Asra House Residential Care Home – Sanctuary Care
At a Glance
The information you need to decide whether this home warrants a closer look.
Residential homes
Staff warmth score
of reviewers answered yes
Good to know
- Registered beds42
- SpecialismsCaring for adults over 65 yrs, Caring for adults under 65 yrs, Dementia, Learning disabilities, Physical disabilities, Sensory impairment
- Last inspected2019-02-13
- Activities programmeFresh meals are prepared daily in the kitchen, with menus that reflect residents' cultural preferences and dietary needs. The home stays consistently clean and well-maintained throughout. Families mention the careful attention to making sure food is both nutritious and genuinely enjoyable for residents with different tastes and requirements.
- Visit Website
The Evidence
What the review data, the inspection reports, and the dementia-care evidence base tell us about this home.
What families say
Families talk about walking into a space that feels alive with activity and purpose. Residents take part in festival celebrations, creative projects and even the daily running of the home. The atmosphere reflects the diverse backgrounds of people living here, with familiar foods, languages and customs creating comfort for those who've moved in.
Based on 49 Google reviews · 0 reviews on carehome.co.uk · most recent 2026-04-10
The eight family priority themes
- Staff warmth72
- Compassion & dignity72
- Cleanliness70
- Activities & engagement88
- Food quality65
- Healthcare70
- Management & leadership88
- Resident happiness75
What inspectors found
Inspected 2019-02-13 · Report published 2019-02-13 · Inspected 3 times in the last three years
Is this home safe?
{"found":"The safe domain was rated Good at the February 2022 inspection. This rating covers how the home manages risk, handles medicines, maintains infection control, and deploys staff. A Good rating in this domain indicates inspectors did not find significant concerns about the safety of people living at the home. The available published text does not include specific staffing ratios, falls data, or medicine management observations. Night staffing arrangements for the 42-bed home are not described in the findings available.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good safety rating is reassuring, but it is worth understanding what sits behind it. Good Practice research from the IFF Research and Leeds Beckett University rapid evidence review (2026) found that night staffing is consistently where safety risks emerge, particularly in homes supporting people with dementia. Because the inspection text does not specify overnight ratios, this is the single most important question to ask before you make a decision. Agency staff usage also matters: homes that rely heavily on unfamiliar agency workers find it harder to spot early signs that your parent is unwell or unsettled.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence base identifies night staffing ratios and reliance on agency staff as the two factors most strongly associated with safety incidents in residential dementia care settings.","watch_out":"Ask the manager to show you last week's actual night-shift rota, not the template. Count how many of those shifts were covered by permanent staff and how many by agency workers, and ask what the minimum staffing level is for overnight on the dementia unit."}
Is the care effective?
{"found":"The effective domain was rated Good at the February 2022 inspection. This domain covers how well staff are trained, how care plans are used, how the home monitors health outcomes, and how it supports people with dementia. The home lists dementia, learning disabilities, physical disabilities, and sensory impairment as specialisms. The inspection text available does not provide specific detail on the content of dementia training, the frequency of care plan reviews, or how the home works with GPs and other health professionals.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Good Practice research consistently identifies care plans as living documents that should be updated when your parent's needs change, not just reviewed annually. A Good rating in this domain means inspectors were satisfied with the approach, but the level of detail in the published text does not allow us to confirm how frequently reviews happen or whether families are routinely included. Given that Asra House supports people with dementia as a named specialism, it is reasonable to ask specifically what dementia training staff complete, how it is assessed, and how often it is refreshed.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research and Leeds Beckett University review found that dementia training alone does not improve outcomes: training that is role-specific, regularly refreshed, and observed in practice has a meaningfully stronger effect on the quality of daily care.","watch_out":"Ask the registered manager what dementia training the care staff have completed in the last 12 months, and whether you can see an example of how a care plan is updated when a resident's condition changes. Ask specifically whether families are invited to take part in care plan reviews."}
Is this home caring?
