The Old Vicarage 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 beds60
- SpecialismsCaring for adults over 65 yrs, Caring for adults under 65 yrs, Dementia
- Last inspected2023-03-18
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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.
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The Evidence
What the review data, the inspection reports, and the dementia-care evidence base tell us about this home.
What families say
Families often mention how the activity programme brings visible enjoyment to residents' days. The activities team work hard to create structured programmes that keep people engaged, and relatives appreciate seeing photos of their loved ones taking part and clearly enjoying themselves.
The eight family priority themes
- Staff warmth72
- Compassion & dignity72
- Cleanliness70
- Activities & engagement65
- Food quality65
- Healthcare70
- Management & leadership75
- Resident happiness70
What inspectors found
Inspected 2023-03-18
Is this home safe?
Is the care effective?
The Effective domain was rated Good, covering care planning, staff training, healthcare access, nutrition, and dementia-specific practice. The home lists dementia as a specialism, which means inspectors would have assessed whether training and care approaches reflect the particular needs of people living with dementia. No specific examples of care plan content, GP involvement, or food provision are recorded in the published summary. The Good rating implies these areas met the inspection standard, but the level of detail available to families is limited.Is this home caring?
The Caring domain was rated Good, covering staff warmth, dignity, respect, and support for independence. This is the domain most closely connected to the day-to-day experience your parent would have. Inspectors would have observed staff interactions and spoken with residents and relatives to reach this rating. No specific observations, such as whether staff knocked before entering rooms or used preferred names, are recorded in the published summary. The Good rating indicates inspectors were satisfied, but the absence of specific detail means families cannot know exactly what they observed.Is the home responsive?
The Responsive domain was rated Good, covering activities, engagement, individualised care, and end-of-life planning. For people with dementia, responsiveness includes whether the home adapts its routines to the person rather than expecting the person to fit the home's schedule. No specific activities, activity schedules, or examples of individual engagement are described in the published summary. End-of-life care planning is also covered under this domain, and the Good rating implies this was assessed positively, though again without specific detail.Is the home well-led?
The Well-led domain was rated Good, covering management culture, governance, staff support, and accountability. The home has a named registered manager and a nominated individual representing the provider, Harbour Healthcare Ltd. The improvement from Requires Improvement to Good across the whole inspection suggests that leadership has been effective in driving change since the previous inspection. No specific detail about the manager's tenure, staff turnover, or the culture of the home is recorded in the published summary.
Source: CQC inspection report →
What the evidence base says
The Old Vicarage provides residential and nursing care for adults over 65, with specialist dementia support available. They also care for younger adults who need residential support. For those living with dementia, the home provides specialist care alongside their regular activity programmes. The ability to move between residential and nursing care within the same building helps maintain continuity for residents whose needs change. 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
The Old Vicarage Nursing and Residential Care Centre scored Good across all five inspection domains, a meaningful improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating, but the published report contains limited specific detail to push scores above the 70s with confidence.
Homes in North West typically score 68–82.The three-lens summary
What families tell us
Families often mention how the activity programme brings visible enjoyment to residents' days. The activities team work hard to create structured programmes that keep people engaged, and relatives appreciate seeing photos of their loved ones taking part and clearly enjoying themselves.
What inspectors have recorded
The care team includes staff who families describe as patient and attentive in their daily interactions with residents. However, some families have found it challenging to reach managers when they need to discuss concerns, particularly at weekends when senior staff aren't on duty.
How it sits against good practice
Getting a real sense of daily life at The Old Vicarage means seeing it for yourself — the activities in action, the care teams at work, and how everything comes together.
Worth a visit
The Old Vicarage Nursing and Residential Care Centre, on Fir Tree Lane in Warrington, was rated Good across all five inspection domains at its most recent inspection in March 2023. This is a meaningful improvement from its previous rating of Requires Improvement, and covers safety, staffing, care planning, staff kindness, activities, and management. The home cares for up to 60 people, including adults with dementia and people under 65, and is run by Harbour Healthcare Ltd with a registered manager in post. The honest limitation here is that only a brief published summary is available rather than a full inspection narrative. This means the Good ratings cannot be checked against specific observations, resident quotes, or detailed findings on night staffing, agency use, food quality, or one-to-one activity provision. On a visit, ask to see last week's actual staffing rota (not the template), find out how many permanent carers work nights, and ask whether your parent would be assigned a consistent key worker. Watch how staff interact with residents in corridors and communal areas without prompting: that is where genuine warmth, or the absence of it, tends to show.
