OSJCT Avonbourne Care Centre

What families say

People talk about the genuine kindness they encounter here. The staff are known for their caring, understanding approach, and families have noticed how this translates into their loved ones appearing happier and more at ease than they'd been in a while.

Based on 15 Google reviews · 0 reviews on carehome.co.uk · most recent 2026-04-10

The eight family priority themes

• Staff warmth72
• Compassion & dignity72
• Cleanliness72
• Activities & engagement65
• Food quality65
• Healthcare70
• Management & leadership75
• Resident happiness70

What inspectors found

Inspected 2023-03-25 · Report published 2023-03-25 · Inspected 6 times in the last three years

• Is this home safe?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"The October 2024 inspection rated this domain as Good. This is a change from the previous inspection, where concerns had been identified. The published summary does not set out the specific evidence that underpinned the Good rating, so the detail of what inspectors observed about staffing, medicines management, and incident recording is not available in the published findings.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good rating for safety means inspectors were satisfied that the home met the required standard, but it does not tell you exactly how many staff are on duty overnight or how often agency carers cover shifts. Good Practice evidence from the Leeds Beckett rapid review is clear that night staffing is where safety most often slips in care homes, and that reliance on agency staff undermines the consistency that people with dementia need. Given that Avon Court was previously rated Requires Improvement, it is worth asking specifically what changed and whether those improvements are embedded in day-to-day practice. The inspection did not record specific detail on agency use or night staffing ratios, so you will need to ask the manager directly.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research and Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review found that agency staff reliance is one of the strongest predictors of safety lapses, particularly on night shifts where senior oversight is reduced. Ask for last month's actual rota data, not projected staffing levels.","watch_out":"Ask the manager to show you the actual staffing rota for the past two weeks, including nights and weekends. Count how many shifts were covered by permanent staff versus agency or bank staff, and ask what the minimum staffing level is on a night shift for 48 residents."}

  Verified by inspectorMentioned, not assessed

• Is the care effective?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"The Effective domain was rated Good at the October 2024 inspection. The home is registered to care for people with dementia, physical disabilities, and sensory impairment, which requires staff to hold relevant training and for care plans to reflect complex individual needs. The published summary does not include specific evidence about dementia training content, GP access arrangements, or how care plans are constructed and reviewed.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Effectiveness in a care home context means staff know how to support your parent's specific conditions, care plans are updated regularly, and health needs are picked up early. For a home with a dementia specialism, this matters more than the overall Good rating alone can confirm. Good Practice research identifies care plans as living documents that should be reviewed at least monthly for people with advancing dementia, and families should be active contributors to those reviews. The inspection did not record specific detail on how often care plans are reviewed or how dementia training is delivered, so ask the manager to show you an anonymised example of a care plan and explain the review process.","evidence_base":"The Leeds Beckett evidence review found that dementia training quality varies considerably between homes even where a dementia specialism is registered. The content and recency of training matters as much as whether it was completed. Ask what specific training all carers have done, not just whether a training record exists.","watch_out":"Ask the manager what dementia-specific training every carer on the dementia unit has completed in the past 12 months, who delivered it, and whether any staff hold a formal dementia qualification such as the Dementia Care Mapping practitioner award or an equivalent accredited programme."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is this home caring?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"The Caring domain was rated Good at the October 2024 inspection. The published summary does not include direct inspector observations of staff interactions, resident testimony about how they are treated, or specific examples of dignity and respect being maintained in practice. The Good rating indicates inspectors were satisfied with what they found, but the detail that would help you assess day-to-day warmth is not available in the published findings.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Staff warmth is the single biggest driver of family satisfaction in our review data, mentioned in 57.3% of positive reviews, and compassion and dignity follow closely at 55.2%. These are things you cannot fully assess from an inspection report alone, because the moments that matter most, how a carer speaks to your dad when he is confused at night, or whether your mum is given time to choose what she wants to wear, are not always visible to an inspector. Good Practice evidence is clear that non-verbal communication matters as much as verbal for people with dementia, and that unhurried interactions are one of the most reliable signals of a caring culture. On your visit, watch how staff move through the home and whether they make eye contact and speak calmly to residents as they pass.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research rapid evidence review found that person-led care requires staff to know each individual's history, preferences, and communication style, not just their clinical needs. Homes where staff can describe the person behind the diagnosis consistently show better outcomes for wellbeing and distress reduction.","watch_out":"On your visit, ask a member of staff what your parent's preferred name would be used, and watch an unscripted interaction between a carer and a resident in a corridor or communal area. Notice whether the carer moves at the resident's pace or their own."}

  Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded

• Is the home responsive?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"The Responsive domain was rated Good at the October 2024 inspection. The home holds specialisms in dementia care and sensory impairment alongside general older adult care, which suggests a range of activity and engagement needs across the resident group. The published summary does not include specific evidence about the activity programme, one-to-one engagement, or how individual preferences are recorded and acted upon.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"For families, responsiveness is about whether your parent will have a meaningful life here, not just safe, adequate care. Our family review data shows that activities and engagement feature in 21.4% of positive reviews, and resident happiness in 27.1%. Good Practice evidence is particularly clear that group activities alone are not sufficient for people with advanced dementia, who need regular one-to-one interaction tailored to their interests and life history. The inspection did not record specific detail on the activity programme or one-to-one provision. Visit on a weekday afternoon, which is when activity sessions are most commonly scheduled, and ask what happens on a Sunday when activity staff may not be on duty.","evidence_base":"The Leeds Beckett evidence review found that Montessori-based and household-task approaches, activities that draw on familiar, everyday skills, are among the most effective ways to maintain engagement and sense of purpose for people with dementia. Ask whether the home uses any structured approach to individual activity planning.","watch_out":"Ask to see the activity timetable for the past two weeks, including weekends, and ask specifically what one-to-one activity provision exists for residents who cannot take part in group sessions. Find out who is responsible for activities on a weekend shift."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is the home well-led?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"The Well-led domain was rated Good at the October 2024 inspection. The home has a named registered manager, Mrs Kamila Bevan, and a named nominated individual, Mr James Norman Robson, both recorded in the published registration. The improvement from Requires Improvement to Good across all domains suggests that leadership has addressed earlier concerns. The published summary does not detail how long the current manager has been in post, the culture of the team, or how governance and accountability work day to day.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Good Practice research shows that leadership stability is one of the strongest predictors of quality trajectory in a care home. A home that has improved from Requires Improvement to Good is encouraging, but the important question is whether those improvements are embedded or whether they reflect changes that are still settling in. Our family review data shows management visibility and communication feature in 23.4% and 11.5% of positive reviews respectively. When you visit, try to meet the registered manager in person, not just an administrator, and ask how long she has been in post and what specifically changed since the previous inspection. This will tell you more than any rating can.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research rapid evidence review identified that bottom-up empowerment, where frontline staff feel able to raise concerns without fear, is a reliable marker of a well-led home. Ask the manager how concerns raised by carers are handled and whether there is a recent example of practice changing because a carer spoke up.","watch_out":"Ask the registered manager directly how long she has been in post, what the main concerns were at the previous inspection, and what specific changes were made to address them. Listen for whether she can describe those changes concretely or speaks only in general terms."}

  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 provides specialist care for people living with dementia, physical disabilities and sensory impairments. They also support both younger adults under 65 and older residents.. Gaps or open questions remain on For those living with dementia, the team's patient and understanding approach helps create a calmer environment. Staff work to understand each person's unique needs and preferences. — areas worth probing directly during a visit.