Southfield House

What families say

People who know the home speak about the caring nature of the staff. There's a sense that the team here really listens and responds to what residents need, taking time to help in practical ways throughout the day.

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
• Cleanliness68
• Activities & engagement65
• Food quality65
• Healthcare68
• Management & leadership72
• Resident happiness70

What inspectors found

Inspected 2019-05-29 · Report published 2019-05-29 · Inspected 3 times in the last three years

• Is this home safe?

  Good

  {"found":"The Safe domain is rated Good, an improvement from the previous Requires Improvement rating. This covers staffing levels, medicines management, infection control, and how risks to your parent are identified and managed. The published report text does not include specific inspector observations about falls recording, medicines administration, or infection control practices. No concerns or regulatory requirements were recorded at the most recent inspection.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good safety rating after a previous Requires Improvement is meaningful. It tells you that whatever prompted the earlier concern has been addressed to the satisfaction of inspectors. For families of people living with dementia, safety is the foundation of everything else: if your dad wanders at night, you need to know there are enough staff to notice and respond. The published text does not tell you what staffing looks like after 8pm or how much the home relies on agency staff. Good Practice research consistently identifies night-time as the period when safety is most vulnerable in small residential homes. Ask specifically about overnight cover before you visit.","evidence_base":"IFF Research and Leeds Beckett University found that agency staff reliance is one of the strongest predictors of inconsistent care for people with dementia, because familiarity and routine are essential to their sense of security and calm.","watch_out":"When you visit, ask the manager: how many permanent staff are on duty overnight, and what is the home's current policy on agency staff use? If the answer is vague or the number sounds low for 23 residents, press for specifics."}

  Verified by inspectorMentioned, not assessed

• Is the care effective?

  Good

  {"found":"The Effective domain is rated Good, covering training, care planning, healthcare access, and nutrition. Dementia and sensory impairment are registered specialisms, which means the home is expected to demonstrate specific knowledge and adapted practice in these areas. The published report text does not describe what dementia training staff have completed, how frequently care plans are reviewed, or how the home manages GP access and health monitoring. No concerns were identified by inspectors in this domain.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"For your parent living with dementia, effectiveness means staff who genuinely understand what the condition does to a person, not just the theory but the daily reality of confusion, frustration, and changed communication. A Good rating in this domain is encouraging, but the absence of detail in the published text means you cannot yet confirm whether care plans are updated with your family's input or whether dementia training goes beyond basic awareness. Good Practice evidence shows that care plans treated as living documents, reviewed with families at least quarterly, are associated with significantly better outcomes. Ask to see a sample of how preferences are captured and whether family members can attend review meetings.","evidence_base":"The Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review found that person-centred care planning, where care plans reflect the individual's life history and are regularly updated with family involvement, is one of the strongest evidence-based practices for improving quality of life in dementia care.","watch_out":"Ask to see how the home captures your parent's life history and personal preferences in their care plan, and ask when the last formal review of a resident's care plan took place and who was invited to attend."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is this home caring?

  Good

  {"found":"The Caring domain is rated Good, covering staff warmth, dignity, respect, and how well staff treat people as individuals. This domain is typically assessed through direct observation of staff interactions, conversations with residents and families, and records. The published report text does not include specific observations, direct quotes from residents or relatives, or examples of how staff responded to individuals in distress. No concerns about dignity or respect were identified.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Warmth and compassion are the themes families care about most in DCC review data, cited in over half of all positive reviews. A Good Caring rating tells you inspectors were satisfied, but without specific observations in the report you cannot yet picture what care looks and feels like for your mum on an ordinary morning. Does a staff member know she prefers to be called by her first name? Does someone sit with her if she becomes frightened? Good Practice research tells us that non-verbal communication, tone of voice, body language, and unhurried presence, matters as much as spoken words for people with advanced dementia. A visit is essential to get a feel for the culture on the floor.","evidence_base":"Research included in the IFF and Leeds Beckett evidence review shows that person-centred interactions, including using preferred names, maintaining eye contact, and never completing tasks in a rush, are the single biggest contributors to emotional wellbeing for people living with dementia.","watch_out":"When you visit, watch what happens in a corridor when a member of staff passes a resident: do they stop, make eye contact, and use the person's name, or do they walk past? This small moment tells you more than any rating."}

  Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded

• Is the home responsive?

  Good

  {"found":"The Responsive domain is rated Good, covering activities, engagement, individuality, and end-of-life care. The home is registered as specialising in dementia and sensory impairment, both of which require adapted approaches to engagement. The published report text does not describe specific activities on offer, how activities are tailored to individual ability, or what provision exists for people who cannot join group sessions. No concerns were identified in this domain.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"For your parent, responsiveness means the home adapts to who they are, not the other way around. For someone with dementia, that might mean a familiar household task rather than a structured group activity, or one-to-one time with a familiar staff member on a difficult afternoon. DCC family review data shows that activities and engagement feature in over a fifth of positive reviews, but the research evidence is clear that group activities alone are not enough, especially for people in later stages of dementia. The published report gives no detail about individual engagement provision. On your visit, ask what a typical day looks like for someone who cannot follow a group session.","evidence_base":"The Leeds Beckett evidence review found that Montessori-based and everyday task-focused approaches, where people engage in familiar activities such as folding, gardening, or simple cooking, produce measurably better wellbeing outcomes than structured group entertainment for people with moderate to advanced dementia.","watch_out":"Ask the activity coordinator (or the manager if there is no dedicated coordinator) what provision exists for one-to-one engagement for residents who cannot join group activities, and ask to see the activity schedule for the previous week, not just a printed plan."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is the home well-led?

  Good

  {"found":"The Well-led domain is rated Good, and the home has two named registered managers: Mrs Ann Andrew and Mrs Julie Ann Jakuba. Mrs Ann Andrew is also the nominated individual, indicating personal accountability at provider level. The home has moved from Requires Improvement to Good across all domains, which is a positive signal about leadership direction. The published text does not describe management style, staff culture, how concerns are raised, or how the home learns from incidents and complaints.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Leadership stability is one of the strongest predictors of quality in small care homes. Good Practice research is clear that homes where the manager is known to staff and families, and where staff feel able to raise concerns without fear, maintain standards more consistently over time. The dual-manager structure here could mean strong shared leadership or it could mean accountability is diluted. The improvement from Requires Improvement is genuinely encouraging and suggests someone in charge has driven change. Ask how long each manager has been in post and whether either is present on the floor regularly rather than working mainly in an office.","evidence_base":"IFF Research found that manager tenure and visibility on the floor are among the most reliable indicators of sustained quality in residential care, with homes led by long-serving, accessible managers significantly less likely to deteriorate between inspections.","watch_out":"Ask both managers how long they have each been in post, what the biggest change they made after the previous Requires Improvement rating was, and how staff raise a concern if they see something they are worried about."}

  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 specialist support for people living with dementia and those with sensory impairments. They welcome residents over 65 who need residential care.. Gaps or open questions remain on For residents living with dementia, the team brings experience in providing patient, understanding care. They work to maintain dignity and independence wherever possible. — areas worth probing directly during a visit.