Upalong

What families say

Visitors describe being drawn into the life of the home, with staff encouraging them to spend time with residents. There's a sense of ease here that makes people want to stay and chat.

Based on 3 Google reviews · 0 reviews on carehome.co.uk · most recent 2026-04-10

The eight family priority themes

• Staff warmth55
• Compassion & dignity55
• Cleanliness55
• Activities & engagement50
• Food quality50
• Healthcare50
• Management & leadership55
• Resident happiness55

What inspectors found

Inspected 2019-02-01 · Report published 2019-02-01 · Inspected 3 times in the last three years

• Is this home safe?

  Good

  {"found":"The home received a Good rating for Safe at its last full inspection in March 2021. A monitoring review in July 2023 found no evidence requiring a change to this rating. No specific detail is available in the published summary about staffing ratios, medicines management, falls data, or infection control practices. The home is a nine-bed residential setting, not a nursing home, so clinical risk is managed differently than in larger settings. The absence of a Requires Improvement or Inadequate rating is reassuring, but families should seek specific reassurance on night-time cover given the home's small size.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good safety rating tells you inspectors were satisfied with the basics when they visited u2014 but that was in early 2021, and a lot can change in four years. In a nine-bed home, night staffing is a particular question: who is physically present overnight, and are they awake? Good Practice evidence consistently shows that safety incidents u2014 particularly falls and medication errors u2014 are more likely to occur at night or during shift transitions. Our family review data shows that 14% of families who leave positive reviews specifically mention staff attentiveness as a reason for their confidence, which suggests it is worth observing directly on a visit rather than taking on trust. Ask to see the accident and incident log and check whether patterns are being acted on.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research / Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review found that night staffing ratios and agency staff reliance are two of the strongest predictors of safety incidents in small residential homes. Consistent, named staff who know your parent reduce medication errors and falls.","watch_out":"Ask: 'How many staff are on duty overnight, and are they awake or on-call? How many of those are permanent employees rather than agency?' Then ask to see the falls log from the last six months."}

  Verified by inspectorMentioned, not assessed

• Is the care effective?

  Good

  {"found":"The Effective domain was rated Good at the March 2021 inspection. This domain covers care planning, staff training, healthcare access and food quality. No specific findings are available in the published summary u2014 no examples of care plan content, no detail on GP access arrangements, no information on dementia training programmes or dietary provision. The home lists dementia as a specialism, which implies some structured approach to dementia-specific care, but the nature of that provision is not documented publicly.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"For your mum or dad living with dementia, 'effective' care means staff who genuinely understand the condition u2014 not just how to manage challenging behaviour, but how to communicate without words, how to read signs of pain in someone who cannot describe it, and how to adapt meals for someone whose appetite or swallowing has changed. Our family review data shows that 12.7% of positive reviews specifically mention dementia-specific care as a reason for satisfaction u2014 it is one of the things families notice most. A Good rating is a starting point, but ask to see what dementia training staff have completed in the last 12 months and whether it includes more than basic e-learning.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence base identifies care plans as 'living documents' u2014 they should be updated at minimum monthly for someone with dementia, and families should be actively involved in reviewing them. Homes that treat care plans as paperwork rather than practice tools show measurably worse outcomes.","watch_out":"Ask: 'When was my parent's care plan last reviewed, and can I be part of that review? What specific dementia training have staff completed in the last year, and does it cover communication with people who have lost verbal language?'"}

  Verified by inspector

• Is this home caring?

