OSJCT Marden Court

What families say

Visitors frequently mention how friendly and dedicated the staff are, taking time to really get to know each resident. The home has a pleasant, welcoming atmosphere that helps people feel at ease. Many families notice their relatives seem genuinely happy and well-settled in their new surroundings.

Based on 5 Google reviews · 0 reviews on carehome.co.uk · most recent 2026-04-10

The eight family priority themes

• Staff warmth72
• Compassion & dignity72
• Cleanliness72
• Activities & engagement68
• Food quality68
• Healthcare70
• Management & leadership75
• Resident happiness70

What inspectors found

Inspected 2019-06-21 · Report published 2019-06-21 · Inspected 4 times in the last three years

• Is this home safe?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"The Safe domain was rated Good at the December 2023 inspection. This is an improvement from the home's previous Requires Improvement rating, which suggests that earlier safety concerns have been resolved. The published report does not provide specific detail about staffing ratios, medicines management, falls monitoring, or infection control practices. A named registered manager is in post, which is a basic but important safety governance requirement. No specific concerns or incidents are referenced in the published summary.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good rating for safety after a previous Requires Improvement rating is reassuring, but the published evidence is thin. Our Good Practice evidence base highlights that safety most often slips at night, when staffing is lower and oversight is reduced. The published report does not tell you how many staff are on the dementia unit after 8pm, how agency cover is managed, or how falls are logged and acted on. These are exactly the questions to ask before making a decision. Cleanliness is cited by 24.3% of families in our review data as a key concern, and again the published report offers no specific observations on hygiene or infection control.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research and Leeds Beckett University rapid evidence review found that night staffing ratios and agency staff consistency are among the strongest predictors of safety outcomes in residential dementia care. A Good rating does not tell you what those ratios are.","watch_out":"Ask the manager to show you the actual staffing rota for last week, not the template rota. Count how many permanent staff were on duty overnight compared with agency staff, specifically on the dementia unit."}

  Verified by inspectorMentioned, not assessed

• Is the care effective?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"The Effective domain was rated Good at the December 2023 inspection, covering areas such as staff training, care planning, and access to healthcare. The published summary does not include specific examples of how care plans are written or reviewed, what dementia training staff have completed, or how the home works with GPs and other health professionals. The improvement from Requires Improvement suggests that training or care planning gaps identified previously have been addressed. No direct evidence of care plan quality, GP access frequency, or dietary provision is available in the published text.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good rating for Effectiveness is positive, but families in our review data identify dementia-specific care (12.7% of positive reviews) and food quality (20.9%) as areas they care about deeply, and the published report says nothing specific about either. The Good Practice evidence base identifies care plans as living documents that should be reviewed regularly with family input. You cannot tell from the published report how often care plans are updated at this home, or whether families are invited to contribute. Food quality matters too, and the published findings give no indication of menu choice, dietary understanding, or how mealtimes are managed.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence review found that homes where care plans are reviewed at least monthly with family involvement produce measurably better outcomes for people living with dementia, particularly in maintaining identity and reducing distress.","watch_out":"Ask to see an example of how a care plan is structured (with personal details removed) and ask specifically how often plans are reviewed and whether families are invited to take part in those reviews."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is this home caring?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"The Caring domain was rated Good at the December 2023 inspection. This domain covers staff warmth, dignity, respect, and support for independence. The published summary does not include any direct observations of staff interactions, resident or relative testimony, or specific examples of how dignity is maintained. The improvement from Requires Improvement is a meaningful signal, suggesting that concerns about care quality or staff behaviour identified at an earlier inspection have been resolved. No specific evidence of how staff address residents by preferred names, respond to distress, or support residents to remain independent is available in the public record.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Staff warmth is the single biggest driver of family satisfaction in our review data, cited in 57.3% of positive reviews, and compassion and dignity are cited in 55.2%. These are the things families notice most when they visit and the things that matter most to your parent day to day. The published report confirms a Good rating but offers no specific observations to support it. The Good Practice evidence base is clear that non-verbal communication, unhurried pace, and use of preferred names are the most reliable observable indicators of genuine caring culture. You will need to assess these yourself on a visit.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence review found that person-led care, where staff know each resident's history, preferences, and communication style, is the most reliable predictor of wellbeing for people living with dementia, more so than any single structural feature of the home.","watch_out":"When you visit, watch how staff greet your parent in a corridor or communal area. Do they use a preferred name, make eye contact, and move without hurry? This is more informative than anything a manager can tell you in a meeting."}

  Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded

• Is the home responsive?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"The Responsive domain was rated Good at the December 2023 inspection. This domain covers activities, individual engagement, responsiveness to complaints, and end-of-life care. The published summary does not include any detail about the activities programme, how the home tailors engagement for residents with more advanced dementia, or how complaints are handled. No mention is made of one-to-one activities, outdoor access, or how end-of-life preferences are recorded and respected. The Good rating and upward trend are positive signals, but the absence of specific evidence means this domain cannot be assessed in detail from the published report alone.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Resident happiness is cited in 27.1% of positive family reviews and activities in 21.4%, making this one of the most important areas for families to probe directly. The Good Practice evidence base is clear that group activities alone are not sufficient for people with more advanced dementia, who need tailored one-to-one engagement to maintain wellbeing. The published report does not tell you whether this home provides that. Ask specifically what your parent would do on a typical Tuesday afternoon, and what happens if they cannot join a group session. Independence, cited in 7.4% of positive reviews, is also worth exploring: ask how the home supports residents to do everyday tasks for themselves where they are able.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence review found that Montessori-based approaches and involvement in familiar household tasks, such as folding, setting tables, or tending plants, are among the most effective ways to maintain a sense of purpose and reduce distress in people living with dementia.","watch_out":"Ask to see last month's actual activity records, not just the planned schedule. Ask how many one-to-one activity sessions took place that month and what they involved for residents who could not join group activities."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is the home well-led?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"The Well-led domain was rated Good at the December 2023 inspection, up from Requires Improvement at a previous assessment. A named registered manager, Mr Dean Philip Palfrey, is confirmed as in post, alongside a nominated individual representing the provider organisation, The Orders of St. John Care Trust. The published summary does not include specific detail about governance processes, how the management team engages with staff or residents, or how the home monitors and improves its own quality. The upward trend from Requires Improvement to Good across all domains is the strongest signal of effective leadership available in the public record.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Management quality is cited in 23.4% of positive family reviews, and communication with families in 11.5%. The Good Practice evidence base identifies leadership stability as the strongest predictor of quality trajectory in care homes: homes with consistent, visible managers tend to maintain and improve their ratings, while homes with frequent management changes often decline. The published report confirms a named manager is in post, which is a necessary but not sufficient indicator of good leadership. You should ask how long the current manager has been in post, how often they are present on the floor, and how the home communicates with families about changes in a resident's health or wellbeing.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence review found that leadership stability, specifically a consistent registered manager who is visible to staff, residents, and families, is the single strongest structural predictor of sustained quality in residential care homes.","watch_out":"Ask the manager directly how long they have been in post at this home and whether there have been any significant staffing changes in the past 12 months, including among senior carers and team leaders. High turnover in senior roles can undermine a Good rating quickly."}

  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 adults of all ages, providing specialist support for people living with dementia and mental health conditions.. Gaps or open questions remain on For residents with dementia, the team understands the importance of maintaining familiar routines and connections. The regular activities and community outings help provide structure and engagement throughout the week. — areas worth probing directly during a visit.