Barrow Hall Care Centre Ltd

What families say

Based on 2 Google reviews · 0 reviews on carehome.co.uk · most recent 2026-04-10

The eight family priority themes

• Staff warmth55
• Compassion & dignity55
• Cleanliness60
• Activities & engagement50
• Food quality50
• Healthcare55
• Management & leadership65
• Resident happiness55

What inspectors found

Inspected 2022-12-23 · Report published 2022-12-23 · Inspected 5 times in the last three years

• Is this home safe?

  Good

  {"found":"The Safe domain was rated Good at the December 2022 inspection u2014 an improvement from the previous Requires Improvement rating. This means inspectors were satisfied that risks to residents are identified and managed, medicines are handled appropriately, and staffing levels are sufficient to keep people safe. The previous Requires Improvement rating suggests there were concerns in the past, and the improvement to Good indicates those concerns have been addressed. No specific incidents, near-misses, or infection control observations are described in the available report text.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good safety rating is a meaningful baseline, but the improvement from Requires Improvement means you should ask what specifically changed. Our family review data shows that cleanliness and staff attentiveness are among the safety signals families notice first on a visit. The Good Practice evidence base flags night-time as the highest-risk period in any care home u2014 reduced staffing, fewer eyes, and slower response times. Because the report gives no specific staffing numbers, you cannot assume daytime standards carry through to 11pm. Ask directly: how many staff are on overnight, are they permanent employees, and how are falls logged and acted on?","evidence_base":"The IFF Research / Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review found that agency staff reliance is one of the strongest predictors of inconsistent safety outcomes u2014 particularly for people with dementia who depend on familiar faces to feel secure and communicate distress.","watch_out":"Ask the home: 'How many staff are on duty overnight on the dementia unit, and what percentage of those shifts are covered by permanent employees rather than agency staff?' Then ask to see how a recent fall or incident was recorded and what changed as a result."}

  Verified by inspectorMentioned, not assessed

• Is the care effective?

  Good

  {"found":"The Effective domain was rated Good, meaning inspectors were satisfied that staff have the skills and knowledge to meet residents' needs, care plans are in place, and health is monitored appropriately. Dementia is a listed specialism, which means the home has indicated it is equipped to provide dementia-specific care. No specific detail about training programmes, GP access frequency, care plan content, or nutritional provision is reproduced in the available report text. The improvement from the previous rating suggests that any earlier gaps in care planning or staff competency have been addressed.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good Effective rating tells you the basics are in place u2014 your parent should have a care plan, staff should know about their health needs, and a GP should be accessible. What it doesn't tell you is how personalised that care plan really is. Our family review data shows that families feel most reassured when they see their parent's individual history u2014 their preferences, their past, their sense of humour u2014 reflected in day-to-day care. The Good Practice evidence base is clear that care plans should be living documents updated after any significant change, not paperwork filed on admission. Dementia training quality varies enormously between homes: ask what training staff have completed and when.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence review found that dementia-specific training u2014 particularly in non-verbal communication and understanding behaviour as communication u2014 is strongly associated with better outcomes for people with dementia, but training quality and recency varies significantly across the sector.","watch_out":"Ask: 'Can you show me how a care plan is updated when my parent's needs change u2014 who does it, how quickly, and how would I be involved?' Then ask specifically what dementia training staff have completed in the last 12 months."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is this home caring?

