Premier Care Homes
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 beds88
- SpecialismsCaring for adults over 65 yrs, Caring for adults under 65 yrs, Dementia
- Last inspected2022-11-11
- Activities programmeThe home maintains genuinely clean conditions throughout — families mention spotless rooms, well-kept corridors, and communal spaces that feel fresh and cared for. While one family mentioned enjoying the food, most focus instead on the broader environment of cleanliness and order that helps residents feel settled.
- 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
What strikes families is how staff create real connections during difficult times. They've been known to arrange for relatives to stay overnight when needed, and to find small but meaningful ways to bring comfort during a resident's final days. The atmosphere feels purposeful rather than institutional, with regular activities and celebrations that encourage everyone to participate at their own pace.
Based on 14 Google reviews · 0 reviews on carehome.co.uk · most recent 2026-04-10
The eight family priority themes
- Staff warmth72
- Compassion & dignity72
- Cleanliness70
- Activities & engagement65
- Food quality65
- Healthcare70
- Management & leadership75
- Resident happiness70
What inspectors found
Inspected 2022-11-11 · Report published 2022-11-11 · Inspected 3 times in the last three years
Is this home safe?
{"found":"The Safe domain was rated Good at the September 2022 inspection, representing an improvement from the previous rating of Requires Improvement. This suggests inspectors were satisfied with how the home manages risk, staffing, medicines, and infection control at the time of the visit. The home supports up to 88 people, including those with dementia, which means safe systems for medicines management and falls prevention are particularly important. No specific observations, figures, or examples appear in the published report text for this domain.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good Safe rating after a previous Requires Improvement is encouraging and suggests the home has addressed whatever concerns were identified before. However, good practice research consistently shows that safety is most at risk during night shifts and at times of high agency staff use, and the published report does not tell us anything about either. Cleanliness, which 24.3% of positive family reviews specifically mention, is also covered under Safe, but again there are no observations to point to. Until you visit and ask directly, treat the Good rating as a confirmed floor, not a ceiling.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research and Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review found that night staffing ratios are one of the most consistent predictors of safety outcomes in care homes, and that homes with high or inconsistent agency use tend to show poorer continuity in safety-critical tasks such as falls monitoring and medicines administration.","watch_out":"Ask the manager to show you the actual staffing rota for last week, not a template. Count how many shifts on the dementia unit were covered by permanent staff versus agency, particularly on nights. If they cannot produce the rota quickly, that is itself worth noting."}
Is the care effective?
{"found":"The Effective domain was rated Good at the September 2022 inspection. This domain covers whether staff have the right skills and training, whether care plans are detailed and kept up to date, how the home coordinates healthcare including GP and specialist access, and whether food and nutrition meet individual needs. Dementia is a listed specialism, which means training in dementia care should be in place. The published report does not include specific detail on any of these areas.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"For families choosing a home for a parent with dementia, the Effective domain matters enormously. The Good Practice evidence base found across 61 studies that care plans which are regularly reviewed and genuinely reflect the person's history, preferences, and daily routines lead to measurably better outcomes. A Good rating here is reassuring, but without knowing how often plans are reviewed or whether families are included in that process, you cannot assess this from the published report alone. Food quality is also part of this domain and 20.9% of positive family reviews cite it specifically, so asking to stay for a meal on a visit is entirely reasonable.","evidence_base":"The Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review identified care plans as living documents whose quality depends on how regularly they are updated and how much they reflect the individual's own voice and history, not just clinical need. Homes where families contribute to plan reviews consistently show higher satisfaction scores.","watch_out":"Ask to read a sample care plan (with names removed if needed) and check whether it describes your parent as a person, including what they enjoy, what upsets them, their preferred name, and their daily routines, rather than simply listing medical conditions and medication."}
Is this home caring?
