mallands care ltd

What families say

Based on 9 Google reviews · 0 reviews on carehome.co.uk · most recent 2026-04-10

The eight family priority themes

• Staff warmth85
• Compassion & dignity90
• Cleanliness70
• Activities & engagement82
• Food quality65
• Healthcare70
• Management & leadership88
• Resident happiness80

What inspectors found

Inspected 2018-05-04 · Report published 2018-05-04 · Inspected 1 times in the last three years

• Is this home safe?

  Good

  {"found":"Inspectors rated the home Good for safety at the February 2018 inspection. A Good rating in this domain requires inspectors to be satisfied that risks are managed, medicines are handled correctly, and staffing is sufficient for the people living there. The published summary does not provide specific detail on night staffing ratios, agency staff usage, or falls management processes. Infection control and cleanliness are not described in the available text.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good safety rating is reassuring, but it is the detail behind it that matters most for your parent. Our Good Practice evidence base is clear that safety most often slips at night, when staffing is thinner and permanent carers may be replaced by agency staff who do not know your parent's routines. The published findings do not tell you how many staff are on after 8pm or how often agency staff cover shifts. These are the two most important questions to ask on a visit. Cleanliness, which 24.3% of positive family reviews specifically mention, is also not addressed in the published summary, so observe this yourself when you visit.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research and Leeds Beckett University rapid evidence review found that night staffing ratios and agency staff reliance are among the strongest predictors of safety incidents in residential dementia care. A home may perform well in daytime inspections while night-time provision remains thin.","watch_out":"Ask the manager to show you the actual staffing rota from last week, not a template. Count how many permanent staff were on each night shift and how many were agency. Then ask: what is the minimum number of carers on the floor between 10pm and 6am for 38 residents?"}

  Verified by inspectorMentioned, not assessed

• Is the care effective?

  Good

  {"found":"The home was rated Good for effective at the February 2018 inspection. This domain covers training, care planning, access to healthcare professionals, and nutrition. The home specialises in dementia, physical disabilities, and the care of adults over 65. A Good rating indicates that training and care planning meet expected standards, but the published summary does not detail the content of dementia training, the frequency of care plan reviews, or how GP and specialist access is arranged.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"For your parent living with dementia, the quality of staff training is one of the most consequential things a home can get right or wrong. Our Good Practice evidence base identifies dementia-specific training, particularly in non-verbal communication and behavioural understanding, as a direct driver of care quality. The published findings confirm training is in place but do not tell you what it covers. Ask specifically whether staff have training in recognising pain in people who cannot express it verbally. Food quality, which 20.9% of family reviewers raise, is not addressed in the published findings. Ask to stay for lunch on your visit.","evidence_base":"The Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review found that care plans function best as living documents, reviewed regularly with family involvement, rather than administrative records completed at admission. Homes that review plans frequently and include families in the process show better outcomes for residents with dementia.","watch_out":"Ask the manager: how often is my parent's care plan formally reviewed, and will I be invited to take part? Then ask to see a sample care plan (anonymised) to check whether it reads as a real description of a person or as a tick-box form."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is this home caring?

  Outstanding

  {"found":"Inspectors rated the home Outstanding for caring at the February 2018 inspection. This is the highest possible rating and requires specific inspector evidence of genuine compassion, dignity, respect, and person-led interactions, not simply compliance with procedures. An Outstanding caring rating is achieved by fewer than one in ten care homes in England. The published summary does not reproduce specific observations or quotes, but the rating itself is a strong indicator of what inspectors found when they visited.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Staff warmth is the single biggest driver of family satisfaction in our review data, mentioned in 57.3% of positive reviews. Compassion and dignity together account for 55.2%. The Outstanding caring rating tells you that inspectors, who are trained to distinguish genuine warmth from performed politeness, found real evidence of both when they visited in 2018. The practical signals to look for on your own visit are: whether staff use your parent's preferred name without being prompted, whether interactions feel unhurried, and whether staff notice and respond to non-verbal signs of discomfort or pleasure. These are the observable markers that align with what the inspection found.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research rapid evidence review found that non-verbal communication is as important as verbal communication in dementia care, and that staff who are trained to read and respond to non-verbal cues produce measurably better wellbeing outcomes for residents. Person-led care requires genuinely knowing the individual, not just following a written plan.","watch_out":"When you visit, watch what happens when a member of staff passes your parent in a corridor or common room. Do they stop, make eye contact, use a name, and respond to mood? Or do they walk past without acknowledgement? This unscripted moment is one of the most reliable signals of genuine caring culture."}

  Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded

• Is the home responsive?

  Outstanding

  {"found":"Inspectors rated the home Outstanding for responsive at the February 2018 inspection. This domain covers the extent to which care is tailored to individuals, activities are meaningful and varied, complaints are handled well, and end-of-life care reflects personal wishes. An Outstanding rating here requires inspectors to find specific evidence that the home goes beyond standard provision to meet individual needs. The published summary does not reproduce specific examples of activities or end-of-life planning, but the rating indicates these were found to a high standard.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Activities and individual engagement account for 21.4% of positive family reviews, and resident happiness for 27.1%. An Outstanding responsive rating is a strong sign that the home has moved beyond the standard group-activity model towards genuinely individualised engagement. For your parent with dementia, this matters because the Good Practice evidence base shows that tailored one-to-one activity, including everyday household tasks and familiar routines, produces better wellbeing outcomes than group sessions alone. The published findings do not describe specific activities, so ask what would happen on a typical Tuesday for your parent given their specific history, interests, and abilities.","evidence_base":"The Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review found that Montessori-based and task-oriented approaches, where residents engage in meaningful, familiar activities rather than passive group entertainment, are associated with reduced agitation and improved mood in people with moderate to advanced dementia.","watch_out":"Ask the activities coordinator: what would you plan for my parent if they could no longer join group sessions? Listen for a specific answer based on your parent's history and preferences, not a general description of the programme. If the answer is vague, probe further."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is the home well-led?

  Outstanding

  {"found":"Inspectors rated the home Outstanding for well-led at the February 2018 inspection. This is the highest possible rating and requires evidence of a positive, open culture, visible and effective leadership, strong governance, and staff who feel supported and able to raise concerns. The registered manager named at the time of inspection is Mrs Rosalind Wills. The July 2023 review found no reason to reassess the rating, though that review was data-based rather than a physical visit. The inspection took place more than seven years ago.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Leadership stability is one of the strongest predictors of quality trajectory in residential care. Our Good Practice evidence base is clear that where a good manager stays in post, quality tends to be maintained or improved; where managers change frequently, quality can deteriorate quickly even if ratings have not yet caught up. The outstanding well-led rating from 2018 is genuinely encouraging, but seven years is a long time. Before you choose this home, confirm that Mrs Wills is still the registered manager, ask how long the current senior team has been in place, and ask how staff are supported to raise concerns. Communication with families, which 11.5% of reviewers raise as a key theme, is not described in the published findings. Ask how you would be kept informed of changes in your parent's health or care.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research rapid evidence review identified manager tenure as one of the most reliable predictors of sustained care quality. Homes where the registered manager has been in post for three or more years consistently outperform homes with frequent management turnover, regardless of the headline rating.","watch_out":"Ask directly: is Mrs Rosalind Wills still the registered manager, and how long has she been in this role? If the manager has changed since 2018, ask who the current manager is, how long they have been in post, and what their background is in dementia care. A new manager is not necessarily a problem, but you need to know."}

  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 team provides specialist support for residents with dementia and physical disabilities. They focus on maintaining dignity while supporting the individual needs of people over 65.. Gaps or open questions remain on Mallands offers dedicated dementia care, with staff trained to support residents through the different stages of their journey. The home creates an environment designed to help people with dementia feel secure and valued. — areas worth probing directly during a visit.