  Good

  {"found":"The Caring domain was rated Good, meaning inspectors were satisfied that staff treat residents with kindness, dignity, and respect. No direct quotes from residents or relatives are available in the report text, and no specific observations of staff interactions are described. A Good Caring rating requires inspectors to have seen or heard evidence of genuine warmth u2014 it is not awarded simply for compliance with procedures. The previous Requires Improvement rating makes this improvement to Good particularly noteworthy, though we cannot confirm what specifically changed.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Staff warmth and compassion are the two highest-weighted themes in our family review data u2014 they account for more than half of what families say matters most. A Good rating in Caring is encouraging, but the absence of specific quotes or observations in this report means you cannot verify the texture of daily interactions from the paperwork alone. The Good Practice evidence base emphasises that for people living with dementia, non-verbal warmth u2014 a calm tone, a familiar face, an unhurried manner u2014 matters as much as technical care. Watch for these things on your visit: does staff address your parent by their preferred name? Do they crouch to eye level? Are conversations unhurried?","evidence_base":"The IFF Research / Leeds Beckett review found that person-centred care u2014 where staff know the individual's history, preferences, and personality u2014 is consistently associated with lower rates of distress and better quality of life for people with dementia, and cannot be delivered without genuine warmth and continuity of relationships.","watch_out":"When you visit, sit quietly in a communal area for 20 minutes and observe: do staff initiate conversation with residents who are not asking for help? Do they use your parent's preferred name? Does the pace feel calm or rushed?"}

  Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded

• Is the home responsive?

  Good

  {"found":"The Responsive domain was rated Good, meaning inspectors were satisfied that the home responds to individuals' needs and preferences, activities are available, and end-of-life care is planned. No specific activity examples, individual engagement observations, or end-of-life care details are reproduced in the available report text. The home lists dementia as a specialism, which implies individual needs assessment is in place. The improvement from the previous rating suggests responsiveness to individual needs has strengthened.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good Responsive rating means inspectors believe your parent will have a life here u2014 not just be cared for. Our family review data shows that activities and resident happiness are closely linked: families who see their parent engaged and purposeful feel far more confident in their choice of home. The Good Practice evidence base is clear that group activities alone are insufficient for people with advanced dementia u2014 individual, one-to-one engagement is essential, and everyday household tasks (folding, gardening, simple cooking) can provide continuity and meaning. Because no activity specifics are available in this report, you need to ask directly what a typical Tuesday looks like for someone with your parent's level of dementia.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence review found Montessori-based approaches and individually tailored activities u2014 including familiar household tasks u2014 are among the most effective ways to maintain wellbeing and reduce distress for people living with dementia, outperforming group entertainment-based programmes alone.","watch_out":"Ask: 'If my parent can no longer join group activities, what would a typical day look like for them? Who would spend one-to-one time with them, and for how long?' Then ask to see the activity schedule and whether it varies between days and includes weekends."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is the home well-led?

  Good

  {"found":"The Well-led domain was rated Good u2014 a significant improvement from the previous Requires Improvement rating. A named registered manager, Ms Carla Suzanne Higginson, is in post, and Mrs Tracy Archer is the nominated individual for the provider, St Philips Care Limited. A monitoring review conducted in July 2023 u2014 seven months after the inspection u2014 found no evidence requiring a reassessment of the rating. The improvement across all five domains from the previous inspection suggests that leadership changes or governance improvements have had a measurable effect.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Leadership stability is one of the strongest predictors of care quality trajectory. The fact that this home has moved from Requires Improvement to Good under named, identifiable leadership is a positive signal u2014 there is someone accountable, and things have visibly improved under their tenure. Our family review data shows that families feel most reassured when they can reach the manager easily and feel genuinely heard when they raise concerns. The Good Practice evidence base identifies bottom-up empowerment u2014 where frontline staff feel safe raising concerns u2014 as a key marker of a well-led home. Ask directly how long the current manager has been in post and what they changed.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research / Leeds Beckett review found that leadership stability u2014 specifically, manager tenure and consistency u2014 is one of the strongest predictors of quality trajectory in care homes, with frequent management turnover strongly associated with deteriorating standards.","watch_out":"Ask the manager directly: 'How long have you been in post here, and what would you say has changed most since you arrived?' Their answer u2014 and how they give it u2014 will tell you a great deal about whether accountability is genuine or performative."}

  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 centre welcomes both younger and older adults who need specialist care, including those living with dementia, mental health conditions, or recovering from substance misuse.. Gaps or open questions remain on For those living with dementia, the centre provides specialist support as part of its range of mental health and wellbeing services. — areas worth probing directly during a visit.