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In Their Own Words
How The Old Vicarage Care Home describes itself — collected from its own website. DCC has not edited or independently verified the content in this tab.
Warrington care home where activities bring real moments of joy
Compassionate Care in Warrington at The Old Vicarage Nursing and Residential Care Centre
When families face the difficult choice of residential care, they need somewhere that balances skilled nursing with genuine warmth. The Old Vicarage Nursing and Residential Care Centre in Warrington offers both residential and nursing care under one roof, which means residents can stay in familiar surroundings even if their needs change over time.
Who they care for
The Old Vicarage provides residential and nursing care for adults over 65, with specialist dementia support available. They also care for younger adults who need residential support.
For those living with dementia, the home provides specialist care alongside their regular activity programmes. The ability to move between residential and nursing care within the same building helps maintain continuity for residents whose needs change.
“Getting a real sense of daily life at The Old Vicarage means seeing it for yourself — the activities in action, the care teams at work, and how everything comes together.”
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
The Old Vicarage Nursing and Residential Care Centre scored Good across all five inspection domains, a meaningful improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating, but the published report contains limited specific detail to push scores above the 70s with confidence.
Homes in North West typically score 68–82.The three-lens summary
What families tell us
Families often mention how the activity programme brings visible enjoyment to residents' days. The activities team work hard to create structured programmes that keep people engaged, and relatives appreciate seeing photos of their loved ones taking part and clearly enjoying themselves.
What inspectors have recorded
The care team includes staff who families describe as patient and attentive in their daily interactions with residents. However, some families have found it challenging to reach managers when they need to discuss concerns, particularly at weekends when senior staff aren't on duty.
How it sits against good practice
Getting a real sense of daily life at The Old Vicarage means seeing it for yourself — the activities in action, the care teams at work, and how everything comes together.
Worth a visit
The Old Vicarage Nursing and Residential Care Centre, on Fir Tree Lane in Warrington, was rated Good across all five inspection domains at its most recent inspection in March 2023. This is a meaningful improvement from its previous rating of Requires Improvement, and covers safety, staffing, care planning, staff kindness, activities, and management. The home cares for up to 60 people, including adults with dementia and people under 65, and is run by Harbour Healthcare Ltd with a registered manager in post. The honest limitation here is that only a brief published summary is available rather than a full inspection narrative. This means the Good ratings cannot be checked against specific observations, resident quotes, or detailed findings on night staffing, agency use, food quality, or one-to-one activity provision. On a visit, ask to see last week's actual staffing rota (not the template), find out how many permanent carers work nights, and ask whether your parent would be assigned a consistent key worker. Watch how staff interact with residents in corridors and communal areas without prompting: that is where genuine warmth, or the absence of it, tends to show.
The three questions to ask when you visitSave this home. Compare it against your shortlist.
Let our analysis show you how The Old Vicarage Care Home measures up against the other homes you’re considering. Free account.
In Their Own Words
How The Old Vicarage Care Home describes itself — collected from its own website. DCC has not edited or independently verified the content in this tab.
Warrington care home where activities bring real moments of joy
Compassionate Care in Warrington at The Old Vicarage Nursing and Residential Care Centre
When families face the difficult choice of residential care, they need somewhere that balances skilled nursing with genuine warmth. The Old Vicarage Nursing and Residential Care Centre in Warrington offers both residential and nursing care under one roof, which means residents can stay in familiar surroundings even if their needs change over time.
Who they care for
The Old Vicarage provides residential and nursing care for adults over 65, with specialist dementia support available. They also care for younger adults who need residential support.
For those living with dementia, the home provides specialist care alongside their regular activity programmes. The ability to move between residential and nursing care within the same building helps maintain continuity for residents whose needs change.
Management & ethos
The care team includes staff who families describe as patient and attentive in their daily interactions with residents. However, some families have found it challenging to reach managers when they need to discuss concerns, particularly at weekends when senior staff aren't on duty.
The home & environment
The home maintains clean and pleasant surroundings throughout its various units. While some areas of the building show their age more than others, visitors generally find the environment welcoming and well-kept.
“Getting a real sense of daily life at The Old Vicarage means seeing it for yourself — the activities in action, the care teams at work, and how everything comes together.”
DCC does not edit or curate content in this tab. For independently curated information, see The Evidence and DCC Verdict.
