Holly Tree Lodge

What families say

Families visiting Holly Tree Lodge often comment on how helpful and personable the carers are in their daily interactions. The staff create an atmosphere where residents appear content and settled. The food gets regular compliments from visitors too, which helps make mealtimes something to look forward to.

Based on 9 Google reviews · 0 reviews on carehome.co.uk · most recent 2026-04-10

The eight family priority themes

• Staff warmth85
• Compassion & dignity92
• Cleanliness70
• Activities & engagement70
• Food quality65
• Healthcare70
• Management & leadership75
• Resident happiness75

What inspectors found

Inspected 2019-11-21 · Report published 2019-11-21 · Inspected 7 times in the last three years

• Is this home safe?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"Safe was rated Good at the August 2025 inspection. This means inspectors were satisfied that people were protected from avoidable harm and that the home managed risks appropriately. The published report does not include specific observations about staffing ratios, medicines management, or infection control practices, so it is not possible to go into further detail here. The home is a nursing home, meaning there is qualified nursing staff on site, which is relevant to how clinical risks are managed.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good Safety rating tells you that inspectors found no significant concerns about how your parent would be kept safe. However, Good Practice research consistently shows that safety is most likely to slip at night and during periods of high agency staff use, and the published report does not address either of these directly. The inspection also improved from a previous Requires Improvement rating, which means the home has had to actively address earlier concerns. It would be reasonable to ask what specifically changed since the last inspection and how those improvements are being maintained. Checking night staffing numbers is one of the most practical things you can do before making a decision.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research and Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review found that night staffing is the point at which safety most commonly deteriorates in care homes, and that reliance on agency staff undermines the consistency of safe care because agency workers are less likely to know individual residents and their risk profiles.","watch_out":"Ask the manager to show you last week's actual staffing rota, not a template, and count how many permanent staff versus agency names appear on the night shifts. Also ask what the minimum staffing level is overnight and who is responsible for clinical decisions if a resident deteriorates."}

  Verified by inspectorMentioned, not assessed

• Is the care effective?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"Effective was rated Good at the August 2025 inspection. This covers training, care planning, nutrition, and healthcare access. The home specialises in dementia and EMI care, and a Good Effective rating means inspectors were satisfied that staff had the knowledge and skills to meet the needs of this group. The published report does not include specific detail about dementia training content, care plan quality, or food provision beyond the domain rating itself.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"For your parent, a Good Effective rating means the home passed the basic bar on training and care planning. The Good Practice evidence base, drawn from 61 studies, emphasises that dementia training must go beyond basic awareness to include communication techniques, understanding behaviour as communication, and adapting care to the individual. It is worth asking specifically what dementia training staff receive and how often it is refreshed. Food quality is one of the themes families mention most in our review data (20.9% of themes), and it is not addressed in specific terms here, so tasting the food on a visit and observing mealtimes is important.","evidence_base":"The Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review found that care plans function best as living documents, reviewed regularly with family involvement, rather than as administrative records completed at admission and rarely revisited. Homes that involve families in care plan reviews produce measurably better outcomes for people with dementia.","watch_out":"Ask to see a sample care plan (anonymised if necessary) and check whether it includes the person's life history, preferred routines, food preferences, and how they communicate distress. Then ask when it was last updated and whether the family was involved in that review."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is this home caring?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"Caring was rated Outstanding at the August 2025 inspection. This is the highest possible rating and is awarded only when inspectors find clear, specific evidence of exceptional practice in dignity, respect, compassion, and person-led care. The published report does not reproduce the detailed observations that would have supported this rating, but the judgement itself is significant. Outstanding in Caring is awarded to a small minority of care homes inspected each year.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Staff warmth is the single biggest driver of family satisfaction in our review data, mentioned in 57.3% of positive reviews, and compassion and dignity account for a further 55.2%. An Outstanding Caring rating means inspectors found evidence of exactly these qualities, not just adequate care but genuinely kind, respectful, and individual attention. For your parent, this matters most in the small moments: whether staff knock before entering a room, use the name your parent prefers, sit down to speak at eye level, and respond calmly when someone becomes distressed. The Good Practice evidence base confirms that non-verbal communication is as important as spoken interaction for people with dementia, and that staff who know the person as an individual (their history, preferences, and personality) provide measurably better care. On a visit, trust what you observe in those everyday interactions more than any document.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research and Leeds Beckett review found that person-led care, where staff know and respond to the individual rather than applying standard routines, is the strongest predictor of wellbeing for people with dementia. This requires both a stable staff team and a culture in which knowing residents as individuals is genuinely valued.","watch_out":"During your visit, notice whether staff address your parent (or current residents you encounter) by their preferred name without prompting, and whether conversations feel unhurried. If you see a member of staff pass a resident who appears distressed or confused, observe whether they stop and respond or continue walking. These unscripted moments tell you more than any prepared tour."}

  Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded

• Is the home responsive?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"Responsive was rated Good at the August 2025 inspection. This domain covers how well the home tailors its care and activities to individual needs, responds to complaints, and plans for end of life. The home is registered to care for both adults over and under 65 with dementia and mental health conditions, which requires a degree of flexibility in how activities and daily life are structured. The published report does not include specific detail about the activity programme or how the home supports people with advanced dementia to stay engaged.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"For your parent, Responsive is the domain that most directly addresses whether they will have a life here, not just a safe place to live. Our family review data shows that activities and engagement are referenced in 21.4% of positive reviews, and resident happiness in 27.1%. A Good rating means the inspection found this to be adequate, but the detail is not published. The Good Practice evidence base is clear that for people with advanced dementia, one-to-one engagement and activities rooted in their personal history (familiar household tasks, music from their era, sensory experiences) are far more meaningful than group sessions alone. Ask specifically how the home supports people who cannot participate in group activities.","evidence_base":"The Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review found that Montessori-based and life-history approaches to activity, including familiar domestic tasks and individually meaningful occupations, produce significantly better engagement and wellbeing outcomes for people with dementia than programme-led group activities.","watch_out":"Ask the activity coordinator (or whoever holds this role) to describe a typical Tuesday for a resident with moderate dementia who does not enjoy group sessions. If the answer focuses only on scheduled group activities, ask what happens between sessions and how staff provide one-to-one engagement during quieter periods."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is the home well-led?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"Well-led was rated Good at the August 2025 inspection. The home has a named registered manager (Mrs Katarzyna Szatowska) and a nominated individual (Mr Andrew Savage) responsible for oversight. This is an improvement from the previous Requires Improvement rating, which suggests that leadership has strengthened since the last inspection. The published report does not detail what specifically changed, how the manager is visible to staff and residents, or how the home responds to feedback and complaints.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Management quality and communication with families account for 23.4% and 11.5% of positive family review themes respectively in our data. A Good Well-led rating tells you the governance structure was working at the time of inspection, but it does not tell you how long the current manager has been in post or how stable the leadership team is. The Good Practice evidence base is clear that leadership stability is one of the strongest predictors of sustained care quality, and that homes with high manager turnover tend to see quality fluctuate. Given the home's history of Requires Improvement, it is reasonable to ask how long the current manager has been in post and what specifically changed to achieve the improvement.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research and Leeds Beckett review found that leadership stability is among the strongest predictors of sustained care quality, and that homes where staff feel able to raise concerns without fear of reprisal show consistently better safety and wellbeing outcomes.","watch_out":"Ask the manager directly how long they have been in post, what the main changes were since the previous Requires Improvement rating, and how families can raise a concern if they are worried about their parent's care. A manager who answers these questions specifically and confidently, rather than in general terms, is a good sign."}

  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 Holly Tree Lodge supports people over 65 as well as younger adults living with dementia and mental health conditions. The home focuses on EMI (Elderly Mentally Infirm) care, providing specialist support for those whose dementia affects their behaviour and emotional wellbeing.. Gaps or open questions remain on The team works with residents whose dementia creates challenging situations, though families have noticed variation in how different staff members respond to these moments. While many carers show real compassion, maintaining this consistency across all shifts remains an ongoing focus. — areas worth probing directly during a visit.