Knights' Grove Care Home – Bupa

What families say

What strikes families most is how their loved ones seem to genuinely settle here. They describe seeing relatives who were anxious about the move becoming visibly more relaxed and content. The team appears to have a real knack for helping residents feel at home, whether that's through personalising their rooms or simply taking time to involve them in daily life.

Based on 4 Google reviews · 0 reviews on carehome.co.uk · most recent 2026-04-10

The eight family priority themes

• Staff warmth88
• Compassion & dignity88
• Cleanliness75
• Activities & engagement82
• Food quality72
• Healthcare85
• Management & leadership88
• Resident happiness82

What inspectors found

Inspected 2019-03-27 · Report published 2019-03-27 · Inspected 2 times in the last three years

• Is this home safe?

  Good

  {"found":"Safety at Knights' Grove was rated Good at the time of inspection u2014 solid, but the one domain that did not reach Outstanding. A Good rating means inspectors found no significant safety concerns: staffing levels, medicines management, infection control and safeguarding were all assessed as adequate and compliant. The home is registered for nursing care, meaning clinical oversight is built into its model. No concerns about falls management or environmental safety are noted in the available summary. As with all aspects of this inspection, the findings are now over five years old.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good safety rating in a nursing home is genuinely reassuring u2014 it means inspectors did not identify gaps in how your parent would be protected from harm. However, Good rather than Outstanding in this domain means there may have been areas that were compliant but not exceptional. The Good Practice evidence base is clear that safety is most likely to slip after dark: night staffing ratios and agency staff reliance are the two factors most strongly associated with preventable incidents. Because no specific night staffing figures are available from this inspection, this is the most important gap to fill before you decide. Our family review data also shows that 14% of families specifically mention staff attentiveness as a key concern u2014 the question to ask is whether the ratio of staff to your parent's level of need feels adequate at all hours.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research / Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review (2026) identifies night staffing as the point at which safety most commonly deteriorates in care homes, and notes that reliance on agency staff undermines the consistency of safe practice u2014 particularly for people living with dementia who may present differently to unfamiliar carers.","watch_out":"Ask the home: 'How many permanent, named members of staff are on duty on the dementia unit after 8pm, and what is your current agency usage rate?' If they cannot answer specifically, that itself tells you something."}

  Verified by inspectorMentioned, not assessed

• Is the care effective?

  Outstanding

  {"found":"Effective is rated Outstanding u2014 the highest standard u2014 meaning inspectors found strong, specific evidence that care at Knights' Grove was not just compliant but genuinely skilled. For a nursing home specialising in dementia, this rating requires evidence of high-quality dementia training applied in practice, care plans that are genuinely person-centred and regularly reviewed, and effective healthcare including GP access and medication management. Outstanding in this domain in a dementia-specialist nursing home is a meaningful achievement. The registered manager and nominated individual were both named, suggesting clear accountability for clinical standards.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"What this means practically for your mum or dad is that the people caring for them are likely to understand dementia at a level above the minimum required. The Good Practice evidence base shows that dementia training makes a measurable difference to wellbeing outcomes u2014 not just formal qualifications, but how staff actually communicate with and respond to someone in the mid-to-later stages of dementia. Our family review data shows that 12.7% of positive reviews specifically mention dementia-specific care as a reason for recommending a home. The Outstanding Effective rating also covers nutrition and food u2014 though we don't have specific menu or mealtime observations from this summary, so you should ask to see how mealtimes are managed and whether your parent's dietary preferences and any swallowing difficulties would be properly supported.","evidence_base":"The 2026 Good Practice evidence review found that care plans function as genuine quality tools only when they are treated as living documents u2014 updated after incidents, reviewed with families, and accessible to night staff. Homes rated Outstanding in Effective typically show evidence of all three.","watch_out":"Ask: 'Can I see how my parent's care plan would be written and reviewed, and how often would I be involved in updating it?' Then ask specifically who has access to it on a night shift."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is this home caring?

