Spring Lane Care Home

What families say

Families talk about the difference they see in their loved ones after moving here. Residents who arrived feeling isolated find themselves engaged in art projects and social events that bring genuine joy. The atmosphere feels relaxed and friendly, with staff who take time to really know each person.

Based on 14 Google reviews · 0 reviews on carehome.co.uk · most recent 2026-04-10

The eight family priority themes

• Staff warmth72
• Compassion & dignity72
• Cleanliness68
• Activities & engagement55
• Food quality55
• Healthcare68
• Management & leadership75
• Resident happiness68

What inspectors found

Inspected 2019-02-15 · Report published 2019-02-15 · Inspected 4 times in the last three years

• Is this home safe?

  Good

  {"found":"The Safe domain was rated Good at the February 2021 inspection, an improvement from the previous Requires Improvement rating. This suggests inspectors were satisfied with how risk was managed, how medicines were handled, and how staffing was arranged at the time of the visit. No specific observations, numbers, or incidents are recorded in the published text. The previous Requires Improvement rating means there were once concerns in this area, which makes it worth asking directly what changed.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"For your parent, a Good rating in Safe means inspectors did not find immediate concerns about risk, medicines, or staffing during their visit. However, our Good Practice evidence base highlights that night staffing is where safety most often slips in care homes, and the published text records no specific night staffing numbers for Spring Lane. The improvement from a previous Requires Improvement rating is genuinely encouraging, but you should find out what the original concerns were and how they were resolved. Asking to see the falls log and understanding how incidents are recorded and acted on will tell you more than the rating alone.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research and Leeds Beckett University rapid evidence review found that agency staff reliance and inconsistent night cover are two of the strongest predictors of safety risk in residential dementia care. The published inspection text does not address either of these points for Spring Lane.","watch_out":"Ask the manager what the staffing level on the dementia unit looks like after 8pm on a typical weeknight, and what proportion of those shifts are covered by permanent staff rather than agency workers. Request to see last month's rota rather than the template."}

  Verified by inspectorMentioned, not assessed

• Is the care effective?

  Good

  {"found":"The Effective domain was rated Good at the February 2021 inspection. This domain covers care planning, staff training, healthcare access, nutritional support, and how well the home uses information to meet each person's needs. The home specialises in dementia care for adults over 65, so dementia-specific training and person-centred care planning are particularly relevant here. No specific examples of care plan content, training programmes, food quality observations, or GP access arrangements are recorded in the published text.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good rating in Effective tells you that inspectors were broadly satisfied with how the home plans and delivers care, but without specific detail it is difficult to know how closely that care reflects your parent's individual preferences and history. Our Good Practice evidence base identifies care plans as living documents that should be reviewed at least monthly for people with dementia, and families should be actively involved in those reviews. Food quality also sits under this domain, and our review data shows it features in 20.9% of what families highlight positively. Ask to see a care plan on your visit so you can judge how personal and detailed it really is.","evidence_base":"The Leeds Beckett University rapid evidence review found that dementia training which goes beyond basic awareness, covering communication, behaviour that challenges, and end-of-life care, is a strong predictor of person-centred outcomes. The inspection text does not specify what dementia training Spring Lane provides.","watch_out":"Ask the manager to describe the dementia training that all care staff complete, including how often it is refreshed. Then ask whether a family member can contribute to their parent's care plan review and how often those reviews happen in practice."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is this home caring?

  Good

  {"found":"The Caring domain was rated Good at the February 2021 inspection. Inspectors assess this domain by observing staff interactions, checking whether residents are treated with dignity and respect, and speaking with residents and relatives. A Good rating indicates inspectors were satisfied with the standard of warmth and respect they observed. No direct observations, preferred-name usage, response to distress, or resident or family quotes are recorded in the published 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, and compassion and dignity feature in 55.2%. A Good rating in Caring is an encouraging baseline, but the absence of specific observations in the published text means you cannot rely on the rating alone to answer the question of whether staff will treat your parent with genuine warmth. Watch corridor interactions on your visit. Notice whether staff greet residents by name without prompting, whether they crouch to eye level, and whether the pace feels unhurried. These small signals tell you more than any rating.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence base highlights that non-verbal communication matters as much as spoken interaction for people living with advanced dementia. Staff who move calmly, make eye contact, and respond to distress with presence rather than instruction demonstrate a quality of care that goes beyond compliance.","watch_out":"During your visit, pause in a communal area for ten minutes without the manager present and watch how staff interact with residents who are not asking for anything. Are staff initiating contact, or only responding when approached?"}

  Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded

• Is the home responsive?

  Good

  {"found":"The Responsive domain was rated Good at the February 2021 inspection. This domain covers how well the home tailors care to each individual, the range and quality of activities, how complaints are handled, and end-of-life care planning. A Good rating suggests inspectors were satisfied with the home's approach to individuality and engagement. No specific activities, one-to-one engagement examples, complaint outcomes, or end-of-life arrangements are described in the published text.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Resident happiness features in 27.1% of what families highlight in our review data, and activities and engagement appear in 21.4%. A Good rating in Responsive is positive, but for a parent living with dementia the detail matters enormously. Our Good Practice evidence base shows that group activities alone are not sufficient for people with more advanced dementia, and that meaningful one-to-one engagement, including familiar household tasks and sensory activities, makes a significant difference to wellbeing and agitation. Ask specifically what happens for residents who are not able to join a group session.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research rapid evidence review found that Montessori-based and individually tailored activity approaches, including familiar domestic tasks, reduce agitation and improve observed wellbeing in people with dementia more reliably than structured group programmes alone.","watch_out":"Ask the activities coordinator to describe what a typical Tuesday looks like for a resident who cannot easily join group sessions because of advanced dementia. If the answer is vague or defaults to television, that is a signal worth taking seriously."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is the home well-led?

  Good

  {"found":"The Well-led domain was rated Good at the February 2021 inspection, improving from a previous Requires Improvement rating. The home has a named registered manager, Miss Lori Vela, and a nominated individual, Dr Robin Powell, indicating an accountable leadership structure. The improvement across all domains from the previous inspection suggests the management team responded constructively to earlier concerns. No specific detail about governance processes, staff culture, complaint handling, or management visibility is recorded in the published text.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Management and leadership feature in 23.4% of what families value in our review data, and communication with families appears in 11.5%. The improvement from a previous Requires Improvement rating is the most concrete positive signal available for Spring Lane, because it demonstrates that the leadership team can identify problems and act on them. Our Good Practice evidence base shows that leadership stability is one of the strongest predictors of a home's quality trajectory. It is worth asking how long the current manager has been in post and whether there have been significant staffing changes recently.","evidence_base":"The Leeds Beckett University rapid evidence review found that homes where managers are visible on the floor, known by name to both residents and staff, and where staff feel able to raise concerns without fear, consistently achieve better person-centred care outcomes than those with more distant or administrative leadership styles.","watch_out":"Ask the manager how long she has been in post at Spring Lane and what the main change she made after the previous Requires Improvement rating was. A manager who can answer that clearly and specifically is a good sign. A vague or deflecting answer is worth noting."}

  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 dedicated dementia care alongside general support for older adults. They offer flexible admission options including respite stays, which helps families test the waters or manage temporary care needs.. Gaps or open questions remain on For those living with dementia, the team creates structured days that balance stimulation with calm. The regular activities and social programmes seem particularly effective at helping residents stay connected and engaged. — areas worth probing directly during a visit.