{"found":"The caring domain was rated Good at the February 2022 inspection. This domain covers staff warmth, respect for dignity and privacy, and whether the home supports people to remain as independent as possible. A Good rating indicates inspectors were broadly satisfied with the quality of interactions between staff and the people who live there. The available inspection text does not include specific observations of staff behaviour, resident interactions, or quotes from residents or relatives about their experience of care.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Staff warmth is the single biggest driver of satisfaction in our family review data: 57.3% of positive reviews across 5,409 UK care homes mention it by name. Compassion and dignity follow closely at 55.2%. A Good rating here is a positive signal, but these qualities are best assessed in person rather than from a published report. When you visit, pay attention to whether staff use your parent's preferred name without being prompted, whether they knock before entering rooms, and whether they appear unhurried. These small observable behaviours are reliable indicators of the underlying culture.","evidence_base":"Good Practice research highlights that non-verbal communication matters as much as verbal interaction for people with advanced dementia. Staff who maintain eye contact, crouch to the person's level, and move without hurry communicate safety and respect even when words are harder to process.","watch_out":"During your visit, watch what happens when a member of staff passes a resident in the corridor or common area. Do they stop briefly, make eye contact, and use the person's name? Or do they walk past without acknowledgement? This costs nothing and takes seconds, and it tells you a great deal about the everyday culture of the home."}
Is the home responsive?
{"found":"The responsive domain was rated Outstanding at the February 2022 inspection. This is the highest possible rating and is awarded when inspectors find strong, specific evidence that the home tailors its approach to the individual needs, preferences, and histories of the people who live there. It covers activities, engagement, how the home handles complaints, and end-of-life care planning. The available published text does not include the specific examples and observations that inspectors used to reach this rating, but an Outstanding finding in this domain is meaningful and relatively rare.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"An Outstanding responsive rating is the finding most directly relevant to daily quality of life for your parent. Our family review data shows that resident happiness (27.1% of reviews) and activities and engagement (21.4%) are among the themes families mention most. Good Practice research consistently shows that people with dementia benefit from activities tailored to their individual history and abilities, including everyday household tasks and one-to-one time, rather than group programmes alone. The Outstanding rating strongly implies the home has demonstrated this kind of personalisation to inspectors, though we cannot confirm the specific detail from the text available.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence base identifies individualised activity, including Montessori-based approaches and familiar domestic tasks, as significantly more effective at reducing distress and supporting wellbeing in people with dementia than standard group activity programmes.","watch_out":"Ask to see the activities log from last month and look for evidence of one-to-one engagement alongside group sessions. Ask specifically what would happen on a day when your parent could not join a group activity: who would sit with them, and for how long?"}
Is the home well-led?
{"found":"The well-led domain was rated Outstanding at the February 2022 inspection. This domain covers the quality of management, the culture of the home, how the home learns from incidents and complaints, and how governance systems support continuous improvement. The registered manager is Mrs Ruth David, and the nominated individual is Mrs Louise Palmer, both named on the current registration. An Outstanding rating in well-led is awarded when inspectors find a management team that is visible, accountable, and actively driving improvement. The published summary does not detail the specific evidence inspectors used.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Good Practice research identifies leadership stability as one of the strongest predictors of sustained quality. Homes with consistent, experienced managers tend to maintain their ratings and handle difficult periods, such as rising occupancy or staff changes, more effectively than those with frequent management turnover. An Outstanding well-led rating is a meaningful assurance, but it is worth checking that Mrs Ruth David is still in post and has been there for some time. Management continuity with 23.4% weight in our family review data is a genuine driver of whether the home you see today is the home your parent will experience six months from now.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research and Leeds Beckett University rapid evidence review found that staff empowerment and psychological safety, meaning staff feel able to raise concerns without fear, are consistent markers of well-led services with lower incident rates and higher family satisfaction.","watch_out":"Ask how long the current registered manager has been in post, and ask what the staff turnover rate was in the last 12 months. High turnover, even in a well-rated home, can signal that the positive culture inspectors found is under pressure."}
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 Asra House supports people with dementia, learning disabilities, physical disabilities and sensory impairments. The team cares for both younger adults and those over 65.. Gaps or open questions remain on For residents living with dementia, the team works to maintain familiar routines and cultural connections. Staff understand how important heritage and tradition can be in providing comfort and reducing anxiety. — areas worth probing directly during a visit.
