Montrose Hall care home, Wigan
At a Glance
The information you need to decide whether this home warrants a closer look.
Residential homes
Staff warmth score
of reviewers answered yes
Good to know
- Registered beds41
- SpecialismsCaring for adults over 65 yrs, Dementia
- Last inspected2022-07-07
- Activities programmeThe home's cleanliness stands out in family feedback, with many commenting on tidy, well-maintained interiors. While some concerns have been raised about grounds maintenance, most families describe a clean environment where their relatives feel comfortable.
- 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
Families talk about relatives who arrived nervous or withdrawn but found their feet remarkably quickly. There's a consistent thread through accounts of residents rediscovering enjoyment — whether that's joining in with activities or simply seeming more content day to day. The activity programme gets particular mentions, with seasonal garden events and daily structured engagement helping residents stay connected.
Based on 23 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
- Healthcare68
- Management & leadership72
- Resident happiness70
What inspectors found
Inspected 2022-07-07 · Report published 2022-07-07 · Inspected 3 times in the last three years
Is this home safe?
{"found":"The Safe domain was rated Good at the May 2022 inspection. This indicates inspectors were satisfied with arrangements covering staffing, medicines management, infection control, and the physical safety of the environment. However, the published report contains no specific observations, data, or examples to describe what safe practice looks like at Montrose Hall day to day. No information is recorded about night staffing ratios, agency staff usage, or how falls or incidents are logged and acted upon.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good rating in Safe gives you a reasonable baseline, but it is the detail behind that rating that matters most for your parent, particularly if they are living with dementia and at risk of falls or becoming disoriented at night. Our Good Practice evidence review highlights that night staffing is one of the most common points where safety slips in otherwise well-run homes, yet this report gives no figures. Agency staff usage is another risk factor: consistent, familiar faces matter enormously for people with dementia, and a high proportion of agency workers can undermine that. Before you commit, ask to see last week's actual rota, not a template, and count how many permanent names appear on the overnight shifts.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research and Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review (61 studies, March 2026) found that night staffing levels and agency staff reliance are among the strongest predictors of safety incidents in care homes, yet they are rarely detailed in published inspection reports.","watch_out":"Ask the manager: how many permanent carers are on duty on the dementia unit after 8pm, and what proportion of shifts in the last month were covered by agency staff? Request to see an actual completed rota rather than a staffing template."}
Is the care effective?
{"found":"The Effective domain was rated Good at the May 2022 inspection. This domain typically covers care planning, dementia-specific training, healthcare access, medicines management, and nutritional support. The published report records no specific detail about any of these areas for Montrose Hall. No information is available about how frequently care plans are reviewed, whether families are involved in those reviews, what dementia training staff have completed, or how the home manages GP referrals and health monitoring.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"For a home specialising in dementia, the Effective domain is particularly important because it covers whether staff genuinely understand how your parent's condition may be changing and whether the care plan reflects who your parent actually is, not just their diagnosis. Our Good Practice evidence base shows that care plans work best as living documents updated in response to changes in behaviour, mood, and physical health, ideally with family input at every review. The inspection gives no reassurance on this point either way. Food quality is also assessed here, and for people with dementia, getting nutrition right requires more than a standard menu: it means recognising when someone needs finger foods, extra time, or a familiar meal from their past. Ask specifically about this on your visit.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence review found that regular, family-inclusive care plan reviews are strongly associated with better outcomes for people with dementia, and that dementia-specific training content (not just a general care certificate) is a meaningful predictor of staff confidence in managing behavioural changes.","watch_out":"Ask to see a sample care plan (anonymised if needed) and ask when it was last updated and who was involved in that review. Also ask what specific dementia training staff on the unit have completed in the last 12 months, and whether that training covers non-verbal communication and behavioural changes."}
Is this home caring?
