Emsworth House Nursing Home

What families say

Based on 6 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 & leadership70
• Resident happiness68

What inspectors found

Inspected 2023-04-20 · Report published 2023-04-20 · Inspected 4 times in the last three years

• Is this home safe?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"Safety was rated Good at the most recent inspection in August 2025. This follows a period when the home's overall rating had declined to Requires Improvement, so a return to Good in safety is a positive signal. The published report does not include specific observations about medicines management, falls prevention, infection control, or night staffing arrangements. No detail about agency staff use or how the home responds to incidents is available in the summary.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good safety rating means inspectors were broadly satisfied that your parent would be protected from avoidable harm. However, Good Practice research consistently shows that night staffing is where safety most often slips in care homes, and the published findings give no detail about what happens after 8pm. Our review data shows that families mention staff attentiveness as a key concern. Because this home previously held a Requires Improvement rating, it is especially worth asking what specifically was wrong and how it was fixed, rather than assuming the improvement is fully embedded.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research and Leeds Beckett University rapid evidence review found that agency staff reliance is one of the strongest predictors of safety risk in care homes, because unfamiliar staff do not know individual residents and are less likely to notice subtle changes in behaviour or health.","watch_out":"Ask to see the actual staffing rota for the last two weeks, not the planned template. Count how many shifts on the dementia unit were covered by permanent staff versus agency staff, and ask specifically how many carers are on duty overnight for the dementia residents."}

  Verified by inspectorMentioned, not assessed

• Is the care effective?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"Effectiveness was rated Good at the August 2025 inspection. This domain covers training, care planning, GP access, medicines, and nutrition. The published summary does not include any specific detail about how care plans are written or reviewed, what dementia training staff have received, or how the home works with GPs and other health professionals. No information about food quality or dietary support is available in the published text.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good rating here means inspectors were satisfied that the home knows what it is doing in terms of care planning and health management. For a parent with dementia, what matters most is whether the care plan reflects who they actually are: their routines, their preferences, their history. Good Practice research identifies care plans as living documents that should be updated regularly and written with families, not just filed away. The inspection gives no detail on this, so it is something you need to ask about directly.","evidence_base":"The rapid evidence review found that dementia training quality varies enormously between homes even where training is recorded as completed. The content matters as much as the hours: training focused on non-verbal communication and behavioural understanding produces better outcomes than generic awareness sessions.","watch_out":"Ask to see a blank version of the care plan template and ask how often plans are reviewed and updated. Then ask: can I be invited to my parent's next care plan review? If the answer is hesitant or vague, that tells you something important."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is this home caring?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"Caring was rated Good at the most recent inspection. This domain covers how staff treat residents: their warmth, their respect for dignity and privacy, and whether people feel seen as individuals. The published summary includes no direct inspector observations about staff interactions, no quotes from residents or families, and no specific examples of dignity in practice. A Good rating indicates inspectors were satisfied, but the detail needed to give you confidence is not available in the published text.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Staff warmth is the single biggest driver of family satisfaction in our review data, mentioned in 57.3% of positive reviews. Compassion and dignity follow closely at 55.2%. These are the things families care about most, and they are also the things that are hardest to assess from a published report alone. Good Practice research confirms that non-verbal communication matters as much as verbal interaction for people with dementia: how staff move, whether they make eye contact, and whether they seem unhurried are all observable signals you can look for on a visit. A Good rating here is encouraging, but you need to see it for yourself.","evidence_base":"The Leeds Beckett evidence review found that person-led care, which requires staff to know each individual's history, preferences, and communication style, produces measurably better outcomes for people with dementia than compliance-focused approaches. Knowing someone's preferred name and what calms them matters more than any policy document.","watch_out":"On your visit, watch how a member of staff approaches your parent's room or a resident in the corridor. Do they knock? Do they use the person's name? Do they stop and give their attention, or do they keep moving? These small moments are the most reliable indicator of the caring culture in a home."}

  Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded

• Is the home responsive?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"Responsiveness was rated Good at the August 2025 inspection. This domain covers whether the home meets individual needs, provides meaningful activities, responds to complaints, and plans for end of life. The published summary includes no detail about the activities programme, how the home supports people with dementia who cannot join group activities, or how it handles complaints and feedback. No information about end-of-life planning is available in the published text.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Activities and resident happiness together account for nearly half of what families tell us matters most in our review data. A Good rating in responsiveness means inspectors were satisfied that the home is meeting individual needs, but the published findings give no detail about what daily life actually looks like for your parent. Good Practice research is clear that group activities alone are not sufficient for people with more advanced dementia: one-to-one engagement, including everyday tasks like folding, sorting, or simple cooking, provides both stimulation and a sense of purpose. Ask specifically what the home offers for someone who cannot participate in a group.","evidence_base":"The rapid evidence review found that Montessori-based and individually tailored activity approaches produce significantly better wellbeing outcomes for people with dementia than scheduled group programmes alone. The evidence is strongest for activities that connect to a person's pre-dementia identity and skills.","watch_out":"Ask the activities coordinator to describe what a typical Tuesday looks like for someone with moderate to advanced dementia who cannot join a group session. If the answer is vague or defaults to television, ask what specific one-to-one activities are offered and how often each person receives them."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is the home well-led?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"Well-led was rated Good at the most recent inspection, which is particularly significant given the home's recent decline to Requires Improvement. A named registered manager, Miss Lydia Emily Lucas, is confirmed in post, with Mrs Jane Selvage as the nominated individual representing the provider, Hampshire County Council. The published summary includes no detail about how the manager operates day to day, how staff are supported, or how the home handles governance and quality monitoring. The improvement from Requires Improvement to Good suggests meaningful work has been done, but the published text does not describe what that work involved.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Good Practice research is clear that leadership stability is one of the strongest predictors of quality trajectory in a care home. A Good well-led rating following a Requires Improvement period is genuinely encouraging, but it also raises a question: how confident can you be that the improvements are embedded rather than recent? Our review data shows that 23.4% of positive family reviews mention management quality by name, often in the form of a manager who is visible, knows residents personally, and responds quickly when families raise concerns. Ask about the manager's tenure and what specifically changed.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research evidence review found that homes where staff feel empowered to raise concerns without fear of blame have consistently better safety and quality outcomes. The presence or absence of a speak-up culture is one of the clearest markers of whether Good leadership is genuine or surface-level.","watch_out":"Ask the registered manager directly: how long have you been in this role, and what were the main things that needed to change after the Requires Improvement rating? A confident, specific answer is a good sign. Vagueness or deflection is a reason to probe further."}

  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 team here provides specialist nursing care for older people, with particular experience supporting those living with dementia. They also care for younger adults who need nursing support.. Gaps or open questions remain on For people living with dementia, having skilled nursing care available around the clock can make such a difference. The team understands how to provide both medical and emotional support as needs change. — areas worth probing directly during a visit.