Hollybank Rest Home

What families say

Families describe walking into bright, clean spaces that feel immediately welcoming. The atmosphere strikes visitors as fresh and light, with residents who've chosen to stay for years rather than months. People mention how staff take time with difficult questions, offering practical help rather than rushed responses.

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

The eight family priority themes

• Staff warmth55
• Compassion & dignity60
• Cleanliness55
• Activities & engagement50
• Food quality50
• Healthcare50
• Management & leadership65
• Resident happiness55

What inspectors found

Inspected 2018-06-12 · Report published 2018-06-12 · Inspected 2 times in the last three years

• Is this home safe?

  Requires improvement

  {"found":"Safety is the one domain where this home has not yet reached a Good rating u2014 it was assessed as Requires Improvement at the August 2020 inspection. This is notable in a home that specialises in dementia care, where safety issues such as night staffing ratios, falls management, medicines handling, and the consistent presence of familiar staff are especially important. The inspection report text does not provide detail on what specific safety concerns were identified. The overall improvement in other domains suggests the home is on a positive trajectory, but the persistent Requires Improvement in Safe means this area warrants careful scrutiny.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"For your mum or dad, a Requires Improvement in Safe means the inspectors found something that needed to change u2014 but without the full report detail, it is not possible to tell you exactly what that was or whether it has since been resolved. Our Family Review data shows that 14% of positive reviews specifically mention staff attentiveness, and Good Practice research consistently identifies night-time as the highest-risk period in residential care homes. A home of 23 beds may have very few staff on overnight. You have every right to ask the manager directly: what did the safety inspection find, what was done about it, and what are the current night staffing numbers? Do not be put off by a confident answer u2014 ask to see the evidence.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research and Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review found that safety incidents in care homes are most likely to occur at night and at shift-change points, and that homes with high agency staff reliance show significantly weaker safety outcomes due to unfamiliarity with individual residents' needs and routines.","watch_out":"Ask: 'How many permanent staff are on duty overnight, and do you use agency staff to cover nights? If so, how do agency staff get briefed on residents with dementia before their shift starts?'"}

  Verified by inspectorMentioned, not assessed

• Is the care effective?

  Good

  {"found":"Effective was rated Good at the August 2020 inspection. This domain covers whether staff have the right training, whether care plans reflect what your parent actually needs, whether health needs are being met, and whether food and nutrition are managed well. The home lists dementia as a specialism, which implies some investment in relevant training and care approaches. However, the inspection text available for this review does not contain specific observations, staff training records, or care plan examples that would allow a more detailed picture to be verified.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good rating in Effective is reassuring, but for a home specialising in dementia care, the detail behind that rating matters enormously. Our Family Review data shows that 12.7% of positive reviews specifically mention dementia-specific care, and 20.9% highlight food quality u2014 two areas that sit within this domain. Good Practice evidence is clear that care plans should be living documents, updated regularly with family input, not filed-and-forgotten paperwork. When you visit, ask to see a sample care plan and ask how often it is reviewed. Ask what dementia training staff have completed and when. Ask whether a GP visits regularly and how medication reviews are handled.","evidence_base":"The Leeds Beckett evidence review found that person-centred dementia care depends on care plans that are genuinely individualised and regularly updated u2014 homes where care plans are treated as administrative documents rather than practical guides show poorer outcomes for residents with dementia.","watch_out":"Ask: 'Can you show me how a care plan is updated when someone's dementia progresses u2014 who gets involved, and how quickly does the plan change to reflect new needs?'"}

  Verified by inspector

• Is this home caring?

