Florence House Care Home
At a Glance
The information you need to decide whether this home warrants a closer look.
Nursing homes
Staff warmth score
of reviewers answered yes
Good to know
- Registered beds83
- SpecialismsCaring for adults over 65 yrs, Caring for adults under 65 yrs, Dementia, Physical disabilities
- Last inspected2023-04-25
- Visit Website
The Evidence
What the review data, the inspection reports, and the dementia-care evidence base tell us about this home.
What families say
Based on 12 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
- Healthcare55
- Management & leadership65
- Resident happiness55
What inspectors found
Inspected 2023-04-25 · Report published 2023-04-25 · Inspected 6 times in the last three years
Is this home safe?
{"found":"The Safe domain was rated Good at the April 2023 inspection, an improvement from the previous Requires Improvement rating. The published report does not provide specific detail on staffing numbers, agency use, falls management, medicines administration, or infection control practices beyond the headline rating. The home is registered to provide nursing care, which means qualified nurses should be available around the clock, but the inspection text does not confirm this with specific observations or data.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good safety rating after a previous Requires Improvement is reassuring because it suggests real problems were identified and addressed. However, Good Practice research consistently shows that night-time is where safety most often slips in care homes, and agency reliance is one of the biggest predictors of inconsistent care. Because the inspection text gives no specific detail on either of these areas, you cannot rely on the headline rating alone. Ask directly: how many permanent staff are on the dementia unit after 8pm, and how many agency shifts were used in the last month? The answers will tell you more than any published rating.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research and Leeds Beckett University rapid evidence review found that night staffing ratios and agency staff reliance are two of the strongest predictors of safety failures in care homes. A Good rating does not guarantee adequate night cover without specific confirmation.","watch_out":"Ask the manager to show you the actual staffing rota for last week, not a template. Count the number of permanent names versus agency names, and pay particular attention to night shifts across the 83-bed home."}
Is the care effective?
{"found":"The Effective domain was rated Good at the April 2023 inspection. The published report does not include specific detail on care plan quality, GP access arrangements, medicines management, dementia training content, or how food quality and dietary needs are managed. The home lists dementia as a specialism and provides nursing care, both of which set an expectation of clinical competence, but the inspection text does not evidence how that competence is delivered in practice.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Effectiveness in a care home covers everything from whether your parent's care plan is reviewed regularly, to whether staff know how to spot a urinary tract infection early, to whether the food is genuinely appetising and reflects dietary needs. Good Practice research identifies care plans as living documents that should change as the person changes, and regular GP access as a marker of genuine clinical attentiveness. Because the inspection text is silent on all of this, food quality in particular is worth observing directly. Our family review data shows that food quality features in 20.9% of positive reviews, making it one of the clearest everyday indicators of whether a home genuinely cares about quality of life.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence base identifies care plan quality, regular GP access, and dementia-specific training as the three pillars of effective care in homes supporting people with dementia. Generic statements about effectiveness without specific examples are not sufficient evidence that all three are in place.","watch_out":"Ask the manager how often care plans are reviewed, who leads on reviewing them, and whether you would be invited to take part. Then ask to see the menu for this week and, if possible, arrange to visit at lunchtime to observe what is actually served and how choices are offered."}
Is this home caring?
{"found":"The Caring domain was rated Good at the April 2023 inspection. The published report does not include direct quotes from residents or relatives, inspector observations of staff interactions, or specific examples of how dignity and privacy are maintained. The Good rating represents an inspector's overall judgement on this domain, but the absence of specific evidence means there is no detail to share about what kindness looks like day to day in this home.","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 together account for 55.2%. These are not abstract ideals: they show up in specific, observable moments. Does staff knock before entering your parent's room? Do they use your parent's preferred name? Do they sit down to talk rather than rush through tasks? The inspection awarded Good here, but gave no examples to support it. Observe these moments yourself on your visit. A warm care home is immediately recognisable, and the presence or absence of hurry in a corridor tells you a great deal.","evidence_base":"Good Practice research highlights that non-verbal communication matters as much as verbal in dementia care. Staff who move slowly, make eye contact, and use touch appropriately can significantly reduce distress in people who have lost the ability to communicate in words.","watch_out":"When you visit, walk into a communal area unannounced if you can and watch how staff interact with the people who live there. Are they sitting with residents or moving through quickly? Do they use names? Do they respond to a resident who appears unsettled, or continue with their task?"}
Is the home responsive?
