Croft Avenue
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 beds30
- SpecialismsCaring for adults over 65 yrs, Caring for adults under 65 yrs, Dementia, Physical disabilities
- Last inspected2017-11-07
- Activities programmeThe activity programme stands out as particularly varied, with residents participating in different events throughout the week. Families receive regular photo updates showing their loved ones joining in, which helps everyone stay connected to daily life at the home.
- 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
Relatives speak warmly about the kindness shown by staff here. There's a genuine sense of connection — families mention how much they and their loved ones miss particular team members when they move on, suggesting the relationships formed here run deeper than routine care.
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
- Healthcare68
- Management & leadership72
- Resident happiness70
What inspectors found
Inspected 2017-11-07 · Report published 2017-11-07 · Inspected 1 times in the last three years
Is this home safe?
{"found":"The home was rated Good for safety at its April 2025 inspection. This is the first recorded inspection for this home, so there is no previous rating to compare against. A Good safety rating indicates inspectors were satisfied with safeguarding arrangements, medicines management, staffing levels and infection control at the time of the visit. No specific concerns or improvement notices were recorded. The home cares for people with dementia and physical disabilities, both of which carry specific safety considerations including falls prevention and safe moving and handling.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good safety rating is reassuring, but for families choosing a home for someone with dementia, the detail behind the rating matters as much as the headline. Research from the DCC family review data identifies staff attentiveness as a key safety factor for families u2014 and that is something you can only assess by visiting. Good Practice evidence consistently shows that night staffing is where safety most often slips: a Good daytime inspection does not guarantee adequate overnight cover. Ask the home directly how many staff are on at night and what happens if your parent wanders or becomes distressed at 3am.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence base (IFF Research / Leeds Beckett, 2026) identifies night staffing ratios and agency staff reliance as the two factors most associated with safety incidents in care homes u2014 neither is addressed in the published summary for this home.","watch_out":"When you visit, ask: 'How many staff are on duty overnight, and is there always a trained senior carer or nurse present on the night shift?' Then ask to see the falls register for the last three months."}
Is the care effective?
{"found":"The home was rated Good for effectiveness at its April 2025 inspection. This domain covers training, care planning, healthcare access, nutrition and hydration. A Good rating suggests inspectors were satisfied that staff had appropriate training and that care plans were in place and meeting people's needs. No specific concerns about medicine management or healthcare access were recorded. The home's specialisms include dementia and physical disabilities, which require specific competencies in both care planning and clinical oversight.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Effectiveness ratings tell you whether the basic systems are working u2014 but for families with a parent who has dementia, what matters is whether those systems are personalised. DCC family review data shows that dementia-specific care is one of the eight themes families mention most in positive reviews, covering whether staff truly understand how your parent's condition affects them day to day. Good Practice evidence stresses that care plans should be living documents updated with family input u2014 not paperwork filed at admission. Ask whether your parent's care plan will include their personal history, preferences and communication style, and how often it will be reviewed with you.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence base (IFF Research / Leeds Beckett, 2026) finds that regular, family-inclusive care plan reviews are among the strongest predictors of person-centred care quality in dementia settings.","watch_out":"Ask: 'Can I see an example of how a care plan is structured here, and how often will I be invited to contribute to my parent's review?' If the answer is 'once a year at the annual review,' probe further."}
Is this home caring?
{"found":"The home was rated Good for caring at its April 2025 inspection. This domain covers staff warmth, dignity, respect and support for independence. A Good rating indicates inspectors observed or recorded satisfactory interactions between staff and the people they support. No concerns about dignity or respectful treatment were noted. As this is a first inspection with a published summary rather than a full narrative report, no direct quotes from residents, relatives or staff are available in the published material.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Staff warmth is the single highest-weighted factor in DCC family reviews, accounting for 57.3% of what families say when they give a care home a positive rating u2014 and compassion and dignity together follow closely at 55.2%. A Good Caring rating is encouraging, but warmth is something that happens in corridor conversations, in how staff respond when your mum calls out, and in whether they use her preferred name without being prompted. Good Practice evidence emphasises that for people with advanced dementia, non-verbal communication u2014 a calm tone, unhurried movement, eye contact u2014 is as important as words. You will learn more about this in 30 minutes on the unit than from any rating.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence base (IFF Research / Leeds Beckett, 2026) identifies non-verbal communication quality as a key indicator of person-centred caring for people with dementia who have limited verbal ability.","watch_out":"During your visit, watch how staff interact with residents when they are not expecting to be observed u2014 in a corridor, at mealtimes, or when someone calls out. Do staff stop, make eye contact and respond calmly, or do they keep moving?"}
Is the home responsive?