{"found":"The Caring domain was rated Good at the September 2022 inspection. This domain covers whether staff are kind and respectful, whether the people who live here are treated with dignity, whether privacy is protected, and whether independence is supported wherever possible. A Good rating in this domain is the one families tend to feel most directly when they visit. No specific inspector observations, resident quotes, or family testimony were published in the available report text.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Staff warmth is the single biggest driver of family satisfaction in the DCC review data, cited in 57.3% of positive reviews, and genuine compassion and dignity follow closely at 55.2%. When inspectors rate Caring as Good, it means they saw enough evidence on the day to be satisfied. What it cannot tell you is whether that warmth is consistent across all shifts and all staff, or whether it extends to moments when no inspector is present. The Good Practice evidence base also highlights that for people with advanced dementia, non-verbal communication, tone of voice, unhurried pace, and physical comfort matter as much as words.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research review found that for people living with dementia, staff who respond to non-verbal cues and who adjust their pace to the individual produce significantly lower rates of distressed behaviour and higher observed wellbeing, regardless of the physical environment.","watch_out":"Arrive unannounced if you can, or at least without giving a specific time. Sit in a communal area for 20 minutes and watch whether staff make eye contact, use the person's preferred name, and move without hurry. A single rushed or dismissive interaction is worth more attention than a polished show round."}
Is the home responsive?
{"found":"The Responsive domain was rated Good at the September 2022 inspection. This domain covers whether the home provides activities and engagement that are meaningful to each individual, whether it responds to complaints and concerns promptly, and whether it plans ahead for end-of-life care. The home lists dementia as a specialism, which means activities should be adapted for people at different stages. No specific examples of activities, individual engagement, or complaint handling appear in the published text.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Activities and engagement are cited in 21.4% of positive family reviews, and resident happiness, which is strongly linked to having a purposeful day, accounts for 27.1%. The Good Practice evidence base is clear that group activities alone are insufficient for people with more advanced dementia, who benefit most from one-to-one engagement and from familiar, everyday tasks that connect to their history. A Good rating confirms the inspection team was satisfied, but it does not tell you whether the activities programme is genuinely tailored or whether your parent, if they cannot join a group, would still have meaningful contact during the day.","evidence_base":"The Leeds Beckett review found that Montessori-based approaches and the incorporation of familiar household tasks into daily routines produce measurable improvements in wellbeing and engagement for people with dementia, particularly those who can no longer participate in formal group activities.","watch_out":"Ask the activities coordinator what they would do specifically for your parent on a Tuesday afternoon if they did not want to join a group session. If the answer is vague or defaults to television, ask whether there is a named staff member responsible for one-to-one time and how many hours per week that covers."}
Is the home well-led?
{"found":"The Well-Led domain was rated Good at the September 2022 inspection, again an improvement from Requires Improvement. The home is run by Premier Care Homes Limited, and the registered manager and nominated individual are the same person, Jon Paul Oates, which points to clear personal accountability. A Good Well-Led rating requires inspectors to be satisfied with governance, oversight, staff culture, and the home's ability to learn from incidents and complaints. No specific examples of leadership practice or governance systems appear in the published report.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Management quality accounts for 23.4% of positive family reviews, and the Good Practice evidence base is consistent that leadership stability is one of the strongest predictors of sustained quality over time. The fact that the same person holds both the registered manager and nominated individual roles can be a sign of strong personal commitment, or it can create a risk if that person leaves. It is worth asking how long the current manager has been in post and what continuity plans exist. Communication with families, cited in 11.5% of positive reviews, is also assessed under Well-Led, and there is no published detail on how the home keeps families informed.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research review found that homes where the registered manager had been in post for more than two years showed consistently better outcomes across safety, caring, and responsiveness domains, and that staff who felt empowered to raise concerns without fear produced fewer safeguarding incidents.","watch_out":"Ask the manager directly how long they have been in post, whether there have been significant staffing changes in the past 12 months, and what the current occupancy level is. Homes that have grown quickly in occupancy after an inspection improvement sometimes show pressure on the systems that earned them the Good rating."}
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 residential care for adults over 65, younger adults with care needs, and people living with dementia. Their approach focuses on maintaining dignity and quality of life at every stage.. Gaps or open questions remain on For residents with dementia, the care extends beyond medical needs to preserving personhood. Staff work to understand each person's history and preferences, creating moments of connection even as cognitive abilities change. — 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
Picktree Court Care Home improved from Requires Improvement to Good across all five domains at its most recent inspection, which is a meaningful and positive step. However, the published inspection text contains very little specific detail, so most scores reflect a confirmed positive direction rather than rich, observed evidence.
