Immacolata House Care Home
At a Glance
The information you need to decide whether this home warrants a closer look.
Nursing homes
Staff warmth score
of reviewers answered yes
Good to know
- Registered beds49
- SpecialismsCaring for adults over 65 yrs, Caring for people whose rights are restricted under the Mental Health Act, Dementia, Physical disabilities
- Last inspected2019-01-23
- Activities programmeThe kitchen team clearly takes pride in proper home cooking, with meals that families say their relatives actually look forward to. The building itself is kept spotless and comfortable, with communal spaces that feel lived-in rather than clinical. Being away from busy roads means residents can enjoy the gardens safely, and that rural Somerset setting brings a natural calm to daily life.
- 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
Families talk about the warmth that greets them at the door — staff who remember names, who stop to chat, who treat each resident as an individual worth knowing. The activities programme keeps days full and purposeful, whether that's group singing, gentle exercises, or those precious moments with the visiting animals. People describe a genuine sense of community here, where residents seem content and engaged.
Based on 40 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 & leadership72
- Resident happiness70
What inspectors found
Inspected 2019-01-23 · Report published 2019-01-23 · Inspected 2 times in the last three years
Is this home safe?
{"found":"The Safe domain was rated Good at the March 2021 inspection. The home is registered as a nursing home, which means qualified nurses should be present on shift. The inspection text does not provide specific detail about staffing ratios, night cover, agency staff use, falls management, or medicines administration. No concerns were recorded in this domain.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good rating for safety is reassuring, but the inspection evidence here is thin on the specifics that matter most to families. Good Practice research identifies night staffing as the point where safety most commonly slips in care homes, and heavy reliance on agency staff undermines the consistency that people with dementia depend on. Because the published report does not address either of these points, you will need to ask about them directly. Our family review data shows that 14% of positive reviews specifically mention staff attentiveness as a factor, which suggests families notice and value consistent, familiar faces.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research and Leeds Beckett University rapid evidence review found that night staffing ratios and agency staff reliance are two of the strongest predictors of safety risk in care homes. Neither is addressed in the published findings for this home.","watch_out":"Ask the manager to show you the actual staffing rota for last week, not the template. Count how many permanent staff were on night shifts and how many were agency. For a 49-bed nursing home, ask specifically how many nurses were on duty overnight."}
Is the care effective?
{"found":"The Effective domain was rated Good at the March 2021 inspection. The home is registered for nursing care, dementia, and care for people subject to Mental Health Act restrictions, all of which require specific staff training and care planning. The published inspection text does not describe the content of care plans, how often they are reviewed, what dementia training staff receive, or how GP and specialist health access is arranged. No concerns were recorded.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Effectiveness in dementia care rests on care plans that are treated as living documents, updated as your parent changes, and written with input from you and your family. Good Practice evidence from 61 studies confirms that care plans reflecting individual life history, preferences, and routines are directly linked to better wellbeing outcomes for people living with dementia. Dementia-specific training for all staff, including kitchen and domestic staff, is another key marker. The inspection does not confirm or deny either of these things for Immacolata House, so you should ask about both before deciding.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence base identifies regular, family-inclusive care plan reviews and structured dementia training for all staff, not just nursing staff, as two of the most consistent predictors of effective dementia care across the 61 studies reviewed.","watch_out":"Ask the manager how often care plans are formally reviewed and whether you would be invited to take part. Also ask what specific dementia training all staff complete, including catering and domestic staff, and when that training was last updated."}
Is this home caring?
{"found":"The Caring domain was rated Good at the March 2021 inspection. The published text does not include specific observations of staff interactions, use of preferred names, response to distress, or evidence of unhurried care. No concerns were recorded in this domain. The absence of negative findings is positive, but the absence of specific positive evidence means this rating cannot be fully contextualised for your parent's situation.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Staff warmth is the single biggest driver of family satisfaction in our review data, mentioned in 57.3% of positive reviews, and compassion and dignity together account for 55.2%. These are the things families notice most and remember longest. Good Practice research confirms that non-verbal communication, how staff move around a person, whether they make eye contact, whether they are in a hurry, matters as much as what is said, particularly for people with advanced dementia. Because the inspection text does not include direct observations of these interactions at Immacolata House, you should observe them yourself on a visit.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence review found that person-led care, which requires staff to know each individual's history, preferences, and communication style, is consistently associated with better quality of life for people living with dementia, even in the later stages.","watch_out":"During your visit, watch how staff interact with residents in corridors and communal areas when they are not being observed by management. Notice whether staff use residents' preferred names, whether they crouch to eye level, and whether the pace feels unhurried."}
Is the home responsive?
{"found":"The Responsive domain was rated Good at the March 2021 inspection. The home is registered to support people living with dementia and people with physical disabilities, which implies some tailoring of care to individual needs. The published inspection text does not describe the activity programme, one-to-one engagement, outdoor access, or how the home supports residents who can no longer advocate for themselves. No concerns were recorded.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Resident happiness accounts for 27.1% of positive themes in our family review data, and activities account for 21.4%. Good Practice evidence is clear that group activities alone are not sufficient for people with moderate to advanced dementia. One-to-one engagement, including familiar household tasks, sensory activities, and individual time with a staff member, makes a measurable difference to wellbeing. The inspection does not confirm whether this happens at Immacolata House. This is one of the most important questions to put to the home on your visit, particularly if your parent is at a stage where joining group sessions may not be possible.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice review found that Montessori-based and task-based individual activities, such as folding, sorting, or gardening, provide meaningful engagement for people with dementia who can no longer participate in structured group programmes, and are linked to reduced distress and better mood.","watch_out":"Ask whether the home employs a dedicated activity coordinator, and ask them specifically what they would do for your parent on a day when group activities were not suitable. Ask to see last week's activity records, not a future schedule."}
Is the home well-led?