{"found":"The Responsive domain was rated Good at the April 2023 inspection. The published report does not include detail on the activities programme, how activities are tailored to individual needs and cognitive ability, how complaints are handled, or how end-of-life care is approached. The home supports a mixed group including people with dementia and physical disabilities, which suggests responsiveness to varied and complex individual needs is required, but the inspection text does not evidence how this is achieved.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Responsiveness is about whether the home treats your parent as an individual rather than as a bed to fill. Our family review data shows that resident happiness and engagement account for 27.1% of positive reviews, and activities account for a further 21.4%. Good Practice research is clear that group activities alone are not sufficient for people with advanced dementia: one-to-one engagement, including familiar everyday tasks, is often what makes the difference between a person who is settled and one who is distressed. Because the inspection text is silent on all of this, ask specifically whether there is a dedicated activities coordinator, what they did yesterday (not what they plan to do in general), and how they support someone who cannot join a group session.","evidence_base":"The Leeds Beckett University evidence review found that Montessori-based and task-based individual activities, such as folding, sorting, or familiar domestic routines, are significantly more effective at reducing agitation in people with advanced dementia than scheduled group sessions alone.","watch_out":"Ask the activities coordinator to describe what they did with a resident who has advanced dementia in the last 48 hours, not a planned activity but something that actually happened. If the answer is vague or defaults to group events only, that is a signal worth taking seriously."}
Is the home well-led?
{"found":"The Well-led domain was rated Good at the April 2023 inspection, improving from Requires Improvement. A registered manager, Mrs Marie Carmelia Larroza Pimentel, is confirmed in post, and a nominated individual, Mr Swarup Singh Khadka, is registered with the regulator. Florence Care Reading Ltd is operated by Jasmine Care Holdings Limited. The inspection text does not provide detail on management visibility, staff culture, governance processes, or how the home involves families in decisions beyond confirming these roles are in place.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Good Practice research consistently shows that leadership stability is one of the strongest predictors of quality trajectory in a care home. A manager who is known by name to residents and staff, and who is visible on the floor rather than office-bound, creates a culture where problems surface quickly and are fixed. The improvement from Requires Improvement to Good across all domains suggests the current leadership has been effective, but the length of the registered manager's tenure at this home is not stated in the inspection text. Management quality in our family review data accounts for 23.4% of satisfaction signals, and communication with families accounts for a further 11.5%. Ask directly how long the manager has been in post, and how the home would contact you if your parent's condition changed.","evidence_base":"Good Practice research identifies manager tenure and staff empowerment as the two leadership factors most strongly associated with sustained quality. Homes where staff feel they can raise concerns without fear tend to catch problems earlier and maintain quality during periods of occupancy growth.","watch_out":"Ask the registered manager how long they have been in post at this home specifically, not with the provider group. Then ask what the biggest challenge the home faced in the last six months was, and what they did about it. A confident, specific answer is a good sign; a vague or deflecting one is not."}
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 specialises in caring for adults both under and over 65 with dementia and physical disabilities. This dual focus means they work with residents at different life stages facing complex health challenges.. Gaps or open questions remain on For residents with dementia, the home works to understand individual needs and build relationships over time. Their approach includes supporting families through end-of-life care. — areas worth probing directly during a visit.
The DCC Verdict
Our editorial view, built from the three lenses: what families tell us, what inspectors record, and how the home sits against good dementia-care practice.
DCC Family Score
Florence Care Reading achieved a Good rating across all five domains at its April 2023 inspection, representing a meaningful improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating. However, the published inspection text provides very limited specific detail, so scores reflect verified improvement and a positive overall picture rather than strong observable evidence across individual themes.
Homes in South East typically score 68–82.Worth a visit
Florence Care Reading, at 16-22 Westcote Road, was rated Good across all five inspection domains at its most recent inspection in April 2023. This is a significant improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating, which suggests the management team identified what needed to change and acted on it. The home provides nursing and personal care for up to 83 people, including those living with dementia and physical disabilities, across a mixed age group. The published inspection text is unusually brief, which means there is very little specific evidence about what daily life actually looks like for your parent. The Good rating is a positive signal, but you should treat this visit as a fact-finding exercise. Ask about night staffing numbers, agency staff usage, how care plans are built around individual preferences, and how the home keeps families informed. Arrive at a mealtime if you can, speak to a member of staff you have not been introduced to, and look at how staff interact with residents in corridors and communal spaces, not just in the show rooms.
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In Their Own Words
How Florence House Care Home describes itself — collected from its own website. DCC has not edited or independently verified the content in this tab.
Specialist dementia support with mixed experiences in Reading
Florence Care Reading Ltd – Expert Care in Reading
Florence Care Reading Ltd offers specialist support for adults with dementia and physical disabilities in Reading. The home provides care for both younger adults under 65 and older residents. While some families have found comfort in difficult times here, others have raised concerns about care standards that potential residents should consider carefully.
Who they care for
The home specialises in caring for adults both under and over 65 with dementia and physical disabilities. This dual focus means they work with residents at different life stages facing complex health challenges.
For residents with dementia, the home works to understand individual needs and build relationships over time. Their approach includes supporting families through end-of-life care.
Management & ethos
The management team shows dedication to understanding individual resident needs, with accounts of persistent efforts to build trust with challenging cases. However, there have been troubling reports of staff treating residents dismissively, and concerns about how safeguarding meetings are handled.
“Given the mixed experiences reported, visiting Florence Care Reading Ltd and asking detailed questions about their care approach would be particularly important.”
DCC does not edit or curate content in this tab. For independently curated information, see The Evidence and DCC Verdict.
