The Abbeys Care Home

What families say

People talk about the warmth they feel here — not just in how staff greet visitors, but in the way they connect with residents throughout the day. Family members mention seeing their loved ones participating in activities, with photos on notice boards showing real moments of enjoyment.

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

The eight family priority themes

• Staff warmth72
• Compassion & dignity72
• Cleanliness70
• Activities & engagement65
• Food quality65
• Healthcare70
• Management & leadership75
• Resident happiness70

What inspectors found

Inspected 2018-11-16 · Report published 2018-11-16 · Inspected 5 times in the last three years

• Is this home safe?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"The safe domain was rated Good at the February 2024 inspection. This is an improvement on the home's previous overall rating of Requires Improvement. The published summary does not include specific detail on staffing ratios, medicines management, falls recording, or infection control practices. With 80 beds and dementia listed as a specialism, the staffing picture at night is particularly important and is not described in the available text.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good safety rating means inspectors did not identify concerns serious enough to require improvement at the time of their visit. However, the Good Practice evidence base consistently shows that safety in dementia care is most at risk during night shifts and during periods of occupancy growth, two areas the published report says nothing about. For a home of 80 beds, the difference between two and three carers on nights can be significant if your parent becomes distressed or falls. Our review data shows that families rate staff attentiveness highly when things feel safe, but this is almost impossible to judge from a headline rating alone. Visit in the early evening and observe how quickly call bells are answered.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research and Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review found that night-time staffing ratios are consistently the point at which safety slips in care homes, particularly for people with dementia who may become disorientated and distressed after dark.","watch_out":"Ask the manager to show you the actual staffing rota for last week, not the planned template. Specifically ask how many permanent staff (not agency) were on each night shift, and what the process is when someone with dementia becomes distressed at 3am."}

  Verified by inspectorMentioned, not assessed

• Is the care effective?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"The Effective domain was rated Good at the February 2024 inspection. This domain covers staff training, care planning, healthcare access, and nutrition. The published text does not describe what dementia training staff have received, how frequently care plans are reviewed, or how GP access is arranged. Dementia is listed as a specialism, which means inspectors will have considered whether the home has the skills and systems to support people living with dementia.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good rating for effectiveness tells you that inspectors were satisfied with training, care planning, and healthcare arrangements at the time of the visit. What it does not tell you is whether your mum's care plan reflects who she actually is: her preferred name, her morning routine, her food dislikes, or what calms her when she is anxious. The Good Practice evidence base identifies care plans as living documents that should be updated regularly with family input, not filed and forgotten. Food quality is rated by 20.9% of families in our review data as a key marker of genuine care. Ask to read a sample care plan on your visit.","evidence_base":"The Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review found that regular, documented GP access and care plans that are genuinely reviewed and updated with family involvement are among the strongest predictors of good outcomes for people with dementia in residential care.","watch_out":"Ask the manager how often care plans are reviewed and updated, and whether family members are invited to contribute. Then ask to see a sample plan (anonymised if necessary) to judge for yourself whether it reads as a description of a real person or a checklist of needs."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is this home caring?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"The Caring domain was rated Good at the February 2024 inspection. This domain covers staff warmth, dignity, privacy, and how well staff know the people they care for. The published summary does not include any inspector observations on how staff interacted with residents, whether people were addressed by preferred names, or whether care felt unhurried. No resident or family quotes are available from the published text.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Staff warmth is the single biggest driver of family satisfaction in our review data, mentioned in 57.3% of positive reviews, and compassion and dignity follow closely at 55.2%. The absence of specific observations in the published report means you cannot rely on the headline rating to tell you whether the staff here are genuinely kind or simply compliant. Non-verbal communication matters as much as verbal reassurance for people with dementia, and inspectors observing this in practice is qualitatively different from a general compliance statement. The most reliable way to assess this is to arrive unannounced during a busy period, such as lunchtime or after breakfast, and watch how staff move through the space and speak to the people living there.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research and Leeds Beckett evidence review found that non-verbal communication, tone, pace, and physical gentleness, predicts wellbeing in people with dementia as strongly as any verbal interaction, and that person-centred caring requires staff to know the individual well enough to read their signals.","watch_out":"When you visit, notice whether staff use your parent's preferred name without being prompted, and whether they stop what they are doing to make eye contact when speaking to residents. If staff walk past people without acknowledgement or appear rushed, that tells you more than any rating."}

  Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded

• Is the home responsive?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"The Responsive domain was rated Good at the February 2024 inspection. This domain covers activities, individual engagement, and end-of-life care. The published text does not describe what activities are available, how often they run, whether one-to-one engagement is available for people who cannot join groups, or how end-of-life wishes are recorded. The home supports people with dementia and physical disabilities, both of whom may have limited ability to participate in standard group activities.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Activities and resident happiness together represent nearly half the weight of what families tell us matters most in our review data. A Good rating for responsiveness is a positive sign, but the evidence base is clear that group activities alone are not sufficient for people with moderate or advanced dementia. Tailored, one-to-one engagement, including everyday household tasks like folding, sorting, or simple cooking activities, supports identity and reduces distress in a way that a sing-along in the lounge cannot replicate for everyone. You need to ask specifically about what happens for your parent on an ordinary Tuesday afternoon if they cannot or will not join a group.","evidence_base":"The Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review found that Montessori-based and everyday-task approaches to individual engagement significantly reduce distress and improve mood in people with dementia, and that homes relying primarily on group activities leave a proportion of residents with little meaningful stimulation.","watch_out":"Ask to see the activity schedule for the past two weeks, not a promotional brochure. Then ask specifically: what happens for a resident who cannot join group activities? Who delivers one-to-one engagement, how often, and how is it recorded in the care plan?"}

  Verified by inspector

• Is the home well-led?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"The Well-led domain was rated Good at the February 2024 inspection. Named leadership is in place, with a Registered Manager and a Nominated Individual recorded on the inspection register. The improvement from Requires Improvement to Good across all domains suggests that management has been able to identify problems and address them, which is itself a positive signal. The published text does not describe governance processes, staff culture, quality assurance systems, or how the manager is experienced by staff and residents day to day.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Management stability is one of the strongest predictors of quality trajectory in care homes. The fact that this home has improved from Requires Improvement is meaningful: it means someone identified what was wrong and fixed it. Our review data shows that 23.4% of families highlight visible, approachable management as a key factor in their satisfaction. What you want to establish on a visit is whether the manager is known by name to the people who live there, whether staff feel able to raise concerns, and how long the current manager has been in post. A long-serving manager who knows residents personally is a stronger reassurance than a rating alone.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research and Leeds Beckett evidence review found that leadership stability and a culture where staff feel empowered to speak up without fear are the two strongest structural predictors of sustained quality in care homes, particularly those caring for people with dementia.","watch_out":"Ask the manager directly how long they have been in post and what the main changes were that led to the improvement from Requires Improvement. Then ask a member of care staff, not a senior, the same question informally. Consistent answers are a good sign; vague or evasive ones are 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 The Abbeys provides care for adults both over and under 65, including those living with dementia or physical disabilities.. Gaps or open questions remain on For residents with dementia, the home offers specialized support within their broader care approach. The variety of activities and staff attentiveness helps create structure and engagement throughout the day. — areas worth probing directly during a visit.