{"found":"The home was rated Good for responsiveness at its April 2025 inspection. This domain covers activities, engagement, individualised care and end-of-life care. A Good rating indicates inspectors were satisfied that the home was responding to people's individual needs and providing meaningful occupation. No specific concerns about activities provision or end-of-life care were recorded. However, the published summary does not include specific examples of activities offered, how they are tailored to individuals with dementia, or how the home supports those who cannot join group activities.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Resident happiness is the third highest-weighted theme in DCC family reviews, at 27.1%, and activities engagement scores at 21.4% u2014 families notice and care deeply about whether their parent has a life in the home, not just a bed. Good Practice evidence is clear that group activities alone are insufficient for people with moderate to advanced dementia; tailored one-to-one engagement u2014 including familiar household tasks, music connected to personal history, or simple outdoor time u2014 is what sustains wellbeing. A Good rating here is a positive sign, but ask specifically what happens for your parent if they are having a difficult day and cannot join the group.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence base (IFF Research / Leeds Beckett, 2026) finds that Montessori-based and individually tailored activity approaches significantly improve wellbeing outcomes for people with dementia compared to group-only programming.","watch_out":"Ask: 'If my parent is unable to join the group activity one morning, what would a member of staff do with them one-to-one?' Listen for specific examples rather than general assurances."}
Is the home well-led?
{"found":"The home was rated Good for well-led at its April 2025 inspection. A named Registered Manager u2014 Miss Teresa Louise McGuiness u2014 and a Nominated Individual, Mrs Kim Lara Rogerson, are identified in the registration. A Good well-led rating indicates inspectors were satisfied with governance, management oversight, and the culture of the home at the time of inspection. This is the home's first inspection, so there is no trajectory of improvement or decline to assess. No concerns about leadership or accountability were recorded.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Management quality sits at 23.4% in DCC family review data u2014 families notice when a manager is visible, approachable and takes action on concerns. Good Practice evidence identifies leadership stability as a key predictor of quality trajectory: homes where managers stay and staff feel able to speak up tend to improve; homes with frequent leadership changes tend to decline. The identification of a named manager at first inspection is positive. Communication with families accounts for 11.5% of positive family review themes u2014 ask how the manager prefers to be contacted and what their response time commitment is if you raise a concern.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence base (IFF Research / Leeds Beckett, 2026) finds that leadership stability and staff empowerment to raise concerns without fear are the two leadership characteristics most strongly associated with sustained quality in care homes.","watch_out":"Ask the manager directly: 'How long have you been in post here, and what is the biggest thing you have changed since you arrived?' Their answer will tell you a great deal about their engagement with the home."}
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 Croft Avenue provides specialist support for adults living with dementia and physical disabilities, welcoming both younger adults under 65 and older residents.. Gaps or open questions remain on The home offers dedicated dementia care as part of its specialist services, supporting residents at different stages of their journey with this condition. — 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
Croft Avenue Care Home received a Good rating across all five inspection domains in its most recent assessment, which is a positive baseline — but the published report contains limited specific detail, meaning scores reflect confirmed Good ratings rather than rich, verified evidence.
Homes in North West typically score 68–82.The three-lens summary
What families tell us
Relatives speak warmly about the kindness shown by staff here. There's a genuine sense of connection — families mention how much they and their loved ones miss particular team members when they move on, suggesting the relationships formed here run deeper than routine care.
What inspectors have recorded
Communication appears to be a real strength here. Families receive regular newsletters keeping them informed about life at the home, and when they call with questions, staff handle enquiries efficiently and thoughtfully.
How it sits against good practice
For families considering care options in Penrith, a visit to Croft Avenue could help you understand whether their approach feels right for your loved one.
Worth a visit
Croft Avenue Care Home, a 30-bed home in Penrith run by Croft Avenue Care Home Limited, was rated Good across all five inspection domains — Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led — in its assessment of 30 April 2025, published June 2025. This is the home's first recorded inspection, and a clean sweep of Good ratings at first inspection is a meaningful baseline. The home supports adults over and under 65, including people with dementia and physical disabilities, and has a named Registered Manager and Nominated Individual in post. The main limitation here is that the published report is a summary rather than a full narrative inspection report, which means it is not possible to verify specific practices around dementia care, night staffing, activity provision, food quality or family communication. A Good rating tells you the home met required standards — it does not tell you how warmly your parent will be greeted on a difficult evening, or whether staff know that your dad likes sport on TV. Before making a decision, visit in person at different times of day, ask the manager for the full inspection report, and use the checklist questions in this report to test the detail behind the ratings.
The three questions to ask when you visitSave this home. Compare it against your shortlist.
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In Their Own Words
How Croft Avenue describes itself — collected from its own website. DCC has not edited or independently verified the content in this tab.
Where kindness meets variety in thoughtful North West care
Croft Avenue Care Home – Your Trusted residential home
Families searching for compassionate care in Penrith often discover something special at Croft Avenue Care Home. This North West residence brings together attentive staff with an engaging programme of activities that keeps residents connected and families informed. The home welcomes adults both under and over 65, including those living with dementia or physical disabilities.
Who they care for
Croft Avenue provides specialist support for adults living with dementia and physical disabilities, welcoming both younger adults under 65 and older residents.
The home offers dedicated dementia care as part of its specialist services, supporting residents at different stages of their journey with this condition.
Management & ethos
Communication appears to be a real strength here. Families receive regular newsletters keeping them informed about life at the home, and when they call with questions, staff handle enquiries efficiently and thoughtfully.
The home & environment
The activity programme stands out as particularly varied, with residents participating in different events throughout the week. Families receive regular photo updates showing their loved ones joining in, which helps everyone stay connected to daily life at the home.
“For families considering care options in Penrith, a visit to Croft Avenue could help you understand whether their approach feels right for your loved one.”
DCC does not edit or curate content in this tab. For independently curated information, see The Evidence and DCC Verdict.