{"found":"The Caring domain was rated Good at the May 2022 inspection. Caring is the domain most directly relevant to warmth, dignity, and the quality of everyday interactions between staff and the people who live at Montrose Hall. The published report, however, contains no inspector observations of staff interactions, no quotes from residents or relatives, and no specific examples of how dignity and privacy are upheld in practice. The Good rating indicates inspectors were satisfied, but the evidence behind it is not visible in the published text.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Staff warmth is the single most important factor in family satisfaction with care homes: 57.3% of the 3,602 positive Google reviews in our data mention warm, friendly staff interactions by name. Compassion and dignity follow closely at 55.2%. The inspectors gave Montrose Hall a Good here, but the report gives you nothing concrete to hold onto. On your visit, watch how staff greet your parent, whether they use their preferred name without being prompted, whether they knock before entering a room, and whether their manner is unhurried even when the home is busy. These are the behaviours that make the difference between a technically compliant Good rating and a place where your parent will actually feel at ease.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence review highlights that non-verbal communication (tone, pace, eye contact, touch) matters as much as words for people with advanced dementia, and that staff who demonstrate these behaviours consistently have typically received person-centred training that goes beyond standard induction.","watch_out":"On your visit, observe what happens in a corridor when a staff member passes a resident. Do they stop, make eye contact, and speak? Or do they walk past? Ask a staff member what your parent's preferred name is and whether there is a life history document in the care plan."}
Is the home responsive?
{"found":"The Responsive domain was rated Good at the May 2022 inspection. This domain covers how well the home tailors its offer to individual residents, including activities, social engagement, and end-of-life care planning. The published report records no specific information about the activities programme at Montrose Hall, no examples of one-to-one engagement for residents who cannot join group activities, and no detail about how the home supports people approaching the end of their life. The Good rating indicates inspectors were broadly satisfied with responsiveness, but no supporting detail is available.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Resident happiness is the third most cited theme in our family review data (27.1% of positive reviews), and activities engagement follows at 21.4%. For a parent with dementia, the quality of daily engagement matters enormously to mood, behaviour, and physical health. Our Good Practice evidence base shows that group activities alone are not sufficient: people in more advanced stages of dementia often need one-to-one engagement, and approaches such as everyday household tasks (folding, sorting, simple cooking) or reminiscence linked to personal history can be more meaningful than a scheduled group session. The inspection gives no reassurance on whether Montrose Hall provides this level of individual tailoring. Ask the activities coordinator directly about what they do for residents who cannot participate in groups.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence review found that Montessori-based and individual activity approaches, including meaningful everyday tasks linked to a person's life history, produce better outcomes for wellbeing and reduced agitation in people with dementia than group-only activity programmes.","watch_out":"Ask the activities coordinator: what would a typical Tuesday look like for a resident who cannot join group sessions due to advanced dementia or mobility difficulties? Ask to see the actual activity records for one resident over the past fortnight, not just the programme poster on the wall."}
Is the home well-led?
{"found":"The Well-led domain was rated Good at the May 2022 inspection. The home is operated by Anchor Hanover Group and has a named registered manager (Hannah Elizabeth Prescott) and a nominated individual (Daniel Ryan) recorded at the time of inspection. A Good rating in this domain typically indicates inspectors found adequate governance, a culture of accountability, and staff who felt supported. However, the published report contains no specific observations about management visibility, staff morale, or how the home learns from incidents and complaints. Notably, the home's rating has declined from a previous Outstanding, and no explanation for that decline appears in the published text.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Management stability is one of the strongest predictors of quality trajectory in a care home. Our Good Practice evidence base highlights that leadership consistency, where the same manager is in post long enough to build a team culture, is associated with better outcomes across all domains. The decline from Outstanding to Good is not necessarily alarming on its own, but it does raise a question you deserve a plain answer to. Ask the manager what changed, what they have done about it, and whether the same registered manager named in the 2022 report is still in post. Our family review data shows that 23.4% of positive reviews cite good management by name, suggesting families do notice and value visible, approachable leadership. Find out whether staff feel they can raise concerns without fear, and watch whether the manager is present and known to residents on your visit.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence review found that care homes where staff report feeling empowered to speak up and where managers are visibly present on the floor (rather than office-based) show consistently better outcomes for residents, particularly in dementia-specialist settings.","watch_out":"Ask directly: is the registered manager named in the 2022 inspection still in post, and if not, how long has the current manager been in place? Then ask the manager to explain, in plain terms, why the rating moved from Outstanding to Good and what has been done in response."}
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 specialist dementia care alongside general support for people over 65.. Gaps or open questions remain on Families with relatives living with dementia particularly note the staff's kindness and appropriate responses to residents' changing needs. The structured activity programme helps maintain engagement and connection. — 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
Montrose Hall was rated Good across all five inspection domains in May 2022, which gives your parent a solid baseline, but the inspection report published contains very limited specific detail, so scores reflect a general Good rating rather than verified, observable strengths.