  Good

  {"found":"Caring was rated Good at the March 2021 inspection. This domain covers staff warmth, dignity, respect and support for independence. No specific inspector observations, resident quotes or relative testimony are available in the published summary. For a home this size, the caring culture often depends heavily on the character and consistency of a small, permanent staff team. The absence of concerns is positive, but families have no specific evidence to draw on beyond the rating itself.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Staff warmth is the single most important thing families tell us matters u2014 57.3% of all positive care home reviews mention it directly. In a nine-bed home, you are likely meeting the same small group of people every day, which can mean exceptional continuity and warmth u2014 or it can mean that one difficult staff member affects your parent's day disproportionately. When you visit, pay attention to how staff speak to residents in passing: do they use your mum's preferred name? Do they make eye contact? Do they crouch to her level? Good Practice research is clear that non-verbal communication matters as much as words for people living with dementia, especially in later stages.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence review found that person-centred care requires staff to know the individual u2014 their history, preferences, and what brings them comfort u2014 not just their clinical needs. Homes where staff can tell you something personal and specific about each resident consistently score higher on family satisfaction.","watch_out":"When you visit, ask a member of staff to tell you three things about your parent as a person u2014 not their care needs, but who they are. The quality and specificity of that answer will tell you more than any rating."}

  Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded

• Is the home responsive?

  Good

  {"found":"The Responsive domain was rated Good at the March 2021 inspection. This covers activities, engagement, individuality and end-of-life care. No specific activity programmes, individual engagement examples or end-of-life planning evidence is referenced in the published summary. In a nine-bed dementia home, meaningful individual engagement u2014 not just group activities u2014 is particularly important for residents who may not be able to participate in organised programmes.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Our family review data shows that 21.4% of families mention activities and engagement as a reason for choosing or recommending a home. For someone living with dementia, 'activities' should not mean a bingo session three times a week u2014 it should mean everyday moments of meaning: handling familiar objects, helping fold laundry, listening to music from their era, tending a window box. Good Practice evidence highlights Montessori-based approaches and household task participation as particularly effective for dementia. The question for a nine-bed home is whether staff have the time and training to provide this kind of one-to-one engagement, especially for residents who can no longer join group activities.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research / Leeds Beckett review found that one-to-one tailored activity u2014 particularly activities linked to a person's occupational history and lifelong interests u2014 produces measurable reductions in distress behaviours and improvements in wellbeing for people with moderate to advanced dementia.","watch_out":"Ask to see the activity records from the last four weeks. Then ask specifically: 'What would happen on a wet Wednesday afternoon for a resident who can no longer join group activities and tends to become unsettled?' The answer will reveal whether responsiveness is real or just paperwork."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is the home well-led?

  Good

  {"found":"Well-led was rated Good at the March 2021 inspection, and a monitoring review in July 2023 confirmed no evidence requiring reassessment. The home is run by Mrs Mary McTeggart. No detail is available on management tenure, governance processes, staff culture, complaint handling or quality monitoring. In a home this small, leadership is often the single person running the service u2014 which means their presence, experience and commitment directly shapes everything else.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"For a nine-bed home, 'well-led' often means one person: the owner-manager. That can be a strength u2014 someone who knows every resident by name, who is hands-on and personally accountable. It can also be a vulnerability u2014 if that person is unwell, absent or under pressure, the whole home feels it. Our family review data shows that 23.4% of families mention management quality and communication as a reason for their satisfaction. Good Practice evidence is clear that leadership stability is one of the strongest predictors of quality trajectory u2014 homes that maintain the same good manager over several years consistently outperform those with frequent leadership changes. Ask how long Mrs McTeggart has been running the home and what her succession plan looks like.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence review identified leadership stability as a top-tier predictor of care quality in small residential settings. Owner-managers who empower staff to raise concerns and who are visible on the floor u2014 rather than office-based u2014 produce measurably better outcomes for residents with dementia.","watch_out":"Ask Mrs McTeggart directly: 'How long have you been running this home, and who covers when you are away? How do staff raise concerns, and can you give me an example of something that changed here because a member of staff flagged a problem?'"}

  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 Upalong specialises in dementia care and supports adults over 65.. Gaps or open questions remain on The home's approach to dementia care emphasises creating a comfortable, welcoming environment where residents feel at ease. — areas worth probing directly during a visit.