Charlton Kings Care Home, Cheltenham

What families say

People visiting loved ones here notice how settled and content residents seem. The staff bring real warmth to their work, and it shows in the comfortable, happy atmosphere throughout the home.

Based on 7 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 happiness68

What inspectors found

Inspected 2023-03-23 · Report published 2023-03-23 · Inspected 1 times in the last three years

• Is this home safe?

  Good

  {"found":"The Safe domain was rated Good at the February 2023 inspection. This indicates that medicines management, staffing, safeguarding, and infection control were considered satisfactory by inspectors. The published summary does not include specific observations about falls management, night staffing ratios, or agency staff use. A monitoring review in July 2023 found no new information that would change this rating. The home cares for up to 36 people, including those with dementia, which makes consistent night staffing particularly important.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good safety rating is reassuring, but the published findings do not tell you how many staff are on the dementia unit after 8pm, which is where Good Practice research consistently identifies the greatest risk. Our family review data shows that perceived staff attentiveness accounts for around 14% of positive reviews, often described in terms of how quickly staff respond at night. For a 36-bed home with a dementia specialism, the night shift picture matters enormously. The inspection did not record specific detail on agency staff use either, and reliance on agency cover is one of the clearest markers of inconsistency in the Good Practice evidence base.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice rapid evidence review (IFF Research and Leeds Beckett University, March 2026) found that night staffing is the point at which safety most commonly slips in care homes, and that high agency use undermines the consistency of care that people with dementia depend on.","watch_out":"Ask the manager to show you the actual staffing rota for the past two weeks, not the planned template. Count how many permanent staff versus agency names appear on the night shifts specifically."}

  Verified by inspectorMentioned, not assessed

• Is the care effective?

  Good

  {"found":"The Effective domain was rated Good at the February 2023 inspection. This covers care planning, staff training, healthcare access, and nutritional care. The published summary does not describe the content of dementia training, the frequency of GP visits, how care plans are reviewed, or how food quality and choice are managed. No record review detail or specific examples are available in the published text. The home lists dementia, physical disabilities, and sensory impairment as specialisms, which requires a higher level of specialist knowledge from staff.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Food quality accounts for 20.9% of what drives positive family reviews in our data, and care plan quality is one of the strongest predictors of whether your parent's individual routines and preferences are actually followed day to day. The Good Practice evidence base describes care plans as living documents that should be updated after every significant change, not filed and forgotten. The inspection did not record specific detail on either of these areas, so you cannot rely on the published findings alone. Ask to see a sample care plan structure and find out how often plans are formally reviewed with family involvement.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice rapid evidence review found that care plans function best as living documents updated after every significant change, and that regular, meaningful GP access is a key marker of effective healthcare in care homes.","watch_out":"Ask the manager how often care plans are reviewed, whether families are invited to those reviews, and what dementia training staff have completed in the past 12 months. Ask to see the training log, not just a verbal answer."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is this home caring?

  Good

  {"found":"The Caring domain was rated Good at the February 2023 inspection. This domain covers staff warmth, dignity, respect, and support for independence. The published summary does not include any direct inspector observations of staff interactions, any quotes from residents or relatives, or any specific examples of how dignity is upheld during personal care or daily routines. A Good rating here means inspectors were satisfied, but the detail behind that judgement is not available in the published text.","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 are close behind at 55.2%. These are the things families feel most strongly about and remember longest. The Good Practice evidence base is clear that non-verbal communication matters as much as verbal: how staff make eye contact, whether they crouch to be at the same level, whether they introduce themselves before touching someone, are all observable on a visit. Because the inspection did not record specific scenes or quotes for this home, you need to observe this yourself rather than rely on the rating alone.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice rapid evidence review found that person-led care requires genuine knowledge of the individual, and that non-verbal communication, including pace, tone, and physical approach, is as important as spoken words for people living with dementia.","watch_out":"During your visit, sit in a communal area for at least 20 minutes and watch how staff approach your parent's potential neighbours. Do they use names? Do they move without hurrying? Do they make eye contact before speaking? These are the signals that a rating cannot capture."}

  Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded

• Is the home responsive?

  Good

  {"found":"The Responsive domain was rated Good at the February 2023 inspection. This domain covers activities, individual engagement, complaints handling, and end-of-life care. The published summary does not describe the activity programme in any detail, does not mention one-to-one engagement for people with advanced dementia, and does not reference how end-of-life wishes are recorded or reviewed. No resident or family quotes about daily life appear in the published text.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Activities and genuine engagement account for 21.4% of what families highlight in positive reviews, and resident happiness or settled contentment accounts for 27.1%. However, Good Practice research is clear that group activities alone are not sufficient for people with advanced dementia, who often need one-to-one engagement built around familiar tasks and personal history. The inspection did not record specific detail on how the home meets this need. If your parent has dementia and cannot reliably join group sessions, this is the most important question to press on before you decide.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice rapid evidence review found that Montessori-based and individual activity approaches, including familiar household tasks, produce measurably better outcomes for people with advanced dementia than group-only activity programmes.","watch_out":"Ask to see the activity schedule for the past two weeks, not the planned template. Then ask specifically how often a staff member or activities coordinator spends individual time with a resident who cannot participate in group sessions."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is the home well-led?

  Good

  {"found":"The Well-led domain was rated Good at the February 2023 inspection. The home is operated by Fidelia CK Limited, with Mrs Janet Elizabeth Makin recorded as registered manager and Mr Oshi Alan Weissbrand as nominated individual. The published summary does not describe the manager's day-to-day visibility, how staff are supported to raise concerns, or what quality monitoring systems are in place. No staff quotes about the culture or leadership are available in the published text.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Management quality accounts for 23.4% of what drives positive family reviews in our data, and communication with families is highlighted in 11.5% of reviews. Good Practice research shows that leadership stability is one of the strongest predictors of care quality over time: homes where the manager is well known by residents, families, and staff consistently perform better. The registered manager is named in the record, which is a basic requirement, but you need to meet that person in person to judge whether they are genuinely present and approachable. Ask how long the current manager has been in post.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice rapid evidence review found that leadership stability and a culture where staff feel able to speak up are the strongest predictors of sustained care quality, and that homes where managers are visible on the floor day to day show better outcomes across all domains.","watch_out":"When you visit, ask to meet the registered manager rather than a deputy. Ask how long they have been in post, whether there have been significant staffing changes in the past six months, and how the home collects and acts on feedback from families."}

  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 residents with various needs, including those living with dementia, sensory impairments, and physical disabilities. They provide care for adults both under and over 65.. Gaps or open questions remain on For residents living with dementia, the team uses creative activities designed to spark memories and encourage social connection. Things like themed entertainment with props and sensory elements help residents engage with their past in enjoyable ways. — areas worth probing directly during a visit.