Ponsandane Care 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 warmth72
• Compassion & dignity72
• Cleanliness72
• Activities & engagement65
• Food quality65
• Healthcare70
• Management & leadership75
• Resident happiness70

What inspectors found

Inspected 2018-02-17 · Report published 2018-02-17 · Inspected 5 times in the last three years

• Is this home safe?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"The Safe domain was rated Good at the January 2024 inspection. This follows a previous Requires Improvement overall rating, suggesting the home has addressed earlier concerns about safety. A Good Safe rating typically indicates that medicines are managed correctly, that accidents and incidents are recorded and followed up, and that staffing levels are considered adequate. No specific incidents, staffing numbers, or infection control observations are described in the available inspection summary. The improvement in this domain is a positive signal but should prompt specific questions on a visit.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good Safe rating means inspectors were satisfied that your parent would not be at immediate or obvious risk in this home. What it cannot tell you u2014 because the available report does not say u2014 is how many staff are on duty overnight, how often agency workers cover shifts, or what happens when an incident occurs. Our family review data shows that staff attentiveness is one of the themes families feel most strongly about. Good Practice research is clear that safety most often slips at night, when staffing is thinnest and permanent staff are fewest. The improvement from Requires Improvement is genuinely encouraging, but you should test it with specific questions rather than taking the rating alone as reassurance.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research / Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review found that night staffing levels and agency staff reliance are among the strongest predictors of safety incidents in care homes u2014 and are rarely captured in detail in inspection reports alone.","watch_out":"When you visit, ask: 'How many staff are on the dementia unit after 8pm, and is that number the same at weekends?' Then ask how many of those shifts in the past month were covered by agency workers rather than permanent staff."}

  Verified by inspectorMentioned, not assessed

• Is the care effective?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"The Effective domain was rated Good in January 2024. For a home specialising in dementia care, this rating covers whether staff have appropriate training, whether care plans are used as living documents that reflect your parent's changing needs, and whether healthcare u2014 including GP access and medication management u2014 is well organised. The available inspection summary does not include specific detail about training content, care plan review frequency, or nutrition and hydration findings. The Good rating indicates inspectors were satisfied overall.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good Effective rating tells you the home is doing what it should, but the detail matters enormously in dementia care. Care plans need to be more than paperwork u2014 they need to capture who your parent actually is: their preferred name, their routines, what calms them, what distresses them. Good Practice evidence shows that homes where care plans are genuinely personalised and regularly reviewed produce better outcomes for people with dementia. Ask specifically whether you would be invited to contribute to your parent's care plan and how often it is formally reviewed. Food quality is also part of this domain u2014 and in our family review data, it ranks consistently in the top half of things families notice and remember.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence base identifies care plans as 'living documents' u2014 their value lies not in being completed but in being used daily by every member of staff who interacts with the person. Homes where care plans are regularly updated with family input consistently show better personalisation of care.","watch_out":"Ask to see a sample care plan structure (not your parent's, but a template) and ask: 'How often is my parent's care plan formally reviewed, and would I be invited to take part?' Also ask whether the home has a regular visiting GP and how medication reviews are handled."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is this home caring?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"The Caring domain was rated Good in January 2024. This is the domain that most directly reflects what daily life feels like for your parent u2014 whether staff are warm, whether they treat people with dignity and respect, and whether they take the time to understand each person as an individual. No direct quotes from residents, relatives, or staff are available in the inspection summary provided. The Good rating indicates inspectors were satisfied with what they observed, but the absence of specific observations means this domain cannot be scored above the mid-range of Good.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"In our DCC family review data, staff warmth (57.3% of positive reviews) and compassion and dignity (55.2%) are by far the two most important things families notice about a care home. A Good Caring rating from inspectors is a positive foundation, but it is not the same as watching your mum being greeted by name, or seeing a member of staff sit with your dad when he is confused and upset. Good Practice research tells us that non-verbal communication u2014 a hand on the shoulder, unhurried eye contact, a calm tone u2014 matters as much as formal training in dementia care. These are things you can only assess in person. A visit at an unplanned time, or at the end of the day when staffing is lower, will tell you more than a Good rating alone.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence review found that person-centred caring requires staff to know each resident as an individual u2014 not just their care needs but their history, preferences, and personality. Homes where this knowledge is embedded in daily practice, not just recorded in files, consistently receive higher caring ratings and better family feedback.","watch_out":"When you walk through the home, notice what happens when a member of staff passes your parent in the corridor. Do they stop, make eye contact, use their name? Ask staff what your parent's preferred name is and what they enjoy doing. If they know immediately and with warmth, that tells you something the inspection report cannot."}

  Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded

• Is the home responsive?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"The Responsive domain was rated Good in January 2024. This domain covers whether the home tailors its care to each person's individual needs and preferences, whether there are meaningful activities available, and whether end-of-life care is planned and compassionate. Ponsandane specialises in dementia, learning disabilities, and physical disabilities u2014 a range of needs that makes responsiveness particularly important. No specific description of activities, individual engagement, or end-of-life planning is available in the inspection summary.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Our family review data shows that resident happiness (27.1% of reviews) and activities and engagement (21.4%) are both significant contributors to how families feel about a care home. A Good Responsive rating indicates the home is meeting people's needs, but what matters most for your parent is whether activities are genuinely tailored u2014 not just a group session they are moved through, but something connected to who they were and what they loved. Good Practice research highlights the importance of one-to-one engagement for people with advanced dementia who cannot participate in group activities. Ask specifically what would happen for your parent on a quiet afternoon when the group activity is not right for them.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research / Leeds Beckett evidence review found that Montessori-based approaches and the incorporation of everyday household tasks u2014 folding, gardening, cooking u2014 produce significantly better engagement and wellbeing outcomes for people with dementia than traditional group activities alone.","watch_out":"Ask the activities coordinator: 'If my parent doesn't want to join a group activity, or can't, what would happen for them that afternoon?' Then ask to see the activity schedule for the past two weeks u2014 not the planned one, but what actually happened. The gap between the two is often revealing."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is the home well-led?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"The Well-led domain was rated Good in January 2024. The home is managed by registered manager Hilary Victoria Katia Hasson, with Kim Pankhurst as nominated individual and Swallowcourt Limited as the operating organisation. The improvement from a previous Requires Improvement rating to Good across all domains simultaneously is a strong indicator of effective leadership. A Well-led rating of Good suggests governance systems are functioning, staff are supported, and the home is learning from experience. No specific detail about staff culture, management visibility, or governance processes is available in the inspection summary.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Our family review data shows that visible, trustworthy management (23.4% of positive reviews) and communication with families (11.5%) are consistent themes in what makes families feel confident about a care home. Good Practice research is clear that leadership stability is one of the strongest predictors of quality trajectory u2014 homes with consistent, embedded managers tend to improve and hold their ratings, while management instability often precedes decline. The fact that Ponsandane has a named registered manager and has improved from Requires Improvement to Good is encouraging. What you want to know on a visit is how long the current manager has been in post and whether staff feel comfortable raising concerns.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence base identifies leadership stability as a primary predictor of quality trajectory. Homes with embedded managers who have been in post for two or more years consistently outperform those with recent management changes on all quality measures.","watch_out":"Ask the manager directly: 'How long have you been in post here, and how long have your senior care staff been with you?' A home where the manager and core team have been stable for two or more years is a significantly stronger signal than a Good rating achieved under a recently appointed team."}

  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 at Ponsandane supports residents with dementia, learning disabilities and physical disabilities. They provide specialist care for adults over 65, with experience supporting people through complex care needs.. Gaps or open questions remain on For residents with dementia, the home provides specialised support that helps maintain dignity and quality of life. The team understands the unique challenges families face when dementia progresses. — areas worth probing directly during a visit.