evidence base, drawing on 61 studies, identifies care plans as living documents that should be reviewed at least monthly and updated after any significant change in health or behaviour. It also highlights that dementia-specific training, not just general care training, makes a measurable difference to how staff respond to distress and communicate with people who have limited verbal ability. The published report does not confirm whether either of these standards is met here, so these are direct questions to put to the manager.","evidence_base":"The Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review found that regular, person-centred care plan review, combined with dementia-specific training for all staff including night and domestic staff, is one of the strongest predictors of positive outcomes for people living with dementia in residential settings.","watch_out":"Ask the manager: when was my parent's care plan last reviewed, and can I see how it reflects their personal history, preferences, and communication needs? Also ask what dementia training staff have completed and how recently."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is this home caring?

  Good

  {"found":"The Caring domain was rated Good. Staff warmth and compassion are the themes families weight most heavily in our review data, with 57.3% of positive reviews mentioning warm and welcoming staff by name. The published inspection text does not include specific inspector observations of staff interactions, resident testimony about how they feel treated, or descriptions of how dignity is maintained in day-to-day care. A Good rating indicates inspectors were satisfied, but without specific observations it is not possible to describe what that looked like in practice.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Staff warmth is the single biggest driver of family satisfaction in our review data, cited in 57.3% of positive reviews. Compassion and dignity follow closely, at 55.2%. When these themes are strong, families report feeling reassured even during difficult periods of a parent's illness. Because the published report does not include specific observations of staff behaviour, you should treat a visit as your primary source of evidence here. Watch how staff speak to residents in corridors and communal areas, whether they knock before entering rooms, and whether interactions feel unhurried.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence base highlights that non-verbal communication, including eye contact, unhurried pace, and physical proximity, matters as much as spoken words for people living with dementia who have limited verbal ability. These qualities are observable on a visit even when a parent cannot report them directly.","watch_out":"During your visit, spend time in a communal area and watch how staff approach residents who are not speaking or who appear unsettled. Do staff crouch to eye level, speak calmly, and use the person's preferred name? This is the single most telling thing you can observe."}

  Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded

• Is the home responsive?

  Good

  {"found":"The Responsive domain was rated Good. The home supports people with dementia and physical disabilities, both of which require individually tailored activity and engagement rather than a one-size approach. The published inspection text does not describe the activity programme, confirm whether one-to-one engagement is available for people who cannot join group sessions, or reference how individual preferences are recorded and acted upon. The Good rating indicates inspectors were satisfied with the home's responsiveness to individual needs.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Resident happiness, which includes whether your parent is engaged, settled, and has things to look forward to, is cited in 27.1% of positive family reviews. Our Good Practice evidence base emphasises that group activities alone are not sufficient for people with advanced dementia, who need one-to-one engagement rooted in their personal history, including household tasks, music from their era, or familiar objects. The published report does not confirm whether this level of tailoring is in place at Wishmoor. Activities engagement scores lower here not because there is evidence of a problem, but because there is simply not enough detail in the published findings to judge.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research and Leeds Beckett review found that Montessori-based and individually tailored activity approaches, particularly those incorporating familiar everyday tasks, significantly reduce agitation and improve wellbeing for people with moderate to advanced dementia compared with group-only or passive activity programmes.","watch_out":"Ask the activities coordinator to describe a typical week for a resident who has dementia and cannot easily join group sessions. What would happen on a day when they are unsettled and cannot leave their room? Is there a named person responsible for one-to-one engagement, and how many hours per week is that resourced?"}

  Verified by inspector

• Is the home well-led?

  Good

  {"found":"The Well-led domain was rated Good, and the overall improvement from Requires Improvement to Good across all domains is itself a strong signal of active and effective leadership. A named registered manager, Miss Tania Estelle Edwards, and a nominated individual, Mrs Priya Modhvadia Ellson, are both recorded, indicating a clear leadership structure. The published inspection text does not describe the manager's tenure, visibility on the floor, how staff are supported, or how the home learns from incidents. The improvement trend is the most meaningful piece of evidence available from the published report.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Management stability is one of the strongest predictors of care quality over time, according to the Good Practice evidence base. A home that has improved from Requires Improvement to Good has demonstrated that its leadership can identify problems and change. That matters. However, 23.4% of positive family reviews specifically mention visible, approachable management, and it is worth testing this for yourself. A manager who knows residents by name, is present on the floor, and can answer your questions without hesitation or deflection is a strong positive signal. The published report does not confirm this level of visibility, so your visit is your evidence.","evidence_base":"The Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review identified leadership stability and a culture where staff feel able to raise concerns without fear as the two factors most strongly associated with sustained quality improvement in care homes that have previously received a lower rating.","watch_out":"Ask the manager directly: how long have you been in post, and what was the single biggest change you made after the previous inspection? A confident, specific answer suggests genuine ownership of the improvement. A vague or deflecting answer is worth noting."}

  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 team at Wishmoor supports residents with various needs, including dementia care and physical disabilities. They also provide care for adults under 65 who need residential support.. Gaps or open questions remain on Wishmoor's team has experience supporting residents living with dementia. They work to create an environment that helps residents feel secure and comfortable. — areas worth probing directly during a visit.