Queens Meadow Care Home

What families say

Families visiting here often comment on seeing their loved ones looking content and well-cared for. The staff seem to understand that small moments of connection matter, taking time to engage with residents throughout the day.

Based on 16 Google reviews · 0 reviews on carehome.co.uk · most recent 2026-04-10

The eight family priority themes

• Staff warmth70
• Compassion & dignity72
• Cleanliness65
• Activities & engagement60
• Food quality55
• Healthcare60
• Management & leadership74
• Resident happiness68

What inspectors found

Inspected 2022-08-27 · Report published 2022-08-27 · Inspected 5 times in the last three years

• Is this home safe?

  Requires improvement

  {"found":"The Safety domain was rated Requires Improvement at the June 2022 inspection, making it the only domain where the home did not achieve a Good rating. This is a step down from what families would hope to see, particularly in a home specialising in dementia care, where safe management of risk, medicines, and staffing is critical. The published summary does not detail which specific areas of safety fell short. Safety concerns at inspection can relate to staffing numbers, medicines administration, falls management, infection control, or risk assessments, but without the full report it is not possible to say which applied here. Families should obtain and read the full inspection report before making a decision.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Requires Improvement in Safety is the single most important thing to understand before choosing Queens Meadow for your parent. In our analysis of family reviews across more than 5,400 UK care homes, concerns about staff attentiveness account for 14% of all feedback themes, and unsafe practice is the fastest route to loss of confidence. Good Practice research consistently identifies night staffing as the period when safety most often slips, particularly in homes supporting people with dementia who may be at higher risk of falls or distress after dark. You need to know what was wrong, what has been fixed, and how the home checks that the fix has held. The full inspection report is the starting point, but a direct conversation with the manager is essential.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research and Leeds Beckett University rapid evidence review found that night staffing ratios and the consistent use of permanent rather than agency staff are the two strongest predictors of safe outcomes for people with dementia in residential settings.","watch_out":"Ask the manager to show you the staffing rota for the past two weeks, covering day and night shifts. Count how many shifts were covered by permanent staff versus agency workers, and ask what the minimum staffing level is overnight for 59 residents."}

  Verified by inspectorMentioned, not assessed

• Is the care effective?

  Good

  {"found":"The Effective domain was rated Good at the June 2022 inspection. This domain covers how the home assesses people's needs, writes and reviews care plans, supports residents' health through GP and specialist access, and equips staff with the right training. The home specialises in dementia care, which means inspectors would have looked for evidence of dementia-specific training and appropriate care planning. The published summary does not include specific detail about training content, care plan quality, or GP access arrangements.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good rating in Effectiveness is reassuring, particularly because the home holds a dementia specialism, meaning inspectors would have looked specifically at whether staff understand and respond to the needs of people living with dementia. Healthcare access matters enormously as your parent's needs change. Our family review data shows that healthcare responsiveness accounts for 20.2% of what families highlight in positive reviews, and food quality, also part of this domain, accounts for 20.9%. The published findings do not give us specific detail on either, so these are areas to probe on your visit. Ask about how often care plans are reviewed and whether you would be involved.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence base identifies care plans as living documents that should be updated after any significant change in a person's condition, not just on a fixed annual cycle. Homes that review plans responsively tend to show better outcomes for people with dementia.","watch_out":"Ask to see a sample care plan (anonymised if necessary) and check whether it includes the person's life history, preferred routines, and communication preferences, not just their medical needs and medication list."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is this home caring?

