Stocks Hall Andrew Smith House Nursing Home
At a Glance
The information you need to decide whether this home warrants a closer look.
Nursing homes, Rehabilitation (illness/injury)
Staff warmth score
of reviewers answered yes
Good to know
- Registered beds60
- SpecialismsCaring for adults over 65 yrs, Caring for adults under 65 yrs, Dementia, Learning disabilities, Physical disabilities
- Last inspected2022-08-31
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STAGE 4 — RESEARCHING CARE HOMES
Visit homes. Compare them side by side. Choose with confidence.
Most of us will view care homes the way we view houses, impression, atmosphere, the feeling in the corridor. We go home, try to remember what we saw, and make a permanent decision from a blurred memory.
The DCC shortlist gives every home you visit a structured record: the same twelve questions, answered the same way, every time. When you’re ready to choose, pull any two homes side by side and compare them directly. Same criteria, same evidence, your notes and your scores.
The Evidence
What the review data, the inspection reports, and the dementia-care evidence base tell us about this home.
What families say
Recent visitors have noticed real efforts from care staff, who many describe as dedicated and hardworking. The home has introduced more frequent activities and made environmental changes to better support residents with dementia.
The eight family priority themes
- Staff warmth72
- Compassion & dignity72
- Cleanliness70
- Activities & engagement65
- Food quality65
- Healthcare70
- Management & leadership75
- Resident happiness68
What inspectors found
Inspected 2022-08-31
Is this home safe?
Is the care effective?
Andrew Smith House was rated Good for effectiveness at the July 2025 inspection. The published summary does not describe care plan quality, GP access arrangements, dementia training content, or mealtime provision. The home carries dementia and nursing specialisms, which implies a baseline of clinical competence, but the inspection text does not provide evidence to verify how this plays out in practice for individual residents.Is this home caring?
The home received a Good rating for caring at the July 2025 inspection. The published summary does not include direct inspector observations of staff interactions, quotes from residents or relatives, or specific examples of dignity being upheld. A Good rating in this domain is meaningful, but the absence of detail means it cannot be verified from the published text alone.Is the home responsive?
Andrew Smith House was rated Good for responsiveness at the July 2025 inspection. The published summary does not describe the activities programme, how individual preferences are recorded and acted upon, how complaints are handled, or what end-of-life care arrangements look like. The home's breadth of specialisms suggests it cares for people with varying levels of need and ability, which makes individual tailoring of activities and daily life particularly important.Is the home well-led?
The home was rated Good for leadership at its July 2025 inspection and has a named registered manager, Mrs Diane Jacqueline Kavanagh, supported by nominated individual Mrs Susan Lace under Stocks Hall Care Homes Limited. The improvement from Requires Improvement to Good across all domains suggests that leadership has driven meaningful change. The published summary does not describe the manager's visibility, staff culture, governance systems, or how the home handles complaints and incidents.
Source: CQC inspection report →
What the evidence base says
The home provides care for adults both under and over 65, including those with dementia, learning disabilities, and physical disabilities. Environmental upgrades have included dementia-friendly design elements, though the effectiveness of activities programmes varies depending on individual residents' complex support needs. All 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
Andrew Smith House scores 73 out of 100, reflecting a solid Good rating across all five domains and a meaningful improvement from its previous Requires Improvement status. The score is tempered by the fact that the published inspection report contains very little specific observational detail, so many areas cannot be independently verified from the text alone.
Homes in North West typically score 68–82.The three-lens summary
What families tell us
Recent visitors have noticed real efforts from care staff, who many describe as dedicated and hardworking. The home has introduced more frequent activities and made environmental changes to better support residents with dementia.
What inspectors have recorded
Management restructuring has brought some operational improvements, including better staffing levels that allow activities to run simultaneously. However, some families have reported difficulties communicating with management, suggesting relationships with relatives remain an area needing attention.
How it sits against good practice
If you're considering Andrew Smith House, visiting in person and asking detailed questions about their improvement plans would be particularly important.
Worth a visit
Andrew Smith House in Nelson was rated Good across all five inspection domains at its most recent assessment in July 2025, published in September 2025. This is a meaningful step forward from a previous Requires Improvement rating, and the fact that named, accountable management is in post under Stocks Hall Care Homes Limited is a positive structural sign. The home is registered as a nursing home with dementia, learning disability, and physical disability specialisms, and has 60 beds, meaning it should have qualified nursing staff available around the clock. However, the published inspection summary available at the time of writing contains very little specific observational detail, which means this Family View cannot independently verify most of the things families care most about: staff warmth, mealtimes, activities, night staffing, and how the home communicates with relatives. A Good rating is genuinely encouraging, especially given the improvement trajectory, but you should treat a visit as essential before making a decision. Ask to see last week's actual staffing rota, ask what changed since the previous Requires Improvement rating, and spend time in a communal area watching how staff interact with your parent's potential neighbours.
