Autumn Grange Care Home

What families say

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
• Cleanliness70
• Activities & engagement65
• Food quality65
• Healthcare70
• Management & leadership78
• Resident happiness70

What inspectors found

Inspected 2023-04-14 · Report published 2023-04-14 · Inspected 4 times in the last three years

• Is this home safe?

  Good

  {"found":"The Safe domain is rated Good, an improvement from the previous inspection. This covers staffing levels, medicines management, safeguarding, and infection control. The available report text does not provide specific observations about any of these areas, so the Good rating reflects inspectors' overall satisfaction rather than a detailed evidenced picture. The improvement from Requires Improvement suggests that earlier concerns in this area have been addressed. No falls data, night staffing numbers, or agency usage information is recorded in the available text.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good in Safe means inspectors did not identify concerns about how your parent would be kept physically secure and well at Autumn Grange. For families with a parent living with dementia, the night hours matter enormously: research consistently shows that safety incidents are more likely when permanent staff numbers drop and agency cover increases. The inspection does not tell us how many staff are on overnight or how much the home relies on agency workers, so you will need to ask those questions directly. The previous Requires Improvement rating means this home has had safety concerns in the past; the current Good suggests they have been resolved, but it is reasonable to ask the manager what specifically changed.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence base (IFF Research and Leeds Beckett University, 2026) identifies night staffing ratios and agency staff reliance as two of the strongest predictors of safety quality in dementia care homes. Homes that maintain consistent permanent staffing overnight report fewer falls, fewer missed medicines doses, and better responses to distress.","watch_out":"Ask the manager: how many permanent, named staff are on duty on the dementia unit between 10pm and 7am, and what percentage of shifts in the last three months were covered by agency staff rather than regular employees?"}

  Verified by inspectorMentioned, not assessed

• Is the care effective?

  Good

  {"found":"The Effective domain is rated Good. This domain covers training, care planning, nutrition, and healthcare access. The home lists dementia as a specialism and holds a nursing registration, indicating a clinical workforce is in place. The available report text does not include specific observations about dementia training content, care plan quality, GP visiting arrangements, or mealtime experience. The Good rating confirms inspectors were satisfied overall, but the detail behind that judgement is not available in the published text.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good in Effective is reassuring if your parent needs nursing care or has a dementia diagnosis, because it tells you inspectors found the clinical and care planning processes to be working. For your dad or mum living with dementia, what matters most in practice is whether the care plan actually reflects who they are: their preferred name, their routines, what they enjoy, and what frightens them. The Good Practice evidence base is clear that care plans work best when they are treated as living documents, reviewed regularly as needs change, and co-produced with families. The inspection does not confirm whether that standard is met here, so ask to see a sample care plan structure on your visit.","evidence_base":"Research from the IFF and Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review (2026) finds that dementia training quality varies significantly between homes even when all hold a dementia specialism designation. Homes where staff receive regular, scenario-based dementia training, rather than a one-off e-learning module, demonstrate measurably better responses to distress and improved resident wellbeing scores.","watch_out":"Ask the manager: what dementia training do staff receive, how often is it updated, and when was your parent's care plan last reviewed with family input?"}

  Verified by inspector

• Is this home caring?

  Good

  {"found":"The Caring domain is rated Good. This domain covers staff warmth, dignity, respect, independence, and compassionate care. Our family review data shows that staff warmth (57.3%) and compassion and dignity (55.2%) are the two factors most likely to appear in positive family reviews of care homes. The available inspection text does not include direct quotes from residents or relatives, or specific observations of staff interactions, so it is not possible to confirm how warmth and dignity were demonstrated in practice. The Good rating indicates inspectors did not observe concerning practice.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good in Caring matters more to most families than any other domain. When families write positive reviews of care homes, the thing they mention most often is staff warmth: whether staff know their parent's name, speak to them with patience, and respond when they are distressed. This inspection confirms that Autumn Grange met the Good standard, but without specific observations or quotes, it is difficult to know whether care here is merely adequate or genuinely kind. On your visit, watch how staff speak to residents in corridors and communal areas, not just when they know they are being observed. Non-verbal communication, pace, and use of your parent's preferred name are the clearest real-world signals.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence base identifies non-verbal communication as equally important to verbal interaction in dementia care. Staff who make eye contact, use touch appropriately, and match their pace to the resident's own support significantly better emotional wellbeing than those who rely on verbal instruction alone.","watch_out":"During your visit, note whether staff address residents by their preferred name without being prompted, and observe whether interactions in communal areas feel unhurried or task-focused."}

  Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded

• Is the home responsive?

  Good

  {"found":"The Responsive domain is rated Good. This covers activities, individual engagement, responsiveness to changing needs, and end-of-life care. The home supports people living with dementia and cares for both adults over and under 65, suggesting a potentially diverse resident group with varying engagement needs. The available report text contains no specific description of activities offered, whether one-to-one engagement is provided for residents who cannot join groups, or how end-of-life preferences are recorded and respected.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"For your mum or dad living with dementia, activities are not a nice-to-have: they are a clinical need. Our family review data shows resident happiness (27.1%) and activities (21.4%) are among the top themes families comment on positively. The Good Practice evidence base is particularly clear that group activities alone are not sufficient for people in the middle or later stages of dementia. Individual engagement, including familiar household tasks, music linked to personal history, and one-to-one time with a consistent staff member, has the strongest impact on reducing distress and supporting wellbeing. This inspection does not confirm whether Autumn Grange provides that level of tailored engagement, so it is a priority question for your visit.","evidence_base":"The IFF and Leeds Beckett evidence review (2026) finds that Montessori-based and individually tailored activity approaches, including familiar domestic tasks and personally meaningful objects, produce significantly better wellbeing outcomes for people with dementia than group activity programmes alone.","watch_out":"Ask the activities coordinator: what does a typical Tuesday look like for a resident who cannot or does not want to join a group session? How many hours of one-to-one time does each person living with dementia receive each week?"}

  Verified by inspector

• Is the home well-led?

  Good

  {"found":"The Well-led domain is rated Good, and this represents a clear improvement from the previous Requires Improvement rating. The home is run by Monarch Consultants Limited, with Mrs Michelle Whitehead as Registered Manager and Mrs Jacqueline Perry as Nominated Individual. The presence of named, accountable leaders is a positive structural indicator. The available report text does not include detail about management visibility, staff culture, governance processes, or how the home handles complaints and concerns. The improvement trajectory is the strongest positive signal available.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Leadership stability is one of the strongest predictors of quality in a care home. When a manager has been in post for a meaningful period and staff feel supported to raise concerns, the whole home tends to perform better. The improvement from Requires Improvement to Good across all five domains is not an accident: it reflects a management team that identified problems and addressed them. What families care about most in this area, according to our review data, is communication: being told promptly when something changes with their parent's health or wellbeing. This inspection does not confirm how Autumn Grange communicates with families, so ask specifically about this before you commit.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence base identifies leadership tenure and staff empowerment as the two strongest predictors of sustained quality in dementia care homes. Homes where staff feel able to raise concerns without fear, and where managers are visible on the floor rather than primarily office-based, consistently outperform on resident wellbeing measures.","watch_out":"Ask the manager directly: how long have you been in post, how do you let families know when something has changed with their parent's health, and what would happen if a care worker wanted to raise a concern about practice?"}

  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 specialises in caring for adults both under and over 65, including those living with dementia. This mixed-age environment brings a different dynamic to daily life, with nursing staff experienced in supporting varying health and mobility needs.. Gaps or open questions remain on For residents with dementia, the nursing team at Autumn Grange focuses on maintaining routines and creating a calm, predictable environment. Staff work closely with families to understand each person's history and preferences, helping to preserve connections to familiar memories and experiences. — areas worth probing directly during a visit.