The DCC Verdict
Our editorial view, built from the three lenses: what families tell us, what inspectors record, and how the home sits against good dementia-care practice.
DCC Family Score
Asra House earned an Outstanding overall rating, driven by exceptional scores in responsiveness and leadership. The inspection text available is limited in specific observational detail, so several theme scores reflect the domain ratings rather than granular evidence.
Homes in East Midlands typically score 68–82.The three-lens summary
What families tell us
Families talk about walking into a space that feels alive with activity and purpose. Residents take part in festival celebrations, creative projects and even the daily running of the home. The atmosphere reflects the diverse backgrounds of people living here, with familiar foods, languages and customs creating comfort for those who've moved in.
What inspectors have recorded
The team shows real commitment to getting to know each resident as an individual. Staff coordinate well across shifts, sharing important information about residents' needs and preferences. While there have been occasional concerns about staffing levels, the overall approach focuses on creating consistent, attentive care that families can rely on.
How it sits against good practice
This is a place where diversity isn't just accepted but actively celebrated in the everyday life of the home.
Worth a visit
Asra House Residential Care Home at 15 Asha Margh, Leicester, was rated Outstanding at its most recent inspection in February 2022, with particular strength in how the home responds to individual needs (Responsive: Outstanding) and how it is run (Well-led: Outstanding). The remaining domains, covering safety, effectiveness, and caring, were all rated Good. A monitoring review in July 2023 found no evidence that these ratings needed to change, meaning the home has held this standard for over two years. The main limitation for families is that the publicly available inspection text is a summary rather than a full narrative report, which means specific observations about staff warmth, mealtimes, night staffing, and dementia care practices are not confirmed in detail here. The Outstanding responsive rating is a meaningful signal that the home puts individual needs at the centre of daily life, but you should visit in person, ask to see activity records, and speak with the registered manager, Mrs Ruth David, about how care is personalised for someone with your parent's specific needs.
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In Their Own Words
How Asra House Residential Care Home – Sanctuary Care describes itself — collected from its own website. DCC has not edited or independently verified the content in this tab.
Where cultural traditions meet personalised care every single day
Asra House Residential Care Home – Your Trusted residential home
Finding somewhere that truly understands your loved one's heritage can feel impossible. Asra House in Leicester brings together cultural celebration and individual care in ways that help residents feel genuinely at home. The team here works hard to ensure everyone's background, preferences and daily rhythms are respected and woven into life at the care home.
Who they care for
Asra House supports people with dementia, learning disabilities, physical disabilities and sensory impairments. The team cares for both younger adults and those over 65.
For residents living with dementia, the team works to maintain familiar routines and cultural connections. Staff understand how important heritage and tradition can be in providing comfort and reducing anxiety.
Management & ethos
The team shows real commitment to getting to know each resident as an individual. Staff coordinate well across shifts, sharing important information about residents' needs and preferences. While there have been occasional concerns about staffing levels, the overall approach focuses on creating consistent, attentive care that families can rely on.
The home & environment
Fresh meals are prepared daily in the kitchen, with menus that reflect residents' cultural preferences and dietary needs. The home stays consistently clean and well-maintained throughout. Families mention the careful attention to making sure food is both nutritious and genuinely enjoyable for residents with different tastes and requirements.
“This is a place where diversity isn't just accepted but actively celebrated in the everyday life of the home.”
DCC does not edit or curate content in this tab. For independently curated information, see The Evidence and DCC Verdict.