Homes in North East typically score 68–82.The three-lens summary
What families tell us
What strikes families is how staff create real connections during difficult times. They've been known to arrange for relatives to stay overnight when needed, and to find small but meaningful ways to bring comfort during a resident's final days. The atmosphere feels purposeful rather than institutional, with regular activities and celebrations that encourage everyone to participate at their own pace.
What inspectors have recorded
Staff here seem to understand that good care means really listening. Families describe a team that responds quickly to concerns and keeps communication open and honest. The admission process receives particular praise for its careful attention to individual needs, though a couple of families have raised questions about admission decisions that seemed unclear to them.
How it sits against good practice
If you're looking for a care home that understands the weight of final goodbyes and the importance of everyday dignity, Picktree Court might offer the compassionate environment your family needs.
Worth a visit
Picktree Court Care Home, on Picktree Lane in Chester le Street, was rated Good at its inspection in September 2022, with Good ratings across all five domains including Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive, and Well-Led. This is a meaningful improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating, and achieving Good across every domain in a single inspection cycle is a positive signal about leadership and direction of travel. The home is registered to care for up to 88 people, including adults living with dementia and adults both over and under 65, and is run by Premier Care Homes Limited with a named registered manager in post. The honest caveat is that the published inspection report contains very limited specific detail. There are no inspector observations, resident quotes, or family testimony available in the published text to confirm what Good looks like in practice at this home. The overall score of 72 reflects the positive rating and improvement trend, but families should treat this as a starting point rather than a complete picture. On your visit, ask to see last week's actual staffing rota, speak to a senior member of staff about how the dementia unit runs at night, and spend time in a communal area to observe how staff interact with the people who live here.
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In Their Own Words
How Premier Care Homes describes itself — collected from its own website. DCC has not edited or independently verified the content in this tab.
Where dignity and genuine care shape every resident's final chapter
Picktree Court Care Home – Expert Care in Chester le Street
Families choosing Picktree Court Care Home in Chester le Street often speak about moments that matter most — those times when compassion counts more than procedures. This home has built its reputation on providing thoughtful end-of-life care that honors both residents and their loved ones. Set in the North East, it specializes in supporting people over 65, those living with dementia, and younger adults who need residential care.
Who they care for
The home provides residential care for adults over 65, younger adults with care needs, and people living with dementia. Their approach focuses on maintaining dignity and quality of life at every stage.
For residents with dementia, the care extends beyond medical needs to preserving personhood. Staff work to understand each person's history and preferences, creating moments of connection even as cognitive abilities change.
Management & ethos
Staff here seem to understand that good care means really listening. Families describe a team that responds quickly to concerns and keeps communication open and honest. The admission process receives particular praise for its careful attention to individual needs, though a couple of families have raised questions about admission decisions that seemed unclear to them.
The home & environment
The home maintains genuinely clean conditions throughout — families mention spotless rooms, well-kept corridors, and communal spaces that feel fresh and cared for. While one family mentioned enjoying the food, most focus instead on the broader environment of cleanliness and order that helps residents feel settled.
“If you're looking for a care home that understands the weight of final goodbyes and the importance of everyday dignity, Picktree Court might offer the compassionate environment your family needs.”
DCC does not edit or curate content in this tab. For independently curated information, see The Evidence and DCC Verdict.