Homes in North West typically score 68–82.The three-lens summary
What families tell us
Families talk about relatives who arrived nervous or withdrawn but found their feet remarkably quickly. There's a consistent thread through accounts of residents rediscovering enjoyment — whether that's joining in with activities or simply seeming more content day to day. The activity programme gets particular mentions, with seasonal garden events and daily structured engagement helping residents stay connected.
What inspectors have recorded
Staff approachability comes through strongly in family accounts. People describe management and care teams as accessible and willing to engage with concerns — something that matters enormously when you're entrusting someone you love to others' care. Though one family reported concerning gaps in hospital discharge procedures and room maintenance standards, most describe staff who show genuine empathy and understanding.
How it sits against good practice
Every family's experience matters, and while most speak positively about life at Montrose Hall, it's worth having detailed conversations about care standards and protocols when you visit.
Worth a visit
Montrose Hall, on Sherwood Crescent in Wigan, was rated Good across all five inspection domains at its most recent inspection in May 2022, published in July 2022. The home is run by Anchor Hanover Group, one of the larger care providers in England, and has a named registered manager in place. It is registered to care for up to 41 people, specialising in dementia and general residential care for adults over 65. The rating represents a decline from a previous Outstanding, which is worth noting as you consider this home. The main limitation of this report for your decision-making is that the published inspection text is extremely brief and contains almost no specific observations, quotes, or evidence about what daily life at Montrose Hall actually looks like. A Good rating tells you the inspector was broadly satisfied, but it does not tell you whether staff know your parent's name, what happens after 8pm, whether the food is appetising, or how the team responds when someone is upset. The checklist below identifies the areas where you will need to ask direct questions and observe for yourself on a visit. Pay particular attention to what has changed since the Outstanding rating, and ask the manager to explain that shift plainly.
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In Their Own Words
How Montrose Hall care home, Wigan describes itself — collected from its own website. DCC has not edited or independently verified the content in this tab.
Families find their loved ones settle well in this Wigan care home
Compassionate Care in Wigan at Montrose Hall
When families describe watching their anxious relatives relax and engage with life again, you know something's working well. Montrose Hall in Wigan has helped many families through that difficult transition, with staff who families say genuinely listen and respond to concerns. The home specialises in dementia care alongside general support for older adults.
Who they care for
The home provides specialist dementia care alongside general support for people over 65.
Families with relatives living with dementia particularly note the staff's kindness and appropriate responses to residents' changing needs. The structured activity programme helps maintain engagement and connection.
Management & ethos
Staff approachability comes through strongly in family accounts. People describe management and care teams as accessible and willing to engage with concerns — something that matters enormously when you're entrusting someone you love to others' care. Though one family reported concerning gaps in hospital discharge procedures and room maintenance standards, most describe staff who show genuine empathy and understanding.
The home & environment
The home's cleanliness stands out in family feedback, with many commenting on tidy, well-maintained interiors. While some concerns have been raised about grounds maintenance, most families describe a clean environment where their relatives feel comfortable.
“Every family's experience matters, and while most speak positively about life at Montrose Hall, it's worth having detailed conversations about care standards and protocols when you visit.”
DCC does not edit or curate content in this tab. For independently curated information, see The Evidence and DCC Verdict.
