Platters Farm Lodge

What families say

Families describe feeling genuinely included in their relative's recovery journey. The atmosphere feels more like a supportive household than a clinical setting, with residents encouraged to maintain their independence while receiving the help they need. Staff take time to know each person individually.

Based on 21 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
• Healthcare68
• Management & leadership72
• Resident happiness70

What inspectors found

Inspected 2021-07-23 · Report published 2021-07-23 · Inspected 7 times in the last three years

• Is this home safe?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"The October 2025 inspection rated Safety as Good. This domain covers staffing levels, medicines management, infection control, and how risks are identified and managed. The previous inspection had resulted in a Requires Improvement rating overall, so achieving Good in Safety suggests the home addressed whatever concerns were identified at that time. The published report does not include specific inspector observations, resident testimony, or details about night staffing or agency use.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good rating in Safety is reassuring, but the evidence behind it is not detailed in the published text, so there are specific things worth checking yourself. Good Practice research consistently shows that safety is most likely to slip on night shifts, when staffing is thinner and oversight is reduced. Our family review data highlights staff attentiveness as a key concern for 14% of reviewers. Ask the home directly how many staff, including a senior, are on duty overnight for the 43 people who live there, and what proportion of those shifts are covered by permanent rather than agency staff.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research and Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review found that agency staff reliance undermines consistency of care and is associated with increased safety incidents. Homes with stable, permanent night teams show better safety outcomes for people with dementia.","watch_out":"Ask the manager to show you the actual staffing rota for the past two weeks, not a template. Count the number of permanent staff names against agency names, particularly on night shifts, and ask what the minimum number of staff on duty is overnight."}

  Verified by inspectorMentioned, not assessed

• Is the care effective?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"The Effective domain was rated Good at the October 2025 inspection. This domain covers how well staff are trained, whether care plans are detailed and kept up to date, whether people have regular access to GPs and other health professionals, and whether food and nutrition needs are met. The published report does not describe specific training records, care plan content, or observations about mealtimes and dietary support.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Effectiveness in care is often invisible until something goes wrong, which is why it matters so much to check the detail before your parent moves in. Food quality is a strong signal: our family review data shows it features in 20.9% of positive reviews, and the Good Practice evidence base confirms that mealtimes are one of the most meaningful parts of the day for people with dementia. Ask to visit at lunchtime so you can see portion sizes, how dietary preferences are handled, and whether staff sit with residents or rush around. Also ask specifically how recently all staff completed dementia care training, not just at induction but as ongoing learning.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence review found that care plans should be treated as living documents, reviewed at least monthly for people with dementia, and that family input into those plans is associated with better outcomes and higher family satisfaction.","watch_out":"Ask to see a copy of a recently reviewed care plan (anonymised if necessary) to check whether it includes personal history, food preferences, communication needs, and a record of GP or specialist involvement. Ask when care plans were last updated and whether families are invited to contribute."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is this home caring?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"The Caring domain was rated Good at the October 2025 inspection. This domain is about how staff treat the people who live here: whether they are kind, respectful, and unhurried, whether privacy and dignity are maintained, and whether people are supported to remain as independent as possible. No specific inspector observations, staff interactions, or resident or family quotes were included in the available published report text.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Staff warmth is the single biggest driver of family satisfaction in our review data, mentioned in 57.3% of positive reviews. Compassion and dignity follow closely at 55.2%. A Good rating in Caring is meaningful, but what you will want to see with your own eyes is whether staff interactions feel genuine rather than procedural. The Good Practice evidence shows that non-verbal communication matters as much as what staff say, especially for people in the later stages of dementia who may not be able to express how they feel. On your visit, notice whether staff make eye contact, whether they crouch to the same level as someone in a chair, and whether they move at the person's pace rather than their own.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence review found that person-led care requires staff to know each individual's history, preferences, and communication style, and that this knowledge is most reliably embedded through consistent staffing rather than through documentation alone.","watch_out":"When you visit, ask a member of staff what your parent's preferred name is, what they enjoy, and what unsettles them. If staff can answer without checking a file, that tells you something important about how well they know the people they care for."}

  Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded

• Is the home responsive?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"The Responsive domain was rated Good at the October 2025 inspection. Responsiveness covers whether the home provides meaningful activities tailored to individual interests, whether it responds to people's changing needs, and whether end-of-life wishes are planned and recorded. As with the other domains, the published report does not include specific observations about activity programmes, individual engagement, or end-of-life planning at this home.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Activities and engagement feature in 21.4% of positive family reviews, and resident happiness, which depends heavily on how engaged people feel day to day, is referenced in 27.1% of reviews. The Good Practice evidence is clear that group activities alone are not sufficient: people in the later stages of dementia often cannot join group sessions and need one-to-one engagement tailored to their history and current abilities. Ask specifically what happens for your parent if they are having a difficult day and cannot join a group activity, and who is responsible for spending time with them individually.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence review found that Montessori-based approaches and everyday household task involvement, such as folding, sorting, or simple cooking, provide meaningful engagement for people with dementia and support a sense of purpose and continuity.","watch_out":"Ask to see the activity schedule for the past two weeks, not a printed brochure. Check whether it includes one-to-one sessions and whether activities are listed as tailored to individuals. Ask what your parent's day would typically look like from morning to evening."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is the home well-led?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"The Well-led domain was rated Good at the October 2025 inspection. This domain assesses whether the home has visible, stable leadership, whether staff feel supported and able to raise concerns, and whether the home learns from incidents and feedback. Platters Farm Lodge is operated by Strode Park Foundation For People With Disabilities, with Paul Montgomery listed as Nominated Individual. The published summary does not describe the manager's tenure, how governance processes work in practice, or how the home addressed the issues that led to its previous Requires Improvement rating.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Leadership stability is one of the strongest predictors of quality in a care home, according to the Good Practice evidence review. The fact that this home has moved from Requires Improvement to Good across all domains is encouraging, but it is worth understanding what changed and who led that change. Our family review data shows that communication with families features in 11.5% of positive reviews, and families consistently value knowing that someone is in charge who will speak to them honestly. Ask the manager directly what the previous inspection identified as concerns and how those have been resolved.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence review found that leadership stability predicts quality trajectory, and that homes where staff feel able to raise concerns without fear of consequences show consistently better outcomes for people with dementia.","watch_out":"Ask how long the current registered manager has been in post, whether they are based at the home full time, and what changes were made following the previous inspection. A manager who can give you a clear, specific answer to that last question is a positive sign."}

  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 cares for adults both under and over 65, including those living with dementia. Their rehabilitation programmes focus on helping people regain mobility and independence after hospital stays.. Gaps or open questions remain on For residents with dementia who need rehabilitation support, the team works to maintain familiar routines while building strength. The combination of physiotherapy and structured activities helps residents stay engaged during their recovery. — areas worth probing directly during a visit.