The three questions to ask when you visitSave this home. Compare it against your shortlist.
Let our analysis show you how Stocks Hall Andrew Smith House Nursing Home measures up against the other homes you’re considering. Free account.
In Their Own Words
How Stocks Hall Andrew Smith House Nursing Home describes itself — collected from its own website. DCC has not edited or independently verified the content in this tab.
Working hard to rebuild trust after significant past challenges
Nursing home,rehabilitation (illness/injury) in Nelson: True Peace of Mind
Andrew Smith House in Nelson has been through a difficult period, with serious care failures that led to regulatory intervention. The home is now working to implement improvements, with restructured management, expanded staffing, and updated facilities. While some families report positive changes, others describe concerning experiences that suggest the journey toward consistent, quality care continues.
Who they care for
The home provides care for adults both under and over 65, including those with dementia, learning disabilities, and physical disabilities.
Environmental upgrades have included dementia-friendly design elements, though the effectiveness of activities programmes varies depending on individual residents' complex support needs.
“If you're considering Andrew Smith House, visiting in person and asking detailed questions about their improvement plans would be particularly important.”
DCC does not edit or curate content in this tab. For independently curated information, see The Evidence and DCC Verdict.
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
Andrew Smith House scores 73 out of 100, reflecting a solid Good rating across all five domains and a meaningful improvement from its previous Requires Improvement status. The score is tempered by the fact that the published inspection report contains very little specific observational detail, so many areas cannot be independently verified from the text alone.
Homes in North West typically score 68–82.The three-lens summary
What families tell us
Recent visitors have noticed real efforts from care staff, who many describe as dedicated and hardworking. The home has introduced more frequent activities and made environmental changes to better support residents with dementia.
What inspectors have recorded
Management restructuring has brought some operational improvements, including better staffing levels that allow activities to run simultaneously. However, some families have reported difficulties communicating with management, suggesting relationships with relatives remain an area needing attention.
How it sits against good practice
If you're considering Andrew Smith House, visiting in person and asking detailed questions about their improvement plans would be particularly important.
Worth a visit
Andrew Smith House in Nelson was rated Good across all five inspection domains at its most recent assessment in July 2025, published in September 2025. This is a meaningful step forward from a previous Requires Improvement rating, and the fact that named, accountable management is in post under Stocks Hall Care Homes Limited is a positive structural sign. The home is registered as a nursing home with dementia, learning disability, and physical disability specialisms, and has 60 beds, meaning it should have qualified nursing staff available around the clock. However, the published inspection summary available at the time of writing contains very little specific observational detail, which means this Family View cannot independently verify most of the things families care most about: staff warmth, mealtimes, activities, night staffing, and how the home communicates with relatives. A Good rating is genuinely encouraging, especially given the improvement trajectory, but you should treat a visit as essential before making a decision. Ask to see last week's actual staffing rota, ask what changed since the previous Requires Improvement rating, and spend time in a communal area watching how staff interact with your parent's potential neighbours.
The three questions to ask when you visitSave this home. Compare it against your shortlist.
Let our analysis show you how Stocks Hall Andrew Smith House Nursing Home measures up against the other homes you’re considering. Free account.
In Their Own Words
How Stocks Hall Andrew Smith House Nursing Home describes itself — collected from its own website. DCC has not edited or independently verified the content in this tab.
Working hard to rebuild trust after significant past challenges
Nursing home,rehabilitation (illness/injury) in Nelson: True Peace of Mind
Andrew Smith House in Nelson has been through a difficult period, with serious care failures that led to regulatory intervention. The home is now working to implement improvements, with restructured management, expanded staffing, and updated facilities. While some families report positive changes, others describe concerning experiences that suggest the journey toward consistent, quality care continues.
Who they care for
The home provides care for adults both under and over 65, including those with dementia, learning disabilities, and physical disabilities.
Environmental upgrades have included dementia-friendly design elements, though the effectiveness of activities programmes varies depending on individual residents' complex support needs.
Management & ethos
Management restructuring has brought some operational improvements, including better staffing levels that allow activities to run simultaneously. However, some families have reported difficulties communicating with management, suggesting relationships with relatives remain an area needing attention.
The home & environment
The building itself is clean and well-maintained, with spacious rooms and modern facilities. The kitchen team works to accommodate different dietary needs, adapting meals for individual preferences.
“If you're considering Andrew Smith House, visiting in person and asking detailed questions about their improvement plans would be particularly important.”
DCC does not edit or curate content in this tab. For independently curated information, see The Evidence and DCC Verdict.
