The Firs Care Centre

What families say

Based on 7 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 happiness68

What inspectors found

Inspected 2022-06-16 · Report published 2022-06-16 · Inspected 5 times in the last three years

• Is this home safe?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"The Safe domain was rated Good at the most recent inspection on 1 July 2025. The home is registered to provide nursing care, meaning qualified nurses are part of the staffing model. The published summary does not include specific detail about medicines management, falls prevention, infection control, or night staffing arrangements. The previous Requires Improvement rating may have included safety concerns that have since been addressed, but the published report does not spell out what those were or how they were resolved.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good rating for safety is reassuring after a period of Requires Improvement, but it is a starting point rather than a full answer. Our review data shows that families rate staff attentiveness (14% of positive reviews mention it explicitly) and cleanliness (24.3%) as key safety signals they observe for themselves. Good Practice evidence from the IFF Research and Leeds Beckett rapid review highlights that night staffing is the area where safety most commonly slips in care homes, and that agency reliance can undermine the consistency your parent needs. Because the published report gives no specific night staffing figures, this is a gap you must fill directly.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice rapid evidence review (61 studies, March 2026) found that safety incidents, particularly falls and medication errors, are disproportionately concentrated on night shifts and during periods of high agency staff use. Homes that log and openly discuss incidents show better long-term safety trajectories.","watch_out":"Ask the manager to show you the actual staffing rota for the past two weeks, including nights. Count how many shifts were covered by permanent staff versus agency workers, and confirm how many qualified nurses are present overnight for the 40 beds."}

  Verified by inspectorMentioned, not assessed

• Is the care effective?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"The Effective domain was rated Good at the inspection on 1 July 2025. The home lists dementia as a specialism alongside physical disabilities and sensory impairment, which implies staff should have relevant training across a range of needs. The published summary does not describe the content or frequency of staff training, how care plans are written or reviewed, how GP access is arranged, or how food quality and dietary needs are managed. These are all components of an Effective rating that the available text does not illuminate.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"For families considering this home for a parent with dementia, the Effective domain is where the practical detail really matters. Our review data shows that families care significantly about food quality (20.9% weight in our scoring) and healthcare access (20.2%), and dementia-specific practice appears in 12.7% of positive family reviews. Good Practice research is clear that care plans need to function as living documents, updated with family input, not filed and forgotten. Because none of this detail appears in the published findings, you are working with a rating rather than a description. Ask the manager to walk you through how a new resident's care plan is built and who contributes to it.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence review found that dementia care quality is strongly predicted by staff training content, specifically whether training covers non-verbal communication, behavioural responses to unmet need, and person-centred approaches, rather than simply by whether training is delivered at all.","watch_out":"Ask to see the care plan for a current resident (anonymised if needed) and check whether it includes personal history, preferred name, food preferences, and daily routines. Then ask when it was last reviewed and whether the resident's family was involved."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is this home caring?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"The Caring domain was rated Good at the inspection on 1 July 2025. The published summary does not include direct inspector observations of staff interactions, resident testimony about how they are treated, or descriptions of how privacy and dignity are maintained in practice. The Good rating implies inspectors were satisfied with what they observed, but the available text offers no specifics about preferred names, unhurried care, response to distress, or how individual preferences are honoured.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Staff warmth is the single most important factor in family satisfaction across our entire review dataset, appearing in 57.3% of positive reviews, and compassion and dignity appear in 55.2%. These are not abstract values: families notice them in very specific moments, such as whether a carer knocks before entering a room, whether your dad is called by the name he prefers, and whether staff move at his pace rather than their own. The inspection found this domain to be Good, which is meaningful, but because no specific observations were published, you should treat this as a prompt to observe carefully during your visit rather than as a settled answer.","evidence_base":"Good Practice research confirms that in dementia care, non-verbal communication, tone of voice, unhurried physical contact, and eye-level interaction, is as significant as spoken language. Homes where staff demonstrate these behaviours consistently, not just when being observed, show better outcomes for residents with dementia.","watch_out":"During your visit, spend time in a communal area and watch how staff approach residents who are not asking for anything. Do they make eye contact, use the resident's name, and pause rather than pass? Also ask a member of staff what name your parent would like to be called, and see whether they know how to find that out."}

  Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded

• Is the home responsive?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"The Responsive domain was rated Good at the inspection on 1 July 2025. The home's registered specialisms include dementia, physical disabilities, and sensory impairment, suggesting it aims to meet a range of individual needs. The published summary does not describe the activities programme, how the home supports people who cannot join group activities, how end-of-life wishes are recorded, or how complaints are handled. These are all components of a Responsive rating that would help families make a more informed comparison.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Resident happiness is the third largest driver of positive family reviews in our data (27.1%), and activities and engagement account for 21.4%. Good Practice evidence is clear that group activities alone are insufficient for people with moderate or advanced dementia: one-to-one engagement, including familiar household tasks, music, and sensory activities, makes a measurable difference to wellbeing. Whether this home delivers that kind of individual attention is not answered by the published inspection. Visiting at different times of day, including after lunch when structured activities may have ended, will show you what life actually looks like here.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice rapid evidence review found that Montessori-based and task-oriented individual activities (such as folding, sorting, or simple cooking tasks) significantly reduce agitation and improve mood in people with dementia, and that homes relying primarily on group entertainments often leave those with advanced dementia unstimulated for long periods.","watch_out":"Ask the activities coordinator to describe what a typical Tuesday looks like for a resident who is uncomfortable in groups or who has advanced dementia. Ask specifically what happens between lunch and teatime, and whether one-to-one time is scheduled or depends on staff availability."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is the home well-led?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"The Well-led domain was rated Good at the inspection on 1 July 2025, representing an improvement from a previous Requires Improvement rating. Two registered managers are named: Mrs Helen Elizabeth Grigg and Mr Mircea Nicolae Ciobanu, who is also the nominated individual. The published summary does not describe how visible the managers are to residents and families, how staff are supported and empowered to raise concerns, or what specific governance structures are in place. The improvement trend is the most substantive public signal available.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Management and leadership account for 23.4% of our family score weighting, and communication with families appears in 11.5% of positive reviews. Good Practice research is consistent that leadership stability is one of the strongest predictors of a care home's quality trajectory: homes with a settled, visible manager who staff know and trust tend to maintain and build on good ratings. The fact that this home has moved from Requires Improvement to Good is a meaningful indicator, but two registered managers listed simultaneously raises a practical question about who is accountable day to day and who Sarah should contact when something changes for her parent.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence review found that homes where staff feel able to raise concerns without fear, and where managers respond visibly to feedback, show more consistent care quality than those relying on top-down governance alone. Leadership that is visible on the floor, not just in the office, is a specific marker of this culture.","watch_out":"Ask which of the two registered managers is the day-to-day lead and how long they have been in post. Then ask what changed between the previous Requires Improvement rating and now: a manager who can answer that question clearly and specifically is a positive sign."}

  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 Firs provides specialist support for people with sensory impairments and physical disabilities, alongside their dementia care services. They're equipped to care for adults across different age groups, from those under 65 through to older residents.. Gaps or open questions remain on For residents living with dementia, The Firs maintains consistent staffing to help ensure safety and familiarity. Their team works with families to provide appropriate support as needs change. — areas worth probing directly during a visit.