Hempstalls Hall Care Home

What families say

Families talk about the genuine warmth that helps residents settle in, even those who were initially reluctant about the move. There's a real focus on helping people connect with each other — some residents even volunteer as buddies to welcome newcomers. The variety of activities and entertainment seems to spark something in people, with families surprised and delighted to see their relatives joining in and making friends.

Based on 16 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 & leadership60
• Resident happiness55

What inspectors found

Inspected 2019-07-17 · Report published 2019-07-17 · Inspected 1 times in the last three years

• Is this home safe?

  Good

  {"found":"The Safe domain was rated Good at the June 2019 inspection. This covers staffing levels, medicines management, infection control, and how the home responds to incidents and risks. No specific inspector observations, staffing ratios, or details about falls management or medication practices are included in the published text. The home's registration is current and active, with no dormancy recorded.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good Safe rating means inspectors were broadly satisfied that your parent would not be placed at immediate or unmanaged risk. However, the published findings give you very little to go on in practical terms. Good Practice research consistently shows that night staffing is where safety is most likely to slip in care homes, and that over-reliance on agency staff undermines the consistency that people with dementia particularly need. Because the inspection is now over five years old, it is reasonable to ask the home directly what has changed in staffing and incident management since 2019.","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 incidents in care homes. Specific, permanent night cover matters more than overall staffing figures.","watch_out":"Ask the manager to show you the actual staffing rota for last week, not the template. Count permanent staff versus agency names on night shifts, and ask what the ratio is per resident after 10pm."}

  Verified by inspectorMentioned, not assessed

• Is the care effective?

  Good

  {"found":"The Effective domain was rated Good at the June 2019 inspection. This domain covers training, care planning, access to healthcare, and food quality. The home lists dementia as a specialism, which implies relevant training is expected. No specific detail about training content, care plan personalisation, GP access arrangements, or food quality is included in the published text.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good Effective rating suggests inspectors were satisfied that staff broadly knew what they were doing. For a home with a dementia specialism, what this should mean in practice is staff trained in non-verbal communication, care plans that describe your parent as a person rather than a list of conditions, and regular GP involvement. The Good Practice evidence base is clear that care plans function best as living documents, updated after every significant change, with family input built in. The inspection text does not confirm whether this is happening here, so it is worth asking directly.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence review found that dementia training focused on person-centred approaches, including life history work and non-verbal communication, produces measurably better outcomes than generic mandatory training alone.","watch_out":"Ask to see the format of a care plan, with personal details removed. Check whether it includes your parent's life history, preferred name, food likes and dislikes, and how recently it was last reviewed and by whom."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is this home caring?

  Good

  {"found":"The Caring domain was rated Good at the June 2019 inspection. This covers staff warmth, dignity, respect, and support for independence. Staff warmth is the single biggest driver of positive family reviews in our data, mentioned in 57.3% of positive Google reviews across UK care homes. The published text includes no direct inspector observations about how staff interact with residents, no quotes from residents or relatives, and no specific examples of dignity practices.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Staff warmth is what families remember most, and it is also what is hardest to assess from a report. The inspection found nothing to concern them in how staff treat the people who live here, but you will need to see this for yourself. On a visit, watch whether staff address your parent by the name they prefer, whether interactions feel unhurried, and whether staff make eye contact rather than speaking across residents. Our review data shows that families who feel confident about staff kindness are far more likely to feel settled about their choice of home, and that confidence comes from direct observation, not paperwork.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence review confirms that non-verbal communication, tone, pace, and physical proximity matter as much as what staff say, particularly for people with advanced dementia who may not follow verbal content but remain highly sensitive to emotional tone.","watch_out":"During your visit, find a moment to sit in a communal area for ten minutes without announcing yourself. Watch whether staff initiate conversation with residents, use preferred names, and respond to signs of discomfort without waiting to be called."}

  Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded

• Is the home responsive?

  Good

  {"found":"The Responsive domain was rated Good at the June 2019 inspection. This covers activities, individual engagement, and end-of-life care. The home is registered to support people with dementia, physical disabilities, and adults of varying ages, which implies a need for varied and tailored approaches to activity. No specific detail about the activity programme, one-to-one engagement, or end-of-life planning is included in the published text.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Resident happiness, which includes whether your parent has things to do and feels engaged, accounts for 27.1% of positive family reviews in our data. A Good Responsive rating is encouraging, but without any description of what activities look like here, you cannot know whether your parent would be engaged or left unstimulated. Good Practice research is particularly clear that group activities alone are not enough for people with advanced dementia: structured one-to-one engagement, including everyday tasks like folding, sorting, or tending plants, produces better wellbeing outcomes. Ask specifically what happens for residents who cannot join a group.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence review found that Montessori-based and occupation-focused individual activities, rather than group entertainment, are associated with reduced agitation and improved wellbeing for people living with dementia, particularly in later stages.","watch_out":"Ask the activities coordinator to describe a typical Tuesday for a resident with mid-stage dementia who finds group sessions overwhelming. If the answer is vague or defaults to television, that is a gap worth pressing on."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is the home well-led?

  Good

  {"found":"The Well-led domain was rated Good at the June 2019 inspection. The inspection records a named registered manager, Mrs Lisa Bailey, and a nominated individual, Mrs Natasha Southall. The home is operated by Avery Homes Newcastle UL Limited. No information is available about how long the current manager has been in post, what the staff culture is like, or how the home handles complaints and feedback.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Management stability is one of the strongest predictors of consistent quality in a care home. Good Practice research shows that homes with long-serving managers tend to have lower staff turnover, better incident learning, and more confident family communication. The registration records a named manager, which is a positive sign, but the inspection is over five years old and you do not know whether Mrs Bailey is still in post or what has changed in leadership since 2019. Communication with families accounts for 11.5% of positive family reviews in our data, and it is worth asking directly how the home keeps families informed when something changes.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence review found that leadership stability, including manager tenure and staff empowerment to raise concerns, is one of the most reliable indicators of a home's quality trajectory over time.","watch_out":"Ask the manager directly how long they have been in post, how many registered nurses or senior carers have left in the past 12 months, and what happens when a family member raises a concern about care. A confident, specific answer is a good sign; a defensive or vague one 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 home welcomes younger adults under 65 alongside older residents, creating an unusually diverse community. They're equipped to support people with physical disabilities and those living with dementia.. Gaps or open questions remain on For residents with dementia, the secure environment gives families real reassurance. Staff clearly understand how to support people who might wander or become confused, keeping them safe while still encouraging independence where possible. — areas worth probing directly during a visit.