Oaktree 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 beds78
- SpecialismsCaring for adults over 65 yrs, Caring for adults under 65 yrs, Dementia, Physical disabilities, Sensory impairment
- Last inspected2022-12-01
- Activities programmeThe home maintains clean, tidy spaces throughout the building. While not a new property, people notice the effort put into keeping everywhere fresh and pleasant. The chef takes particular interest in residents' preferences, and there's a programme of activities that brings energy 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
People describe finding a welcoming atmosphere when they visit, with staff who take time to get to know residents as individuals. The home feels lived-in and comfortable, with thoughtful touches in the decoration. Families mention feeling reassured by the personal attention their relatives receive from different members of the team.
Based on 31 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 2022-12-01 · Report published 2022-12-01 · Inspected 10 times in the last three years
Is this home safe?
{"found":"The September 2024 inspection rated the Safe domain as Good. This indicates that inspectors were satisfied with safety arrangements at the home, including medicines management, staffing, and risk management. The home is registered to provide nursing care, meaning qualified nurses are present around the clock. Beyond the rating itself, the published inspection text does not include specific observations about falls recording, infection control practices, or night staffing levels.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good safety rating is reassuring, but the published report does not give you the specific detail that matters most for your mum or dad. Our Good Practice evidence review found that safety tends to slip most during night hours and when agency staff are covering shifts, because consistency of care is harder to maintain. With 78 beds and a mixed specialism group that includes dementia, physical disabilities, and sensory impairments, understanding the actual staffing ratios overnight is one of the most important questions you can ask. The rating tells you the home passed; your visit and direct questions will tell you how robustly.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research and Leeds Beckett University rapid evidence review found that night staffing ratios and reliance on agency staff are two of the most reliable early indicators of safety risk in care homes, even those rated Good overall.","watch_out":"Ask the manager: how many registered nurses and care staff are on duty overnight for 78 residents, and how many of those shifts in the last month were covered by agency staff rather than permanent employees? Ask to see the actual rota, not just the template."}
Is the care effective?
{"found":"The September 2024 inspection rated the Effective domain as Good. This covers areas including care planning, staff training, healthcare access, and nutrition. The home's registered nursing provision means clinical oversight is built into day-to-day care. However, the published report text does not describe specific examples of how care plans are written or reviewed, what dementia training staff have completed, or how the home works with GPs and other health professionals.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Effectiveness matters enormously when your parent is living with dementia or has complex health needs, because it determines whether the home understands their individual history and can respond as their needs change. Our Good Practice evidence base identifies care plans as living documents that should be updated regularly and co-produced with families, not written once and filed. Food quality is also a reliable marker of how seriously a home takes individual wellbeing: ask whether your parent could have their preferred meal at a time that suits them, not just what is on the set menu. The Good rating here is positive, but the absence of specific published detail means these are exactly the questions to pursue on your visit.","evidence_base":"The Leeds Beckett University evidence review found that dementia-specific training content, not just completion rates, significantly affects the quality of care people with dementia receive. Ask what the training actually covers, not just how many staff have done it.","watch_out":"Ask to see a sample care plan (anonymised if needed) to check whether it reflects a real individual's preferences, routines, and history, or reads as a standard template. Also ask how often care plans are reviewed and whether families are invited to take part in those reviews."}
Is this home caring?
{"found":"The September 2024 inspection rated the Caring domain as Good. This covers staff warmth, dignity, respect, and supporting independence. A Good rating here means inspectors were satisfied that people living at the home were treated with kindness and respect. The published report text does not include direct observations of staff interactions, quotes from residents or relatives, or specific descriptions of how dignity is maintained in practice.","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 follow closely at 55.2%. What those reviews describe are the small, observable things: staff using your mum's preferred name, not rushing her through personal care, sitting with her rather than talking across her. A Good rating in Caring tells you inspectors did not find concern; it does not guarantee the warmth your parent deserves on a daily basis. Watching corridor interactions during an unannounced visit, particularly when staff do not know you are there, will tell you more than any rating.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence review found that non-verbal communication is as important as verbal communication for people with advanced dementia. Staff who slow down, make eye contact, and respond to mood rather than just words produce measurably better wellbeing outcomes.","watch_out":"During your visit, watch what happens when a member of staff passes a resident in a corridor or communal area. Do they stop, make eye contact, and use the resident's name? Or do they walk past without acknowledgement? This small interaction is one of the clearest indicators of everyday caring culture."}
Is the home responsive?
{"found":"The September 2024 inspection rated the Responsive domain as Good. This covers whether the home tailors care to individuals, provides meaningful activities, handles complaints well, and plans for end of life. The home's mix of specialisms, including dementia, physical disabilities, and sensory impairments, means responsiveness to individual need is especially important. The published report text does not describe specific activity programmes, individual engagement approaches, or complaints-handling examples.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Activities and engagement are rated as important by 21.4% of families in our review data, and resident happiness by 27.1%. For people living with dementia especially, a home that provides only group activities misses the majority of residents who cannot reliably join in. Our Good Practice evidence review found that one-to-one engagement, including familiar household tasks and reminiscence, produces significantly better wellbeing outcomes than group programmes alone. A Good rating here is encouraging, but ask specifically what happens for your parent on a day when they are not well enough to join a group session.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research evidence review found that Montessori-based and everyday-task approaches to individual engagement, such as folding laundry, tending plants, or sorting familiar objects, reduce agitation and improve mood in people living with dementia more reliably than formal group activity sessions.","watch_out":"Ask the activity coordinator to show you the actual activity records for the past two weeks, not just the planned schedule. Check whether one-to-one sessions are recorded alongside group activities, and ask what engagement looks like for a resident who is having a difficult day and cannot participate in a group."}
Is the home well-led?
