Hays House Nursing Home

What families say

Based on 4 Google reviews · 0 reviews on carehome.co.uk · most recent 2026-04-10

The eight family priority themes

• Staff warmth70
• Compassion & dignity70
• Cleanliness68
• Activities & engagement60
• Food quality60
• Healthcare68
• Management & leadership70
• Resident happiness68

What inspectors found

Inspected 2018-04-27 · Report published 2018-04-27 · Inspected 2 times in the last three years

• Is this home safe?

  Good

  {"found":"The inspection rated this domain Good. The home is a nursing home registered to support people with dementia and physical disabilities across 43 beds. A monitoring review in July 2023 found no evidence of concerns requiring reassessment. Beyond this, the published inspection text does not include specific observations about falls management, medicines administration, infection control practices, or night staffing arrangements.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good safety rating means inspectors found no significant concerns at the time of their visit u2014 that is reassuring as a starting point. However, our family review data shows that 14% of families specifically mention staff attentiveness as a deciding factor, and Good Practice research consistently identifies night hours as the period when safety is most at risk in care homes. You simply don't know from the published findings how many staff are present after 8pm, or how the home manages a fall in the middle of the night. These are the questions that matter most if your parent needs nursing care.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research / Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review found that night staffing ratios are one of the strongest predictors of avoidable harm in care homes, yet they are among the least frequently reported in inspection documents.","watch_out":"When you visit, ask: 'How many registered nurses and care staff are on duty overnight, and what is the protocol if two residents need urgent attention at the same time?'"}

  Verified by inspectorMentioned, not assessed

• Is the care effective?

  Good

  {"found":"The inspection rated this domain Good. The home is a nursing home u2014 meaning registered nurses must be on site u2014 which is an important distinction for families whose parent has complex health needs. Dementia is listed as a specialism. The published inspection text does not include specific detail about care plan quality, dementia training content, GP visiting frequency, or how food and nutrition needs are assessed and met.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Nursing home status matters: it means your parent can receive clinical care on site that a residential-only home cannot provide. However, 'Good' in effectiveness tells you standards were met u2014 it doesn't tell you whether your parent's care plan is reviewed monthly or annually, whether staff can recognise the specific signs of distress your parent shows, or whether the GP visits weekly or only when called. Our family review data shows that 20.9% of families highlight food quality as a key marker of genuine care u2014 it's a proxy for how much a home really knows and respects your parent as an individual.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence base identifies care plans as 'living documents' u2014 they should be updated at least monthly for people with dementia whose needs change rapidly. A care plan that hasn't been reviewed in three months is a warning sign.","watch_out":"Ask to see a sample care plan (anonymised if needed) and ask: 'When was this last reviewed, who was involved in that review, and how do you record changes in behaviour that might signal a health problem?'"}

  Verified by inspector

• Is this home caring?

  Good

  {"found":"The inspection rated this domain Good. No specific observations, quotes from residents or relatives, or descriptions of staff interactions are available in the published text. The Good rating indicates inspectors did not find evidence of poor or undignified care, but equally no specific examples of outstanding kindness, compassion, or person-centred practice are recorded.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Staff warmth is the single most important factor in our family review data u2014 it accounts for 57.3% of what families say makes a care home feel right. A Good caring rating is a floor, not a ceiling. What you cannot know from this report is whether the staff know your mum's name, her preferred routine, what makes her laugh, or how she signals she's in pain. Good Practice research is clear that non-verbal communication u2014 a smile, unhurried body language, sitting at eye level u2014 matters as much as spoken words for people living with dementia. This is something you can only assess by visiting, ideally more than once and at different times of day.","evidence_base":"Research in the Good Practice evidence base consistently shows that person-led care u2014 where staff know individual histories, preferences, and triggers u2014 significantly reduces distress behaviours and improves quality of life for people with dementia.","watch_out":"During your visit, watch what happens in a corridor when a member of staff passes a resident who seems unsettled u2014 do they stop, make eye contact, speak quietly, and respond? Or do they walk past? That moment tells you more than any inspection rating."}

  Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded

• Is the home responsive?

  Good

  {"found":"The inspection rated this domain Good. The home supports people with dementia and physical disabilities, suggesting it should have adapted approaches to meaningful engagement. No specific information about the activities programme, individual engagement, or how the home responds to individual preferences is included in the published inspection text.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Our family review data shows that 27.1% of families highlight resident happiness and engagement as a key quality marker u2014 second only to staff warmth. For someone living with dementia, a varied and individually tailored activity programme is not a nice-to-have; Good Practice research links meaningful engagement directly to reduced anxiety, better sleep, and fewer incidents. Group activities are not enough on their own: your parent may reach a stage where they cannot join a group, and what happens then is the real test of responsiveness. Ask specifically about one-to-one time, not just the weekly calendar.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence review found that Montessori-based approaches and familiar household tasks u2014 folding laundry, tending plants, simple cooking u2014 provide meaningful engagement for people with advanced dementia who are no longer able to participate in structured group activities.","watch_out":"Ask: 'If my parent can no longer join the group activity session, what happens? Who spends one-to-one time with them, how often, and what does that look like?' Then ask to see the previous week's activity records."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is the home well-led?

  Good

  {"found":"The inspection rated this domain Good. The home is operated by Park Healthcare Limited, with a named registered manager (Ms Andrea Kerry Kirkby) and nominated individual (Mr Ramesh Dalton Murugupillai) in post. A monitoring review in July 2023 confirmed the Good rating remained appropriate. No specific detail about management culture, staff empowerment, governance systems, or family communication processes is available in the published text.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Leadership stability is one of the strongest predictors of consistent care quality u2014 a home with a long-serving manager who knows every resident and every member of staff is fundamentally different from one where leadership changes frequently. Our family review data shows that 23.4% of families mention management as a factor in their positive assessments, and 11.5% specifically mention good communication with families. You need to know: how long has the current manager been in post? How will you be told if something goes wrong? Who do you call at 11pm on a Sunday if you're worried? These are not awkward questions u2014 any good manager will welcome them.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence base identifies leadership tenure and bottom-up staff empowerment u2014 where care workers feel able to raise concerns u2014 as the two factors most predictive of sustained quality improvement in care homes.","watch_out":"Ask the manager directly: 'How long have you been in this role, and what is the biggest change you've made since you arrived?' Their answer u2014 and the confidence with which they give it u2014 will tell you a great deal about the culture they've built."}

  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 nursing care for adults under 65, those over 65, and people living with dementia or physical disabilities. This broad experience means the team can support residents with complex health needs while maintaining a personalised approach to each person's care.. Gaps or open questions remain on For residents living with dementia, the team takes a patient, respectful approach that focuses on maintaining dignity. Staff understand how to respond to challenging moments with empathy rather than frustration. — areas worth probing directly during a visit.