  Good

  {"found":"The Caring domain was rated Good at the June 2022 inspection. This domain covers how staff treat the people in their care, including warmth, dignity, privacy, and whether residents are supported to maintain their independence. A Good rating here means inspectors were satisfied with what they observed and heard during their visit. The published summary does not include specific observations or quotes from residents or families about how care was experienced.","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 come close behind at 55.2%. A Good Caring rating is the inspection's way of saying inspectors saw these qualities in action. However, the published findings here do not give us the specifics, such as whether staff used preferred names, moved at an unhurried pace, or responded sensitively to distress. The Good Practice evidence base highlights that for people with advanced dementia, non-verbal communication, tone of voice, and physical gentleness matter as much as anything said out loud. Observe these things yourself on a visit, because no inspection finding can replace what you see with your own eyes.","evidence_base":"Research from the Leeds Beckett University rapid evidence review confirms that person-centred caring interactions, including the use of preferred names and consistent key workers, are associated with lower levels of distress and better wellbeing for people with dementia.","watch_out":"During your visit, watch how staff greet your parent or any resident they pass in the corridor. Do they make eye contact, use the person's name, and pause to acknowledge them, or do they walk past without engaging? This tells you more than any document."}

  Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded

• Is the home responsive?

  Good

  {"found":"The Responsive domain was rated Good at the June 2022 inspection. This domain covers whether the home provides activities and engagement that are meaningful and tailored to individuals, whether it responds to complaints, and whether it supports people's individuality including at the end of life. The home's dementia specialism means inspectors would have looked for evidence that activities are adapted for people who may not be able to join group sessions. The published summary does not include specific examples of activities offered or how the home approaches individual engagement.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Activities and genuine engagement account for 21.4% of what families mention positively in our review data, and resident happiness and contentment account for 27.1%. A Good Responsive rating suggests inspectors were satisfied, but the detail matters for dementia care. The Good Practice evidence base is clear that group activities alone are not sufficient for people in the later stages of dementia. One-to-one engagement, household-style tasks, and sensory activities tailored to a person's history are what make the difference between a resident who is merely present and one who is genuinely participating in life. Ask specifically about what happens for your parent on a day when the group activity does not suit them.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research and Leeds Beckett University review found that Montessori-based and occupation-focused approaches, including familiar household tasks and individual sensory activities, produce measurable improvements in wellbeing for people with dementia compared with group entertainment activities alone.","watch_out":"Ask the activity coordinator to describe what a typical Tuesday looks like for a resident with moderate dementia who does not enjoy group settings. If the answer is vague, ask to see the activity records for the past two weeks to check whether one-to-one sessions are being delivered and recorded."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is the home well-led?

  Good

  {"found":"The Well-led domain was rated Good at the June 2022 inspection, and the home improved from a previous overall rating of Requires Improvement, which suggests leadership has driven positive change. There is a named registered manager, Miss Rachael Smith, and a named nominated individual, Mrs Mandy Vernon, indicating a structured governance arrangement. The published summary does not provide detail about how long the manager has been in post, how staff are supported, or how the home monitors and responds to quality data. The Safety domain remains at Requires Improvement, which means the leadership team has more to do.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Good leadership is the strongest predictor of whether a home continues to improve or slides back. The fact that Queens Meadow moved from Requires Improvement to Good overall is a positive signal, and our family review data shows that management visibility and accountability account for 23.4% of what families raise positively. However, the outstanding Safety concern means the leadership team has not yet completed the improvement. Communication with families, which accounts for 11.5% of positive family feedback, is also not covered in the published findings. Ask the manager directly how they keep families informed and what has changed since the 2022 inspection.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence base identifies leadership stability as the strongest predictor of quality trajectory in care homes. Homes with a consistent manager who has been in post for more than two years show significantly better outcomes than those with frequent management changes.","watch_out":"Ask the manager how long they have been in post at Queens Meadow, what specific changes they made after the last inspection to address the Safety concerns, and how they will know if those changes are working. A confident manager will have clear answers and evidence to show you."}

  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 dementia care and supports adults over 65. They have dedicated dementia care facilities on the first floor.. Gaps or open questions remain on With specific dementia care rooms and staff who understand the importance of maintaining routines and connections, the home creates an environment where residents with dementia can feel secure. — areas worth probing directly during a visit.