{"found":"The September 2024 inspection rated the Well-led domain as Good. Mrs Rowena Kate Gillespie is named as the registered manager, and Mrs Helen Gidlow is the nominated individual, indicating a clear management structure. The home is operated by Healthcare Homes (Spring) Limited. Notably, the previous rating in the data supplied was Requires Improvement, and the home has now achieved Good across all domains, which suggests the management team has made meaningful improvements. The published report does not describe specific governance practices, staff culture observations, or examples of learning from incidents.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Management stability is one of the strongest predictors of sustained quality in care homes, according to our Good Practice evidence base. The fact that this home has moved from Requires Improvement to a Good rating across all domains is a genuinely positive signal: something has changed, and it appears to have changed for the better. Our family review data shows that communication with families is mentioned in 11.5% of positive reviews, and a well-led home is one where the manager is visible, staff feel able to raise concerns, and families feel genuinely informed rather than managed. Ask the manager directly how long they have been in post and what the main changes were that led to the improved rating.","evidence_base":"The Leeds Beckett University evidence review found that leadership stability, particularly a consistent registered manager who is known to staff and residents by name, is one of the most reliable predictors of sustained care quality over time.","watch_out":"Ask the manager how long they have been in post, and ask what specific changes were made following the previous Requires Improvement rating. A manager who can describe concrete improvements clearly, and who is visibly present on the floor during your visit rather than based in an office, is a positive sign."}
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 supports residents with sensory impairments and physical disabilities, adapting care to individual needs. They care for both younger adults under 65 and older residents.. Gaps or open questions remain on The team has experience supporting residents living with dementia, working to maintain their connections and quality of life. — 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
Oaktree Care Home received a Good rating across all five domains at its most recent inspection in September 2024, which is a positive result. However, the inspection report provided contains very limited specific detail, so scores reflect a confirmed Good rating without the direct observations, quotes, or specific examples that would push them higher.
Homes in South West typically score 68–82.The three-lens summary
What families tell us
People describe finding a welcoming atmosphere when they visit, with staff who take time to get to know residents as individuals. The home feels lived-in and comfortable, with thoughtful touches in the decoration. Families mention feeling reassured by the personal attention their relatives receive from different members of the team.
What inspectors have recorded
The care team shows real consideration for residents' emotional needs and individual requests. Staff work to maintain residents' dignity and independence where possible. During the difficult process of choosing a care home, families have found the team provides helpful guidance and reassurance.
How it sits against good practice
If you're considering Oaktree for someone you love, visiting will give you the best sense of whether it feels right for your family.
Worth a visit
Oaktree Care Home, on Lark Rise in Bristol, was rated Good across all five inspection domains at its most recent assessment in September 2024, with the report published in November 2024. The home is registered to provide nursing care for up to 78 people, including those living with dementia, adults with physical disabilities, and those with sensory impairments. A named registered manager is in post, and the home is operated by Healthcare Homes (Spring) Limited. The previous rating recorded in the data supplied was Requires Improvement, so achieving Good across all domains at the latest inspection represents a meaningful improvement in the home's official standing. The main limitation here is that the published inspection text available for this report contains almost no specific detail: no direct observations, no resident or relative quotes, and no descriptions of what inspectors saw on the day. A Good rating is genuinely positive, but it tells you that the home met the standard rather than showing you how. Before making a decision, visit at a varied time of day, ask to see the actual staffing rota for a recent week, observe how staff interact with residents in corridors and at mealtimes, and ask directly about dementia-specific training, night staffing numbers, and how the home keeps families informed. The checklist in this report sets out the specific questions to raise.
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In Their Own Words
How Oaktree Care Home describes itself — collected from its own website. DCC has not edited or independently verified the content in this tab.
Kind staff and lively activities in established Bristol care home
Oaktree Care Home – Expert Care in Bristol
Families visiting Oaktree Care Home in Bristol often comment on the genuine warmth of the staff team. This established home cares for older adults and those under 65 with physical disabilities or sensory impairments. The home maintains regular activities and entertainment programmes that keep residents engaged with each other and the local community.
Who they care for
The home supports residents with sensory impairments and physical disabilities, adapting care to individual needs. They care for both younger adults under 65 and older residents.
The team has experience supporting residents living with dementia, working to maintain their connections and quality of life.
Management & ethos
The care team shows real consideration for residents' emotional needs and individual requests. Staff work to maintain residents' dignity and independence where possible. During the difficult process of choosing a care home, families have found the team provides helpful guidance and reassurance.
The home & environment
The home maintains clean, tidy spaces throughout the building. While not a new property, people notice the effort put into keeping everywhere fresh and pleasant. The chef takes particular interest in residents' preferences, and there's a programme of activities that brings energy to daily life.
“If you're considering Oaktree for someone you love, visiting will give you the best sense of whether it feels right for your family.”
DCC does not edit or curate content in this tab. For independently curated information, see The Evidence and DCC Verdict.
