Stanhope lodge

What families say

Based on 3 Google reviews · 0 reviews on carehome.co.uk · most recent 2026-04-10

The eight family priority themes

• Staff warmth55
• Compassion & dignity58
• Cleanliness55
• Activities & engagement52
• Food quality52
• Healthcare55
• Management & leadership60
• Resident happiness55

What inspectors found

Inspected 2019-10-09 · Report published 2019-10-09 · Inspected 4 times in the last three years

• Is this home safe?

  Good

  {"found":"Safety was rated Good at the January 2023 inspection, representing an improvement from a previous Requires Improvement finding. This suggests the home addressed whatever safety concerns prompted the earlier lower rating. The service covers a wide range of needs including dementia, physical disabilities, and sensory impairments in a 28-bed home. No specific details about staffing ratios, falls management, medicine administration, or infection control practices are provided in the available report text.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"An improvement to Good in Safety is genuinely reassuring u2014 it means inspectors were satisfied that earlier gaps had been closed. However, our family review data shows that staffing attentiveness accounts for 14% of what families care about most, and the inspection provides no detail about how many staff are present after 8pm or whether agency staff are routinely used. Good Practice research consistently shows that night staffing is where safety most often slips in smaller homes like this one. Before placing your parent here, get specific numbers: ask how many staff are on overnight, whether the same people work regularly, and what the protocol is if your parent becomes unwell at 3am.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research / Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review found that agency staff reliance undermines care consistency and is one of the strongest predictors of safety incidents in residential dementia settings u2014 particularly on night shifts.","watch_out":"Ask the manager directly: 'How many staff are on duty overnight, and what proportion of your night shifts are covered by agency staff rather than permanent employees?'"}

  Verified by inspectorMentioned, not assessed

• Is the care effective?

  Good

  {"found":"Effectiveness was rated Good at the January 2023 inspection. This domain covers whether staff know what they are doing u2014 including dementia training, care planning, access to GPs, and nutrition. Dementia is listed as a specialism, which implies some structured training and environmental consideration. No specific detail is available about how care plans are written, reviewed, or shared with families, or about the content of dementia training programmes.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good rating in Effectiveness tells you inspectors were satisfied that staff had the knowledge and tools to care competently. However, our family data shows that dementia-specific care quality is a priority concern for 12.7% of reviewers, and food quality matters to over 20% of families. The inspection gives us no specific information on either. Good Practice research highlights that care plans should be living documents updated with family input u2014 not filed and forgotten. Ask to see your parent's care plan before they move in, and ask how often it is reviewed and whether you will be invited to contribute.","evidence_base":"The Leeds Beckett evidence review found that care plans used as active, regularly reviewed documents u2014 with family input u2014 significantly improve personalisation of care and reduce incidents of distress in people living with dementia.","watch_out":"Ask: 'Can I see an example of how a care plan is structured here, and how would I be involved in reviewing my parent's plan after they move in?'"}

  Verified by inspector

• Is this home caring?

  Good

  {"found":"Caring was rated Good at the January 2023 inspection. This domain reflects whether staff treat your parent with warmth, dignity, and genuine respect. No direct quotes from residents or family members are available in the published report, and no specific inspector observations of staff interactions are recorded. The Good rating tells us standards were met, but the inspection provides no window into what day-to-day kindness looks like here.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Staff warmth is the single most important theme in our family review data, accounting for 57.3% of positive feedback weight, and compassion and dignity together account for a further 55.2%. The absence of specific observations in this report means you cannot rely on it alone to judge whether your parent will feel genuinely cared for here. Good Practice research confirms that non-verbal communication u2014 a touch on the arm, sitting at eye level, using your parent's preferred name u2014 matters as much as formal care delivery for people living with dementia. A visit is essential: watch how staff greet your parent when you arrive, and notice whether interactions feel unhurried or transactional.","evidence_base":"The IFF / Leeds Beckett evidence review found that for people with advanced dementia, non-verbal warmth from staff u2014 eye contact, tone of voice, physical proximity u2014 predicts emotional wellbeing more reliably than activity provision or environmental design.","watch_out":"When you visit, observe a corridor or lounge interaction that isn't directed at you: does the staff member make eye contact with your parent, use their preferred name, and appear unhurried? This tells you more than any formal presentation."}

  Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded

• Is the home responsive?

  Good

  {"found":"Responsiveness was rated Good at the January 2023 inspection. This domain covers whether your parent will have a meaningful life at the home u2014 including activities, individual engagement, and end-of-life planning. The home's specialisms include dementia, learning disabilities, physical disabilities, and sensory impairment, suggesting a diverse resident group with varied needs. No specific activities, individual engagement approaches, or end-of-life planning practices are described in the available report text.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Activities and engagement account for 21.4% of what families highlight in positive reviews, and resident happiness for 27.1%. A Good rating in Responsiveness is a baseline assurance, but it tells you nothing about whether the activities programme is genuinely varied, person-centred, or accessible to your parent if they cannot join a group. Good Practice research strongly supports one-to-one engagement u2014 including everyday household tasks and Montessori-based approaches u2014 as particularly beneficial for people with moderate to advanced dementia. Ask specifically what would happen on a day your parent didn't want to join a group activity, and who would sit with them.","evidence_base":"The Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review identified one-to-one activity engagement u2014 particularly activities connected to a person's life history and previous roles u2014 as significantly more effective for wellbeing than generic group programmes in people living with dementia.","watch_out":"Ask: 'If my parent doesn't want to join the group activity, what would a member of staff do with them one-to-one, and is there a named person responsible for individual engagement?'"}

  Verified by inspector

• Is the home well-led?

  Good

  {"found":"Well-led was rated Good at the January 2023 inspection, and this represents an improvement from a previous Requires Improvement rating u2014 the most significant contextual fact available for this home. The home has a named registered manager (Ms Tracy Wheeler) and a nominated individual (Mrs Ellie Evans), and is operated by West Sussex County Council. No information is available about manager tenure, staff culture, governance processes, or how the home handles complaints.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"An improvement from Requires Improvement to Good in leadership is the most positive signal in this report u2014 it suggests someone identified what was wrong and made it right. Our family data shows that management quality and communication with families together account for around 35% of what families value. However, Good Practice research is clear that leadership stability is one of the strongest predictors of sustained quality u2014 a home that recently improved can also slip back if management changes. Ask how long the current manager has been in post, and ask what changed since the previous lower rating.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research / Leeds Beckett evidence review found that leadership continuity is one of the strongest single predictors of sustained care quality u2014 homes with stable, empowering managers who encourage staff to speak up show consistently better outcomes across safety, caring, and responsiveness domains.","watch_out":"Ask the manager: 'How long have you been in post here, and what specifically did you change after the previous Requires Improvement rating?' A confident, specific answer is a strong 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 team at Stanhope Lodge has experience caring for people with learning disabilities, physical disabilities, and sensory impairments. They also support people with eating disorders and provide care for both younger and older adults.. Gaps or open questions remain on Stanhope Lodge welcomes people living with dementia. Their team understands the unique challenges dementia brings and works to create a supportive environment for residents. — areas worth probing directly during a visit.