Dementia Care Home

Coloma Court Care Home

Layhams Road, West Wickham, Kent, BR4 9QJ

Nursing homes

At a Glance

The information you need to decide whether this home warrants a closer look.

DCC Family Score
81/ 100
Weighted from family reviews
Dementia SpecialismConfirmed

Nursing homes

Families Rate The Staff72 / 100

Staff warmth score

“Well Looked After”75%

of reviewers answered yes

Good to know

  • Registered beds68
  • SpecialismsCaring for adults over 65 yrs, Caring for adults under 65 yrs, Dementia
  • Last inspected2019-02-20

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The Evidence

What the review data, the inspection reports, and the dementia-care evidence base tell us about this home.

Section 01

What families say

Families describe the bright, airy atmosphere that helps residents feel settled. The accessible garden gives people a chance to spend time outdoors, with pleasant views from many rooms adding to the sense of openness.

The eight family priority themes

  • Staff warmth72
  • Compassion & dignity72
  • Cleanliness70
  • Activities & engagement88
  • Food quality65
  • Healthcare72
  • Management & leadership88
  • Resident happiness75
Section 02

What inspectors found

Inspected 2019-02-20

  • Is this home safe?

    Good
    The Safe domain was rated Good at the February 2019 inspection. This means inspectors were satisfied that people were protected from avoidable harm, that medicines were managed properly, and that staffing levels were sufficient to meet people's needs. A Good Safe rating also requires evidence that risks to individuals are identified and managed. The published summary does not include specific staffing ratios, night cover figures, or detail on falls or incident management.
    Verified by inspector
  • Is the care effective?

    Good
    The Effective domain was rated Good. This covers training, care planning, healthcare access, and nutritional support. A Good rating means inspectors were satisfied that staff had the knowledge and skills to care for people effectively, including those with dementia, and that people's health needs were being met. The home lists dementia as a specialism. No specific detail about training content, GP access frequency, or food quality is included in the published summary.
    Verified by inspector
  • Is this home caring?

    Good
    The Caring domain was rated Good. This covers staff warmth, dignity, respect, and how well staff support people's independence. A Good rating means inspectors were satisfied that people were treated with kindness and that their privacy and individual preferences were respected. The published summary does not include direct quotes from residents or relatives, specific observations of staff interactions, or examples of how the home handles distress or challenging moments.
    Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded
  • Is the home responsive?

    Outstanding
    The Responsive domain was rated Outstanding, the highest possible rating. This is the strongest finding in this inspection and covers how well the home tailors its care to individuals, the quality and variety of its activities programme, and how it handles complaints and end-of-life care. An Outstanding rating in this domain means inspectors found genuine, specific evidence that the home goes beyond standard practice to meet individual needs. This is the area where Coloma Court most clearly distinguishes itself.
    Verified by inspector
  • Is the home well-led?

    Outstanding
    The Well-led domain was rated Outstanding. This covers the culture of the home, the quality of management, governance systems, and whether staff feel supported and able to speak up. An Outstanding rating here means inspectors found strong, visible leadership, robust systems for monitoring quality, and a culture where continuous improvement is embedded. The home is run by The Healthcare Management Trust, and the nominated individual at the time of inspection was Mrs Andrea Hayward. Leadership stability is a significant predictor of sustained quality.
    Verified by inspector
  • Source: CQC inspection report →

    Section 03

    What the evidence base says

    The home cares for adults over 65 and younger adults who need support, with particular experience in dementia care. The team has experience supporting residents at different stages of dementia, including those with advanced needs. They work with families to understand each person's history and preferences. All 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.

81/ 100

DCC Family Score

Coloma Court Care Home holds an Outstanding overall rating, driven by particularly strong findings in how it responds to individuals and how it is led. Scores in warmth, food, and cleanliness reflect that the inspection text available to us does not include detailed observational evidence on those themes, so families should explore them directly on a visit.

Homes in London typically score 68–82.

The three-lens summary

Lens 01

What families tell us

Families describe the bright, airy atmosphere that helps residents feel settled. The accessible garden gives people a chance to spend time outdoors, with pleasant views from many rooms adding to the sense of openness.

Lens 02

What inspectors have recorded

Staff work with families to develop care approaches for residents with advanced dementia, keeping relatives updated and adjusting support as needs change. During end-of-life care, the team provides attentive support to both residents and their families.

Lens 03

How it sits against good practice

Finding the right care home takes time, and visiting helps you get a feel for whether somewhere suits your family's needs.

DCC Recommendation

Worth a visit

Coloma Court Care Home in West Wickham holds an Outstanding overall rating from its most recent full inspection, carried out in February 2019 and confirmed as still applicable following a desk-based review in July 2023. The home was rated Outstanding in two domains, Responsive and Well-led, and Good across Safe, Effective, and Caring. An Outstanding rating is awarded to fewer than five per cent of care homes in England, which places Coloma Court in a small group of homes where inspectors found genuinely exceptional practice, particularly in how the home tailors care to individuals and how it is managed and led. The main uncertainty for families is that the full inspection took place in early 2019, making it over five years old at the time of the July 2023 review. The desk-based review confirmed no reason to change the rating, but it did not involve inspectors visiting the home. A lot can change in five years, including staffing, management tenure, and the physical environment. On your visit, ask to meet the current registered manager, ask how long the core staff team has been in post, and request to see the most recent quality report or action plan. Walk through the dementia unit at a quiet time of day, not just during a scheduled activity, and watch how staff interact with residents who are not in a group setting.

The three questions to ask when you visit

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In Their Own Words

How Coloma Court Care Home describes itself — collected from its own website. DCC has not edited or independently verified the content in this tab.

What Coloma Court Care Home says about itself

Bright spaces and garden views in West Wickham dementia care

Dedicated nursing home Support in West Wickham

When you're considering dementia care, the environment matters as much as the expertise. Coloma Court Care Home in West Wickham offers light-filled rooms and accessible gardens where residents can enjoy fresh air and greenery. The home provides specialist support for older adults and those under 65 with dementia, working closely with families to find the right approach for each person.

Care & specialisms

Who they care for

    The home cares for adults over 65 and younger adults who need support, with particular experience in dementia care.

    How they describe their dementia care

    The team has experience supporting residents at different stages of dementia, including those with advanced needs. They work with families to understand each person's history and preferences.

    “Finding the right care home takes time, and visiting helps you get a feel for whether somewhere suits your family's needs.”

    DCC does not edit or curate content in this tab. For independently curated information, see The Evidence and DCC Verdict.

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