  Good

  {"found":"Caring was rated Good at the August 2020 inspection. This domain examines whether staff treat your parent with kindness, respect their dignity, and support their independence. It also covers whether residents feel heard and whether their preferences shape the care they receive. The home has 23 beds, which is small u2014 and smaller homes often allow for more consistent, familiar relationships between staff and residents. However, the available inspection text contains no direct quotes from residents or relatives and no specific observations about staff interactions.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"For families, staff warmth and compassion are the single most important factors in choosing a care home u2014 they account for 57.3% and 55.2% respectively of what drives positive family reviews in our dataset of 3,602 families. A Good rating in Caring matters, but it is what you see on an unannounced visit that tells you most. Good Practice research shows that for people living with dementia, non-verbal communication u2014 tone of voice, physical proximity, unhurried pace u2014 matters as much as words. Watch whether staff use your parent's preferred name, whether they make eye contact and pause to listen, and whether they move at the resident's pace rather than their own.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research review found that in dementia care, the quality of moment-to-moment staff interactions u2014 particularly non-verbal warmth and unhurried presence u2014 is a stronger predictor of resident wellbeing than structured care plan compliance.","watch_out":"When you visit, watch what happens in the corridor: does staff walking past a resident pause, make eye contact, and say something personal u2014 or do they walk through without acknowledgement? This is one of the clearest indicators of genuine caring culture."}

  Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded

• Is the home responsive?

  Good

  {"found":"Responsive was rated Good at the August 2020 inspection. This domain looks at whether your parent will have a meaningful life at the home u2014 whether activities are tailored to individuals, whether their personal history and preferences are used to shape their day, and whether end-of-life wishes are documented and respected. For a home specialising in dementia care, responsiveness is particularly important as the condition progresses and verbal communication becomes harder. The inspection text does not provide specific examples of activity programmes, individual engagement, or end-of-life care planning.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Our Family Review data shows that 27.1% of positive reviews mention resident happiness and 21.4% mention activities u2014 but the most important finding from Good Practice research for families considering a dementia care home is that group activities alone are insufficient. People with more advanced dementia often cannot participate in group sessions and need one-to-one engagement u2014 meaningful tasks that connect to their personal history, such as folding laundry, sorting objects, or listening to familiar music. Ask the home specifically what happens for a resident who cannot join the group. If the answer is 'they sit in the lounge,' that is a significant gap.","evidence_base":"The Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review found strong evidence that Montessori-based and task-oriented individual engagement significantly reduces distress in people with moderate to advanced dementia u2014 and that homes relying solely on scheduled group activities leave a significant proportion of residents without meaningful engagement for much of the day.","watch_out":"Ask: 'If my parent reaches a point where they can't join group activities, what would a typical Tuesday afternoon look like for them specifically?' Listen for a named member of staff and a named activity u2014 not a general policy statement."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is the home well-led?

  Good

  {"found":"Well-Led was rated Good at the August 2020 inspection, having previously been part of a Requires Improvement overall rating. The home is run by Hollybank Rest Home Limited, with Mrs Michelle Fay Hand as Registered Manager and Mr Glynne Pusey as Nominated Individual. The overall improvement to Good across four domains suggests that leadership has responded to previous concerns and made substantive changes. A named, consistent manager is a positive indicator u2014 Good Practice research identifies management stability as one of the strongest predictors of sustained care quality.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"For your parent, a stable and visible manager means there is someone accountable for what happens day-to-day u2014 not just on inspection days. Our Family Review data shows that 23.4% of positive reviews mention management and 11.5% specifically mention good communication with families. The most important question is whether this improvement has been sustained: the inspection is four years old, and a change in manager, a significant increase in occupancy, or a period of staff turnover can shift a home's quality quickly. When you visit, ask to meet the manager u2014 not just to be shown around by a carer. Ask how long she has been in post and what her plans are for the home.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research and Leeds Beckett review found that leadership stability is one of the most consistent predictors of care quality trajectory u2014 homes where the registered manager has been in post for more than two years show significantly better outcomes than those with frequent management changes.","watch_out":"Ask the manager directly: 'How long have you been in post, and what was the main thing you changed after the previous inspection that led to the improvement in your rating?' A specific, detailed answer is a good sign. A vague or defensive one is not."}

  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 Hollybank specialises in dementia care alongside support for physical disabilities and general care for over-65s. The home accepts both private and local authority funded residents.. Gaps or open questions remain on The home's approach to dementia care balances security with dignity. Thoughtful systems like controlled access help residents move safely through their day while maintaining as much independence as possible. — areas worth probing directly during a visit.