Take a Break With Choices

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 & dignity55
• Cleanliness55
• Activities & engagement50
• Food quality50
• Healthcare55
• Management & leadership60
• Resident happiness55

What inspectors found

Inspected 2020-04-16 · Report published 2020-04-16 · Inspected 6 times in the last three years

• Is this home safe?

  Good

  {"found":"The Safe domain was rated Good at the March 2020 inspection, representing an improvement from the previous Requires Improvement rating. No specific detail about what was found u2014 including staffing numbers, medicines management, falls records or infection control u2014 is available in the published report text. The July 2023 review found no new concerns requiring reassessment. For a seven-bed home supporting people with dementia, learning disabilities and mental health conditions, the staffing picture at night is particularly important and is not addressed in the available evidence. The improvement from Requires Improvement is a meaningful positive signal, but families cannot verify the specifics from the published report alone.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good safety rating following a previous Requires Improvement is genuinely encouraging u2014 it means inspectors found the home had addressed whatever concerns existed before. However, our Family Review data shows that families rate staff attentiveness and feeling that their parent is physically safe as among their highest priorities, and the Good Practice evidence base is clear that safety most commonly slips at night, when staffing is thinnest. In a home this small u2014 seven beds, multiple complex specialisms u2014 the consistency of the night team matters enormously. You cannot verify this from the published report, so you must ask directly.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice rapid evidence review (IFF Research / Leeds Beckett, 2026) identifies night staffing ratios and agency staff reliance as the two factors most consistently associated with safety failures in small residential settings. Consistent, named staff who know your parent are the single most important protective factor.","watch_out":"Ask specifically: 'How many staff are on overnight, and are they permanent members of your team or agency cover?' Then ask: 'In the last three months, how many nights were covered by agency staff?' A home that cannot answer this clearly, or whose answer reveals heavy agency reliance, warrants further scrutiny regardless of its rating."}

  Verified by inspectorMentioned, not assessed

• Is the care effective?

  Good

  {"found":"The Effective domain was rated Good at the March 2020 inspection. This covers training, care planning, healthcare access, nutrition and how well the home translates knowledge into practice for each individual. No specific detail about any of these areas is available in the published report u2014 there are no records of GP visit frequency, no description of dementia training content, no example care plans and no information about how food choices are managed across the home's wide range of supported needs. The broad specialism range u2014 dementia, learning disabilities, mental health, physical and sensory impairments u2014 means the training and care planning burden on this small team is significant.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Our Family Review data shows that families care deeply about whether a home truly understands their parent's specific condition u2014 not just dementia in general, but their parent's version of it. The Good Practice evidence base is clear that care plans should function as living documents, updated when your parent's needs or preferences change, and that dementia training should include communication techniques for people who can no longer use words reliably. A Good Effective rating tells you inspectors were satisfied u2014 but it does not tell you whether staff know that your mum prefers to be called by her nickname, or that your dad becomes anxious if his lunch is late. That level of individual knowledge is what you are looking for on a visit.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research / Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review found that in the highest-quality dementia settings, care plans were reviewed at least monthly and families were active contributors u2014 not just signatories. Homes where staff could describe a resident's history, preferences and triggers without consulting paperwork consistently outperformed those where care was process-driven.","watch_out":"Ask to see a care plan for someone with a similar profile to your parent (with appropriate anonymisation). Check when it was last updated, whether it mentions specific preferences u2014 not just care needs u2014 and whether there is a record of a family member contributing to it. If the plan reads like a medical form rather than a portrait of a person, ask why."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is this home caring?