  Outstanding

  {"found":"Caring is rated Outstanding, meaning inspectors observed and recorded clear evidence of genuine kindness, respect, and dignity in how staff treated residents. This is the domain most directly felt by your parent day to day. To achieve Outstanding here, inspectors must find specific examples u2014 not just compliance u2014 of staff treating people as individuals, responding with warmth, preserving privacy, and supporting independence. The home also has an Outstanding Responsive rating, which means care was tailored to the individual rather than delivered in a standardised way. No concerns about dignity or compassion were noted.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"This is the rating that matters most to families. Our DCC review data shows that staff warmth (57.3% of positive reviews) and compassion and dignity (55.2%) are the two most frequently cited reasons families recommend a care home u2014 far ahead of any other factor. An Outstanding Caring rating suggests Knights' Grove was, at the time of inspection, genuinely delivering on these two dimensions. The Good Practice evidence base emphasises that for people living with dementia, non-verbal communication u2014 tone of voice, physical reassurance, being unhurried u2014 matters as much as what is said. On your visit, watch whether staff knock before entering rooms, use your parent's preferred name, and respond to distress calmly rather than redirecting immediately.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice review (2026) found that person-led care requires knowing the individual u2014 their history, preferences, and what brings them comfort u2014 and that this knowledge must be embedded in daily staff practice, not just recorded in a file. Outstanding Caring ratings are associated with homes where this knowledge is actively used.","watch_out":"During your visit, pay attention to how staff interact with residents in corridors and communal areas when they think they're not being watched. Unhurried, warm, spontaneous interactions are the strongest indicator that the Outstanding Caring rating reflects genuine culture u2014 not inspection-day behaviour."}

  Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded

• Is the home responsive?

  Outstanding

  {"found":"Responsive is rated Outstanding, meaning the home was assessed as genuinely tailoring its care and activities to individual residents rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach. For a dementia-specialist home, this is particularly significant: it implies activities were adapted for different stages of dementia, individual preferences were recorded and acted on, and residents' daily lives reflected who they are as people. Outstanding Responsive also encompasses end-of-life planning and family involvement in care decisions. No specific activity schedules, one-to-one engagement details, or outdoor access information are available in the summary provided.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Our family review data shows that resident happiness and engagement accounts for 27.1% of positive review sentiment, and activities and engagement for 21.4%. An Outstanding Responsive rating is the strongest official signal that your parent would have a life here u2014 not just be kept safe and comfortable, but be engaged, stimulated, and treated as an individual. The Good Practice evidence base highlights that for people with advanced dementia who cannot join group activities, one-to-one engagement and household task-based activities (folding, watering plants, familiar domestic routines) are particularly effective. Ask specifically what happens for your parent on a day when group activities are not suitable for them.","evidence_base":"The 2026 Good Practice review found that Montessori-based approaches and everyday task engagement produce measurable improvements in wellbeing for people living with dementia u2014 and that group-only activity programmes, however varied, leave the most vulnerable residents without meaningful stimulation.","watch_out":"Ask to see the actual activity schedule for the current week u2014 not a brochure u2014 and ask specifically: 'If my parent reaches a point where they can't join a group session, what would a typical afternoon look like for them?'"}

  Verified by inspector

• Is the home well-led?

  Outstanding

  {"found":"Well-led is rated Outstanding, indicating that inspectors found strong, specific evidence of effective and stable leadership, a positive staff culture, robust governance, and accountability at every level. The registered manager at the time of inspection was Mrs Clare Ann Relf, with Mr Donald Day as the nominated individual. An Outstanding Well-led rating requires evidence not just of systems but of a culture where staff feel empowered to speak up, where incidents are learned from, and where the manager is a visible and trusted presence. The home's rating improved from Good to Outstanding, which is the strongest possible positive trajectory signal.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Our family review data shows that 23.4% of positive reviews explicitly mention management and leadership as a reason for recommending a home u2014 and families consistently describe this in terms of feeling heard and informed. An Outstanding Well-led rating means that at the time of inspection, the management team was not just running the home efficiently but actively shaping its culture. The Good Practice evidence base is clear that leadership stability is the single strongest predictor of sustained quality in care homes. However, because this inspection is now over five years old, you must ask directly whether Mrs Relf is still the registered manager. A change of manager since 2019 would be the most significant unknown risk factor in this home's current quality profile.","evidence_base":"The 2026 Good Practice review found that leadership stability u2014 particularly manager tenure of more than two years u2014 is the strongest single predictor of quality trajectory in care homes, and that bottom-up staff empowerment (staff who feel they can raise concerns without fear) is the most reliable indicator of a positive internal culture.","watch_out":"Ask directly: 'Is Mrs Clare Ann Relf still the registered manager, and how long has the current management team been in place?' Then ask staff u2014 not management u2014 'Do you feel comfortable raising a concern about a resident here?' Their body language will tell you as much as their answer."}

  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 Knights' Grove provides residential care for adults over 65 and those under 65 who need support. They also specialise in dementia care.. Gaps or open questions remain on For those living with dementia, the home's approach to helping residents settle seems especially valuable. The staff's focus on reducing anxiety and creating familiar routines can make a real difference. — areas worth probing directly during a visit.