{"found":"The Well-led domain was rated Good at the March 2021 inspection. A named registered manager, Mrs Susan Yvonne Stephens, is recorded. A nominated individual, Mr Christopher David Ridgard, is also named, indicating an organisational structure above home level. The published text does not describe the manager's day-to-day visibility, staff culture, how the home responds to complaints, or how governance is maintained. No concerns were recorded.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Management leadership accounts for 23.4% of positive themes in our family review data. Good Practice research identifies leadership stability as one of the strongest predictors of quality over time: homes where the manager stays, is known to staff by name, and is visible on the floor consistently outperform those where leadership is distant or changes frequently. The inspection confirmed a registered manager is in post, which is a basic but important requirement. What you cannot tell from the published report is how long this manager has been in post, how staff describe the culture, or how the home handles complaints from families. Ask all three questions directly.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence review found that bottom-up staff empowerment, where care workers feel able to raise concerns without fear, is a reliable early indicator of a well-led home. Homes where this culture is absent show quality decline before formal inspection picks it up.","watch_out":"Ask the manager how long they have been in post at Immacolata House and whether the same management team was in place during the 2021 inspection. Then ask a member of care staff, separately, what they would do if they had a concern about how a resident was being treated."}
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 provides specialist support for people with dementia, physical disabilities, and those whose rights are restricted under the Mental Health Act. They're set up to care for adults over 65 with complex needs.. Gaps or open questions remain on The therapeutic farm programme seems particularly beneficial for residents with dementia, offering sensory experiences and emotional connections that transcend memory loss. Staff show genuine understanding of how to communicate and connect with people living with dementia, creating meaningful moments throughout each day. — 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
Immacolata House holds a Good rating across all five inspection domains, which is a positive baseline, but the published inspection text provides limited specific detail on day-to-day life for your parent. Scores reflect the Good rating with appropriate caution where evidence is general rather than observed.
Homes in South West typically score 68–82.The three-lens summary
What families tell us
Families talk about the warmth that greets them at the door — staff who remember names, who stop to chat, who treat each resident as an individual worth knowing. The activities programme keeps days full and purposeful, whether that's group singing, gentle exercises, or those precious moments with the visiting animals. People describe a genuine sense of community here, where residents seem content and engaged.
What inspectors have recorded
Most families feel well-informed about their loved one's care, with regular updates keeping them connected. However, some recent concerns have been raised about management responsiveness when families have questions or worries. The care team themselves are consistently described as patient and kind, though ensuring consistent standards across all aspects of care remains important.
How it sits against good practice
What stands out here is how something as simple as a chicken can light up someone's face — proof that the right environment makes all the difference.
Worth a visit
Immacolata House in Langport, Somerset, was rated Good across all five inspection domains at its last published inspection in March 2021. A monitoring review in July 2023 found no evidence requiring a change to that rating. The home is a 49-bed nursing home registered to care for people over 65, people living with dementia, and people whose rights are restricted under the Mental Health Act, which indicates a level of specialist registration that not all care homes hold. The main limitation of this report is that the published inspection text is very brief and provides almost no specific observations about day-to-day life for your parent. A Good rating is a positive foundation, but it dates from 2021 and the evidence behind it is not detailed enough to give you a full picture. Before making a decision, visit in person during the day and, if possible, at a mealtime. Ask the manager to show you last week's actual staffing rota, the activity schedule, and how families are kept informed when their parent's health changes. The questions in the checklist below are the most important ones to put to the home directly.
The three questions to ask when you visitSave this home. Compare it against your shortlist.
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In Their Own Words
How Immacolata House Care Home describes itself — collected from its own website. DCC has not edited or independently verified the content in this tab.
Somerset farm setting brings joy through therapeutic animal visits
Compassionate Care in Langport at Immacolata House
The sight of residents stroking chickens or feeding the goats speaks volumes about what makes Immacolata House in Langport different. This countryside care home has embraced the healing power of animal companionship, creating moments of genuine connection for people living with dementia. Set in peaceful rural Somerset, the home specialises in supporting people with complex needs including dementia and physical disabilities.
Who they care for
The home provides specialist support for people with dementia, physical disabilities, and those whose rights are restricted under the Mental Health Act. They're set up to care for adults over 65 with complex needs.
The therapeutic farm programme seems particularly beneficial for residents with dementia, offering sensory experiences and emotional connections that transcend memory loss. Staff show genuine understanding of how to communicate and connect with people living with dementia, creating meaningful moments throughout each day.
Management & ethos
Most families feel well-informed about their loved one's care, with regular updates keeping them connected. However, some recent concerns have been raised about management responsiveness when families have questions or worries. The care team themselves are consistently described as patient and kind, though ensuring consistent standards across all aspects of care remains important.
The home & environment
The kitchen team clearly takes pride in proper home cooking, with meals that families say their relatives actually look forward to. The building itself is kept spotless and comfortable, with communal spaces that feel lived-in rather than clinical. Being away from busy roads means residents can enjoy the gardens safely, and that rural Somerset setting brings a natural calm to daily life.
“What stands out here is how something as simple as a chicken can light up someone's face — proof that the right environment makes all the difference.”
DCC does not edit or curate content in this tab. For independently curated information, see The Evidence and DCC Verdict.
