Hillcrest Care Home

What families say

Families describe walking into an atmosphere that feels genuinely caring from the very first moment. One visitor noticed their relative looking happy and well — the kind of observation that speaks volumes.

Based on 3 Google reviews · 0 reviews on carehome.co.uk · most recent 2026-04-10

The eight family priority themes

• Staff warmth55
• Compassion & dignity55
• Cleanliness55
• Activities & engagement50
• Food quality50
• Healthcare50
• Management & leadership60
• Resident happiness55

What inspectors found

Inspected 2020-01-09 · Report published 2020-01-09 · Inspected 3 times in the last three years

• Is this home safe?

  Good

  {"found":"The inspection rated this domain Good. Beyond the headline rating, the inspection summary available does not provide specific detail about what inspectors observed in relation to safety. The July 2023 monitoring review found no evidence requiring a reassessment, suggesting no significant safety incidents or concerns have been reported to the regulator since the inspection. The home is registered to provide personal care and accommodation for adults over 65, including those living with dementia, across 32 beds.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good safety rating is a baseline reassurance u2014 it means inspectors did not find unsafe practices at the time of the visit. However, our family review data consistently shows that what families mean by 'safe' goes beyond compliance: they want to know their parent will be noticed if they fall, will not be left alone in distress, and will have a familiar face on duty at night. Good Practice research is clear that night staffing is where safety most commonly slips in residential care, and that heavy reliance on agency staff undermines the consistency that keeps people with dementia safe. None of these specifics are covered in the available findings, so you will need to ask directly.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research / Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review (2026) found that night staffing ratios and agency staff dependency are among the strongest predictors of safety incidents in dementia care settings u2014 yet these are rarely captured adequately in inspection snapshots.","watch_out":"Ask the home: 'How many permanent staff are on duty overnight for the 32 residents, and on a typical week, how many shifts are covered by agency workers who are not regularly based here?'"}

  Verified by inspectorMentioned, not assessed

• Is the care effective?

  Good

  {"found":"The inspection rated this domain Good. The home holds a registered specialism in dementia care, confirming it is formally recognised to support people living with dementia alongside general residential care needs for adults over 65. No specific detail is available from the inspection narrative regarding the content of care plans, frequency of GP access, dementia training programmes, or how food quality and dietary needs are managed. The July 2023 monitoring review did not identify concerns in this area.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Effectiveness in dementia care is about whether the people looking after your parent genuinely understand what dementia does u2014 to communication, to appetite, to how a person experiences their day u2014 and whether that understanding is built into how care is planned and delivered. A dementia specialism registration is a starting point, not a guarantee. Good Practice evidence strongly supports care plans as living documents that are reviewed with families regularly, not filed and forgotten. Our review data shows food quality is one of the clearest signals families use to judge whether a home genuinely cares u2014 if the meal choices are limited and the presentation is poor, it often reflects broader gaps in attention to individual needs.","evidence_base":"The Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review found that dementia-specific staff training u2014 particularly around non-verbal communication and person-centred approaches u2014 significantly improves resident wellbeing outcomes, but the quality and depth of training varies enormously between homes holding the same registration status.","watch_out":"Ask: 'Can I see an example of how a care plan is structured here, and how often would my parent's plan be reviewed with me as a family member involved?'"}

  Verified by inspector

• Is this home caring?

  Good

  {"found":"The inspection rated this domain Good. Staff warmth and dignity are the two most heavily weighted themes in our family review data u2014 together accounting for over 112 percentage points of combined weight u2014 yet the available inspection summary contains no direct observations of staff interactions, no resident or relative quotes, and no specific examples of how dignity and respect are upheld in practice. The Good rating indicates inspectors were satisfied, but the detail that would allow us to characterise what that looks like day to day is not available here.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"In over 3,600 positive family reviews analysed across UK care homes, warmth and genuine kindness from staff are by far the most frequently cited reasons families feel confident in a home. This is not about policy documents u2014 it is about whether someone uses your mum's preferred name without being reminded, whether a care worker sits with her when she is unsettled rather than moving on to the next task, and whether the pace of the day feels unhurried. Good Practice research confirms that non-verbal communication u2014 tone of voice, physical proximity, eye contact u2014 matters as much as words for people living with dementia. These things cannot be confirmed from an inspection summary; you have to see them for yourself.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research evidence review found that person-led care u2014 defined as staff knowing the individual's life history, preferences and communication style u2014 is the single strongest modifiable factor in resident wellbeing in dementia care homes.","watch_out":"On your visit, watch what happens when a staff member passes a resident in the corridor u2014 do they stop, make eye contact and speak by name, or do they walk past? That small moment tells you more than any policy."}

  Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded

• Is the home responsive?

  Good

  {"found":"The inspection rated this domain Good. The home is registered to provide care for people living with dementia, which implies some level of tailored, individual response to need. No specific information is available from the inspection about the activities programme, whether one-to-one engagement is provided for residents who cannot join group sessions, how individual preferences are documented and acted on, or how the home supports residents at end of life. The July 2023 monitoring review found no concerns.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Our family review data shows that resident happiness u2014 whether your parent appears content, engaged and settled u2014 is a key theme, and it is most reliably supported by activities that are genuinely tailored rather than generic. For people living with more advanced dementia, group activities such as singalongs or quizzes may not be accessible, and what matters is whether someone will sit with your parent one to one, engage them in a familiar task, or simply offer calm, present company. Good Practice evidence supports Montessori-based and everyday task approaches u2014 folding laundry, tending plants, handling familiar objects u2014 as meaningful engagement for people who can no longer follow structured group activities. Ask specifically about this.","evidence_base":"The Leeds Beckett review found that individualised, task-based activities u2014 particularly those drawing on a person's occupational history and daily routines u2014 produced significantly better engagement and reduced distress in people living with moderate to severe dementia compared with group-only programmes.","watch_out":"Ask: 'If my parent can't manage to join a group activity, what would a typical morning look like for them u2014 who would spend time with them and doing what?'"}

  Verified by inspector

• Is the home well-led?

  Good

  {"found":"The inspection rated this domain Good. The home is operated by Aurem Care (Hillcrest) Limited and Ms Laura Rushton is named as the Nominated Individual u2014 the person legally responsible for ensuring the provider meets regulatory requirements. No specific detail is available about management visibility, staff culture, governance systems, how complaints are handled, or how the home responds to incidents. The July 2023 monitoring review found no evidence requiring reassessment, which implies no significant governance failures have been reported since the 2021 inspection.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Good Practice research consistently shows that leadership stability is one of the strongest predictors of care quality over time u2014 homes that retain the same registered manager for three or more years tend to maintain and improve their ratings, while homes going through frequent management changes often see standards slip, particularly in how staff feel supported and how well families are kept informed. With an inspection now over three years old, the leadership picture at Hillcrest may have changed since inspectors last visited. Our family review data highlights communication with families as an area of strong concern u2014 families want to know what is happening with their parent between visits, not just when something goes wrong.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research review found that staff empowerment u2014 specifically whether care workers feel able to raise concerns without fear u2014 is a leading indicator of leadership quality and correlates strongly with resident safety and wellbeing outcomes.","watch_out":"Ask: 'How long has the current registered manager been in post, and if I had a concern about my parent's care, what would happen u2014 who would I speak to and how quickly would I hear back?'"}

  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 residential care for adults over 65, with particular experience in dementia care.. Gaps or open questions remain on For those living with dementia, the team brings both professional expertise and the kind of patient, compassionate approach that helps residents feel secure and valued. — areas worth probing directly during a visit.