Eshcol House Nursing Home

What families say

Families speak warmly about how staff keep them connected to their loved ones' daily lives, sharing updates and responding quickly when needs change. The home has shown flexibility in accommodating short-notice respite stays, preparing rooms promptly for new arrivals.

Based on 8 Google reviews · 0 reviews on carehome.co.uk · most recent 2026-04-10

The eight family priority themes

• Staff warmth72
• Compassion & dignity72
• Cleanliness68
• Activities & engagement55
• Food quality55
• Healthcare68
• Management & leadership75
• Resident happiness68

What inspectors found

Inspected 2023-02-17 · Report published 2023-02-17 · 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. This rating covers staffing levels, medicines management, infection control, and safeguarding. The published report does not include specific staffing ratios, details of how medicines are managed, or observations about how the home responds to safety incidents. The previous Requires Improvement rating means inspectors had previously found concerns in this area, and the improvement to Good is meaningful but the published findings do not explain in detail what changed.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good safety rating following a previous Requires Improvement tells you that inspectors found real progress, which is encouraging. However, our Good Practice evidence base highlights that safety most commonly slips on night shifts and when agency staff cover regular carers. The published report does not give you the night staffing numbers or tell you how much agency cover is used, so these are the two most important questions to ask directly. For a 31-bed home caring for people with dementia, knowing that the same faces are on duty overnight matters enormously.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research and Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review found that agency staff reliance is one of the most consistent predictors of safety risk in care homes, because consistency of personnel is central to recognising when a person with dementia is deteriorating.","watch_out":"Ask the manager to show you the actual staffing rota from last week, not a template. Count the permanent versus agency names on night shifts, and ask what the minimum staffing level is overnight for 31 residents."}

  Verified by inspectorMentioned, not assessed

• Is the care effective?

  Good

  {"found":"The effective domain was rated Good. This domain covers training, care planning, healthcare access, nutrition, and how well staff understand and respond to residents' individual needs. The home lists dementia as a specialism, which means inspectors expect to see evidence of appropriate training and care approaches. The published summary does not describe the content of dementia training, how frequently care plans are reviewed, or how GP and specialist input is managed.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"For your parent, particularly if they are living with dementia, the effective domain is where the practical detail of their care sits. A Good rating here means inspectors were satisfied that training, care plans, and healthcare access met the standard. What it does not tell you is how often your parent's care plan would be updated, whether you would be invited to contribute to it, or how quickly the home responds when a health concern arises. Our Good Practice evidence base emphasises that care plans should be treated as living documents, updated whenever something changes, not just at annual reviews. Ask specifically how this works at Eshcol House.","evidence_base":"The Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review found that regular, structured GP input and prompt escalation to specialist services are associated with better health outcomes for people with dementia in care home settings.","watch_out":"Ask how often care plans are formally reviewed and whether you, as a family member, would be invited to take part. Also ask how the home contacts the GP when your parent's condition changes, and what the typical response time is."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is this home caring?

  Good

  {"found":"The caring domain was rated Good. This is the domain most directly connected to how staff treat your parent as an individual, covering warmth, dignity, privacy, and respect. Inspectors are required to observe staff interactions and speak to residents and relatives to award this rating. The published summary does not include any direct quotes or specific observations, so while the Good rating is meaningful, the detail behind it is not visible in the published text.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Staff warmth is the single most important theme in our family review data, mentioned in 57.3% of positive reviews, and compassion and dignity come second at 55.2%. A Good caring rating means inspectors saw enough to be satisfied, but the absence of specific observations or resident quotes in the published report means you cannot rely on the published text alone. On a visit, watch how staff address your parent's potential future neighbours in the corridor. Are they using first names or preferred names? Do they stop to listen, or do they move through quickly? These small moments are the most reliable signal of genuine warmth.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence base highlights that non-verbal communication matters as much as verbal interaction for people with advanced dementia, and that staff who know a person's individual history are significantly more likely to respond appropriately to distress.","watch_out":"During a visit, ask a member of staff the preferred name of one of the residents you walk past. If they know it immediately and without hesitation, that is a strong signal. If they have to check, that tells you something too."}

  Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded

• Is the home responsive?

  Good

  {"found":"The responsive domain was rated Good. This covers how well the home tailors care to individuals, the activities programme, how complaints are handled, and end-of-life care planning. The home supports a wide range of needs including dementia, mental health conditions, and physical disabilities across both over and under 65s, which means the activity programme and care planning need to be genuinely flexible. The published report does not describe the activities offer, how one-to-one engagement is provided, or how end-of-life plans are discussed with families.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Activities and engagement account for 21.4% of positive family reviews, and resident happiness accounts for 27.1%. A Good responsive rating means inspectors were satisfied that the home responds to individual needs, but the published findings give no detail about what a typical day looks like for your parent. Our Good Practice evidence base is clear that group activities alone are not sufficient for people with advanced dementia, and that one-to-one engagement, including everyday tasks like folding, sorting, or simple gardening, is what genuinely supports wellbeing. Ask specifically what happens for residents who cannot join a group.","evidence_base":"The Leeds Beckett evidence review found that Montessori-based and individually tailored activity approaches, including familiar household tasks, produce measurably better wellbeing outcomes for people with dementia than group-only or entertainment-led programmes.","watch_out":"Ask to see the activity records from the last four weeks, not the planned schedule. Check whether there is any record of one-to-one engagement for residents who cannot join groups, and ask who is responsible for delivering that."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is the home well-led?

  Good

  {"found":"The well-led domain was rated Good, an improvement from the previous inspection. Miss Amanda Jane Clarke is both the registered manager and the nominated individual, meaning she holds direct personal responsibility for the home's operation. A Good well-led rating indicates that inspectors found effective governance, a positive culture, and that staff and residents could raise concerns. The published report does not describe how long the current manager has been in post, staff turnover rates, or specific examples of improvements made since the previous inspection.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Management quality accounts for 23.4% of positive family reviews, and our Good Practice evidence base is consistent: leadership stability is one of the strongest predictors of quality trajectory in a care home. The improvement from Requires Improvement to Good under the current manager is a positive sign, but it matters how long that manager has been in post and whether there is a stable deputy when they are away. Communication with families accounts for 11.5% of positive reviews, and the published report gives no detail about how Eshcol House keeps families informed. This is one of the first things to ask about directly.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research review found that care homes where managers have been in post for more than two years, and where staff feel able to raise concerns without fear, consistently outperform homes with frequent leadership changes on both safety and quality measures.","watch_out":"Ask the manager how long they have been in their current role, who covers when they are absent, and what specific changes they made to move the home from Requires Improvement to Good. A manager who can answer the third question with specific examples is one to trust."}

  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 cares for adults both under and over 65 with a range of needs including physical disabilities and mental health conditions. They welcome pets alongside residents, understanding how important these companions can be.. Gaps or open questions remain on For residents living with dementia, the combination of structured daily activities and access to calming outdoor spaces provides both stimulation and comfort. The seaside setting offers natural conversation starters and sensory experiences that can be particularly beneficial. — areas worth probing directly during a visit.