  Good

  {"found":"The Caring domain was rated Good at the March 2020 inspection, covering staff warmth, dignity, respect and how well the home supports your parent's independence and sense of self. No direct quotes from residents or relatives, and no specific inspector observations of staff-resident interactions, are available in the published report. The Good rating implies inspectors were satisfied with what they observed and heard during the inspection visit. For a home supporting people with dementia and learning disabilities alongside other complex needs, the quality of non-verbal communication and person-led interaction is especially important u2014 and cannot be assessed from the written report.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Staff warmth is the single highest-weighted theme in our Family Review data, cited in 57.3% of positive reviews across UK care homes. Families consistently describe the moment they knew a home was right as watching a staff member interact naturally with their parent u2014 using their name, noticing something small, not rushing. The Good Practice evidence base reinforces that for people living with dementia, non-verbal warmth u2014 tone of voice, unhurried pace, eye contact u2014 matters as much as verbal communication. A Good Caring rating is a foundation, but it is the unscripted moments on a visit that will tell you most.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice review found that in homes rated highest for caring, staff consistently used residents' preferred names, sat at eye level during interactions and paused to allow processing time u2014 particularly for people with dementia. These behaviours were observed spontaneously, not during formal interactions with inspectors.","watch_out":"When you visit, watch what happens in the corridor or the communal space when a staff member passes your potential parent u2014 do they stop, make eye contact, say something personal? Or do they walk past? That unscripted moment is more revealing than any conversation with the manager."}

  Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded

• Is the home responsive?

  Good

  {"found":"The Responsive domain was rated Good at the March 2020 inspection, covering activities, individual engagement, responsiveness to preferences and end-of-life planning. No specific detail about the activities programme, individual engagement for people with advanced dementia or end-of-life care planning is available in the published report. For a home of seven beds supporting dementia, learning disabilities and mental health needs, the question of whether activities are genuinely tailored u2014 rather than group-based only u2014 is particularly important. The home's small size could be an advantage here, allowing for more individual attention, or a limitation if staffing does not allow for one-to-one time.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Our Family Review data shows that resident happiness and meaningful engagement are among families' most consistent concerns u2014 and the Good Practice evidence base is clear that group activities alone do not meet the needs of people with moderate to advanced dementia. The most effective approaches involve embedding meaningful activity into everyday moments: helping fold laundry, tending to plants, listening to personally significant music. In a seven-bed home, there is real potential for this kind of individualised engagement u2014 but it depends entirely on staffing levels and staff skill. Ask for specifics, not a brochure.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research / Leeds Beckett review found that Montessori-based and task-led individual engagement u2014 rather than scheduled group activities u2014 produced the strongest outcomes for wellbeing and reduced distress in people with dementia. Homes that could describe what a specific resident did yesterday, rather than what was on the activity rota, consistently demonstrated higher-quality responsive care.","watch_out":"Ask: 'What did someone at a similar stage to my parent actually do last Tuesday u2014 not what was planned, but what happened?' If the answer describes a specific person doing something meaningful, that is a good sign. If it defaults to 'we have a varied programme,' press for detail."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is the home well-led?

  Good

  {"found":"The Well-led domain was rated Good at the March 2020 inspection, having previously contributed to a Requires Improvement rating. The service is run by Freda Varley. No specific detail about the manager's day-to-day presence, staff supervision practices, governance systems, complaint handling or culture is available in the published report. The improvement from a previous Requires Improvement rating is a meaningful positive u2014 but without knowing what specifically was wrong before and what was changed, families cannot fully assess the robustness of the improvement. The July 2023 review found no new concerns.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Our Family Review data shows that families value visible, approachable management u2014 they want to know that someone is accountable and that if they raise a concern, it will be taken seriously. The Good Practice evidence base is clear that leadership stability is one of the strongest predictors of sustained quality u2014 homes where the manager has been in post for more than two years and can describe specific improvements they have made consistently outperform those with recent changes at the top. For a home that was previously rated Requires Improvement, understanding what changed u2014 and whether those changes have been embedded u2014 is your most important line of inquiry.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research / Leeds Beckett review identified manager tenure and the ability of frontline staff to raise concerns without fear as the two strongest predictors of sustained quality in small residential settings. Homes where the manager was regularly visible on the floor, and where staff described feeling genuinely listened to, had measurably better outcomes across all domains.","watch_out":"Ask the manager directly: 'What was the home rated before, what specifically needed to improve, and how do you know those improvements have lasted?' A confident, specific answer u2014 naming what changed and how it is now monitored u2014 is the response you want. Vagueness or defensiveness on this question is a red flag."}

  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 specializes in supporting people with dementia, learning disabilities, and mental health conditions. They're also equipped to care for residents with physical disabilities and sensory impairments.. Gaps or open questions remain on For those living with dementia, the home provides specialized support tailored to individual needs. Their experience covers residents at different stages of their dementia journey. — areas worth probing directly during a visit.