North Shore Rest Home

What families say

Based on 15 Google reviews · 0 reviews on carehome.co.uk · most recent 2026-04-10

The eight family priority themes

• Staff warmth85
• Compassion & dignity87
• Cleanliness72
• Activities & engagement78
• Food quality65
• Healthcare82
• Management & leadership88
• Resident happiness80

What inspectors found

Inspected 2018-05-25 · Report published 2018-05-25 · Inspected 3 times in the last three years

• Is this home safe?

  Good

  {"found":"The Safe domain was rated Good at the April 2021 inspection. This is the one domain that did not reach Outstanding, which is worth noting in a home that otherwise achieved the highest rating across the board. The published inspection text does not include specific detail on staffing ratios, medicines management, falls records, or infection control practices. The home is registered as a nursing home, which means qualified nurses should be available around the clock, but the inspection report does not confirm shift-by-shift numbers.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good rating in Safe is a solid baseline, and it is common for homes to score differently across domains. However, Good Practice research consistently identifies night staffing as the point where safety most often slips, particularly in homes caring for people with dementia who may be at higher risk of falls or disorientation after dark. The inspection report does not tell us how many staff are on overnight for 25 beds, which is a gap worth closing before you make a decision. Our review data shows that families who later have concerns about a home often say, in retrospect, that they did not ask enough specific questions about staffing before moving their parent in.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research and Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review found that agency staff reliance and low night staffing ratios are among the most consistent predictors of safety incidents in care homes. A home that cannot show you its actual rota, as opposed to its template, should prompt further questions.","watch_out":"Ask the manager to show you the actual staffing rota for the past two weeks, not the planned template. Count how many permanent staff versus agency names appear, and ask specifically how many carers and nurses are on duty overnight."}

  Verified by inspectorMentioned, not assessed

• Is the care effective?

  Outstanding

  {"found":"The Effective domain was rated Outstanding at the April 2021 inspection. This domain covers training, care planning, healthcare access, and nutrition. An Outstanding rating here means inspectors found evidence significantly above what is expected as standard. The published report does not include the specific evidence that led to this rating, such as detail on dementia training content, GP access arrangements, or how care plans are written and reviewed.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"An Outstanding Effective rating is relatively rare nationally and suggests inspectors found genuinely strong practice in how the home plans and delivers care. For a parent with dementia, this domain matters because it determines whether the team truly understands their condition, keeps their care plan current, and notices when their health is changing before it becomes a crisis. Good Practice evidence from the Leeds Beckett review emphasises that care plans should be living documents, updated after every significant change, and that dementia-specific training should go beyond basic awareness to cover communication, behaviour that challenges, and end-of-life care. Ask the home what that training looks like in practice.","evidence_base":"The Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review found that homes with Outstanding Effective ratings typically demonstrate detailed, person-centred care plans reviewed at least monthly, proactive GP and specialist involvement, and dementia training that includes communication techniques alongside clinical knowledge.","watch_out":"Ask how often care plans are formally reviewed, who is involved in those reviews, and whether families are invited to contribute. Then ask to see an example of how a plan was updated after a resident's health changed."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is this home caring?

  Outstanding

  {"found":"The Caring domain was rated Outstanding at the April 2021 inspection. This is the domain most directly linked to the day-to-day experience of your parent and reflects how inspectors assessed staff warmth, dignity, respect, and whether residents felt known as individuals. The published inspection text does not include direct observations or resident and family quotes that would allow us to describe specific moments of care that earned this rating.","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 are close behind at 55.2%. An Outstanding Caring rating means inspectors saw something above the ordinary: staff who know residents as people, who respond with patience, and who protect dignity in private moments as well as public ones. For a parent with dementia who may not be able to tell you how they are being treated, this domain is particularly important. On your visit, notice whether staff use your parent's preferred name without being prompted, whether they make eye contact, and whether they move at the resident's pace or their own.","evidence_base":"Good Practice research highlights that non-verbal communication, including eye contact, touch, and unhurried presence, is as important as spoken interaction for people with advanced dementia. Homes rated Outstanding in Caring typically show staff who adapt their communication style to each individual rather than using a standard approach.","watch_out":"During your visit, observe what happens when a member of staff passes a resident in a corridor or communal area. Do they stop, make eye contact, and speak? Or do they move through without acknowledgement? This small, repeatable moment is one of the most reliable signals of genuine warmth."}

  Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded

• Is the home responsive?

  Outstanding

  {"found":"The Responsive domain was rated Outstanding at the April 2021 inspection. This domain covers whether the home tailors care to individuals, provides meaningful activities, responds to complaints, and supports people well at the end of life. The home cares for people with dementia, learning disabilities, and physical disabilities, which means responsiveness must work across a wide range of needs and communication styles. The inspection report does not include specific detail on activity programmes, individual engagement, or complaint handling.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Activities and engagement account for 21.4% of the positive themes in our family review data, and resident happiness accounts for a further 27.1%. For a parent with dementia, meaningful activity is not an optional extra: Good Practice research shows it reduces agitation, supports identity, and improves quality of life in measurable ways. An Outstanding Responsive rating suggests inspectors found genuinely individualised approaches, not just a group timetable on a noticeboard. Ask the home how they keep your parent engaged on days when they cannot join a group, and how they have adapted activities for people with more advanced dementia.","evidence_base":"The Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review found that Montessori-based approaches and activities built around familiar everyday tasks, such as folding, gardening, or simple cooking, are among the most effective for people with dementia, because they draw on long-term procedural memory rather than requiring new learning.","watch_out":"Ask to see last month's actual activity records for a resident with a similar level of need to your parent. A planned timetable on the wall tells you very little. What you want to know is whether one-to-one engagement is recorded for people who cannot join group sessions."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is the home well-led?

  Outstanding

  {"found":"The Well-led domain was rated Outstanding at the April 2021 inspection. The home is run by named individual providers, Mrs Brenda Christine Bell and Mr Darren Bell, with a named registered manager, Mrs Alison Jayne Small. This family-style ownership structure is distinct from large corporate providers and can indicate closer personal investment in the home's culture and standards. The inspection report does not include specific evidence on governance systems, staff culture, or how leadership handled challenges.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Management quality accounts for 23.4% of the positive themes in our family review data, and Good Practice research consistently shows that leadership stability predicts quality over time. A home run by named individual owners who are personally accountable is a different proposition from one managed by a regional director several layers removed. However, the inspection was in 2021 and the manager named in the report may or may not still be in post. Communication with families is mentioned in 11.5% of our positive review data, and the best-led homes actively involve families in care decisions rather than simply informing them of changes after the fact.","evidence_base":"The Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review found that homes with Outstanding Well-led ratings typically have managers who are known by name to residents and staff, who are visibly present on the floor rather than office-bound, and who create a culture where staff feel safe to raise concerns without fear of reprisal.","watch_out":"Ask whether the registered manager named in the 2021 report is still in post. If there has been a change in manager or ownership since 2021, ask how the transition was handled and what, if anything, changed in how the home operates. Leadership continuity is one of the strongest predictors of sustained quality."}

  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 support for people living with dementia, learning disabilities and physical disabilities. They care for both younger adults under 65 and older residents, bringing nursing expertise to complex care needs.. Gaps or open questions remain on For residents living with dementia, the team brings nursing-level expertise to memory care. They understand how dementia can complicate other health conditions and adapt their approach accordingly. — areas worth probing directly during a visit.