Kingswood Court Nursing Home

What families say

Families describe how staff here go beyond medical tasks to connect with residents as individuals. They talk about genuine warmth during difficult times, and staff who remember the small things that bring comfort when it matters most.

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
• Cleanliness70
• Activities & engagement70
• Food quality65
• Healthcare80
• Management & leadership85
• Resident happiness72

What inspectors found

Inspected 2019-07-13 · Report published 2019-07-13 · Inspected 1 times in the last three years

• Is this home safe?

  Good

  {"found":"The Safe domain was rated Good at the January 2021 inspection. This means inspectors were satisfied that residents were protected from avoidable harm and that medicines, staffing, and infection control met the required standard. The published summary does not provide specific detail about staffing ratios, night cover, or agency staff use. No concerns about safety were recorded.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good rating for safety is a solid baseline, but it does not tell you what happens after 8pm when staffing typically reduces. Good Practice research from the IFF Research and Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review identifies night staffing as the point where safety most commonly slips in care homes. Our family review data also shows that staff attentiveness, cited in around 14% of positive reviews, is one of the things families notice most on visits. Because the published findings do not include staffing numbers, you will need to ask specifically about overnight cover and how incidents are logged and acted on.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence base identifies night staffing ratios and reliance on agency staff as two of the most significant predictors of safety risk in care homes. A permanent, consistent team is associated with better recognition of individual residents and faster response to change.","watch_out":"Ask the manager to show you the actual staffing rota for last week, not a template. Count how many permanent staff were on the dementia unit each night, and ask what proportion of shifts in the past month were covered by agency workers."}

  Verified by inspectorMentioned, not assessed

• Is the care effective?

  Outstanding

  {"found":"The Effective domain was rated Outstanding at the January 2021 inspection. This is the highest possible rating and requires inspectors to find practice that is significantly above the standard expected. Dementia is listed as a specialism of the home, and an Outstanding Effective rating indicates the home demonstrated strong care planning, staff knowledge, and healthcare coordination. The published summary does not include specific examples of what inspectors observed, but the rating itself is a meaningful signal.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"An Outstanding rating for Effective is relatively rare and suggests the home is doing more than ticking boxes on care plans. Our Good Practice evidence base highlights that care plans function best as living documents, updated regularly and shaped by the person's preferences and changing needs, not just their medical history. Healthcare access, including timely GP contact and medication review, falls under this domain. Dementia-specific training for all staff, not just senior carers, is also assessed here. Because the published summary does not describe the content of training or how frequently care plans are reviewed, ask the manager these questions directly.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research and Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review found that homes rated Outstanding for Effective consistently demonstrated individualised care planning, regular multidisciplinary review, and dementia-specific training that went beyond mandatory e-learning modules.","watch_out":"Ask the manager how often your parent's care plan would be reviewed and who would be involved in that review. Ask specifically whether family members are invited to contribute, and request an example of how the home has adapted someone's care plan in response to a change in their condition."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is this home caring?

  Good

  {"found":"The Caring domain was rated Good at the January 2021 inspection. Inspectors were satisfied that staff treated residents with dignity and respect and that people's independence was supported. The published summary does not include direct quotes from residents or relatives or specific observations of staff interactions. A Good rather than Outstanding rating in this domain suggests the home met the expected standard without evidence of practice that was significantly above it.","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 feature in 55.2%. A Good rating here means inspectors were satisfied but did not record the kind of specific, detailed observations that would lift it to Outstanding. That does not mean warmth is absent; it may simply mean the inspection summary is brief. The most reliable way to assess this is to visit at an unannounced time, ideally mid-morning or around a mealtime, and watch how staff speak to residents in passing. Do they use preferred names? Do they slow down? Do they make eye contact?","evidence_base":"Good Practice research highlights that non-verbal communication matters as much as verbal in dementia care. Staff who crouch to eye level, use touch appropriately, and avoid hurrying residents during personal care produce measurably better outcomes for wellbeing and reduced distress.","watch_out":"When you visit, stand in a corridor or communal area for ten minutes and observe whether staff greet residents by name, whether interactions feel rushed, and how a member of staff responds if a resident appears unsettled or confused. This will tell you more than any conversation with the manager."}

  Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded

• Is the home responsive?

  Good

  {"found":"The Responsive domain was rated Good at the January 2021 inspection. This means inspectors found that the home responded to individual needs and preferences and that complaints were handled appropriately. Dementia is listed as a specialism, which implies the home has considered how to engage people with cognitive impairment. The published summary does not describe the activity programme, one-to-one engagement, or how end-of-life care is planned.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Resident happiness is cited in 27.1% of our positive family reviews, and activities and engagement appear in 21.4%. A Good rating for Responsive tells you the home met the standard, but it does not tell you whether your parent would have something meaningful to do each day, particularly if they are at a stage of dementia where they cannot join group activities. The Good Practice evidence base strongly supports one-to-one engagement and the use of familiar, everyday tasks as a route to wellbeing for people with advanced dementia. Ask specifically about individual engagement, not just the group timetable.","evidence_base":"The rapid evidence review found that homes offering tailored individual activities, including simple household tasks, music from a person's past, and sensory engagement, produced significantly better wellbeing outcomes for people with dementia than those relying solely on group programmes.","watch_out":"Ask to see last week's activity record and check whether it includes any one-to-one time for residents who did not attend group sessions. Ask the activities coordinator what they would do for your parent on a day when your parent did not want to leave their room."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is the home well-led?

  Outstanding

  {"found":"The Well-led domain was rated Outstanding at the January 2021 inspection. This is the highest possible rating and signals that inspectors found strong governance, a positive culture, and leadership that supports both staff and residents. The registered manager is named in the published record, which indicates stability. An Outstanding Well-led rating requires evidence that the home audits its own practice, acts on findings, and creates an environment where staff can speak up.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Management and leadership feature in 23.4% of our positive family reviews, and Good Practice research consistently finds that leadership stability is one of the strongest predictors of quality over time. An Outstanding rating here is meaningful because inspectors do not award it lightly. Communication with families, which appears in 11.5% of our positive reviews, also falls under this domain. Because the published summary does not describe specific governance arrangements or how the manager communicates with families, ask directly how you would be kept informed about changes in your parent's health or wellbeing.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research and Leeds Beckett evidence review found that homes with stable, visible management and a culture that empowers frontline staff to raise concerns consistently maintained quality even during periods of occupancy change or staff turnover.","watch_out":"Ask the manager how long they have been in post and whether they are present on the unit most days. Then ask a member of care staff, separately, what they would do if they had a concern about a colleague's practice. The answer to that second question tells you whether the open culture the inspection describes is real."}

  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 provides specialist care for adults both under and over 65, with dedicated dementia support services.. Gaps or open questions remain on Staff here understand how to support people with dementia through all stages of their journey, including palliative phases. Families report competent management of complex dementia needs alongside compassionate emotional support. — areas worth probing directly during a visit.