The Conifers

What families say

Based on 4 Google reviews · 0 reviews on carehome.co.uk · most recent 2026-04-10

The eight family priority themes

• Staff warmth55
• Compassion & dignity55
• Cleanliness55
• Activities & engagement52
• Food quality52
• Healthcare55
• Management & leadership60
• Resident happiness55

What inspectors found

Inspected 2017-05-26 · Report published 2017-05-26 · Inspected 2 times in the last three years

• Is this home safe?

  Good

  {"found":"The Safe domain is rated Good. This means inspectors were satisfied that residents were protected from avoidable harm, that staffing was adequate, and that medicines and infection control were managed appropriately. However, the published inspection text contains no specific observations, incident data, staffing ratios or infection control detail to confirm how this looks day to day. The inspection took place in January 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, which means infection control practices would have been under particular scrutiny at that time. No information is available about falls management, night staffing numbers or agency staff usage.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good rating for safety is reassuring as a starting point, but for a home specialising in dementia care, the detail behind that rating matters enormously. Our family review data shows that staff attentiveness u2014 particularly at night u2014 is one of the most consistent concerns raised by families of people with dementia. Good Practice research is clear that safety risks in care homes are most likely to emerge on night shifts and during periods of staffing change. Given that this inspection is now over four years old, it is essential to ask directly about current staffing levels, agency use, and how incidents like falls are recorded and reviewed. The Good rating tells you the home passed u2014 it does not tell you what it looks like on a Tuesday night.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research / Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review identifies night staffing ratios and agency staff reliance as the two factors most strongly associated with preventable safety incidents in care homes u2014 neither of which is addressed in this report.","watch_out":"When you visit, ask: 'How many permanent, named staff are working on the dementia unit after 8pm on a typical weeknight, and how often do you use agency staff to cover those shifts?' A confident, specific answer is a positive sign; vagueness is a reason to probe further."}

  Verified by inspectorMentioned, not assessed

• Is the care effective?

  Good

  {"found":"The Effective domain is rated Good. This covers training, care planning, healthcare access, nutrition and hydration. Inspectors were satisfied that the home met the standard across these areas at the time of the January 2021 inspection. The home lists dementia as a specialism, which implies some structured approach to dementia-specific care. No detail is available about the content or frequency of dementia training, how care plans are structured or reviewed, which healthcare professionals the home works with, or how food quality and dietary needs are managed.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"For a home specialising in dementia care, effectiveness is about far more than ticking compliance boxes u2014 it is about whether staff genuinely understand how dementia affects your parent's behaviour, communication and daily needs. Our family review data shows that dementia-specific care knowledge is one of the most important factors families mention in positive reviews. Good Practice research confirms that care plans should function as living documents, updated with family input, not filed and forgotten. The absence of any specific detail in this report means you need to ask directly: when was your mum or dad's care plan last reviewed, and who was involved? Ask to see how the home records and responds to changes in health.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence base identifies regular, structured dementia training u2014 including non-verbal communication and behaviour-as-communication approaches u2014 as a key differentiator between homes that merely manage dementia and those that genuinely support people living with it.","watch_out":"Ask the home: 'What dementia training have staff on the unit completed in the last 12 months, and can you show me an example of how a care plan is updated when a resident's needs change?' A home confident in its practice will welcome this question."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is this home caring?

  Good

  {"found":"The Caring domain is rated Good. This is the domain families care most about u2014 it covers staff warmth, dignity, respect and how staff treat your parent as an individual. Inspectors were satisfied that the standard was met in January 2021. However, the published report contains no direct observations of staff interactions, no resident or family quotes, and no specific examples of how dignity or independence are upheld in practice. Staff warmth and compassion u2014 which together account for over 57% of our family score weighting u2014 cannot be verified from the text alone.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Staff warmth is the single most important factor in our family review data, mentioned in 57.3% of positive reviews. Compassion and dignity follow closely. A Good rating in Caring is meaningful, but it is also the domain where the gap between inspection findings and daily reality can be widest u2014 because warmth and kindness are experienced in small, everyday moments that inspectors may or may not witness. Good Practice research highlights that for people with dementia, non-verbal communication u2014 tone of voice, unhurried presence, a familiar face u2014 matters as much as anything else. There is simply not enough detail in this report for you to judge this dimension confidently. Your visit is the only way to assess it.","evidence_base":"The Leeds Beckett / IFF evidence review emphasises that person-centred caring in dementia requires staff to know each individual's history, preferences and communication style u2014 and that this knowledge is built through continuity of staffing, not just documentation.","watch_out":"On your visit, spend time in a communal area and watch how staff speak to residents who are not responding verbally. Are they patient, do they make eye contact, do they use your parent's preferred name? Ask staff: 'What do you know about [your parent's name] u2014 what do they like, what unsettles them?' The depth of the answer tells you more than any rating."}

  Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded

• Is the home responsive?

  Good

  {"found":"The Responsive domain is rated Good. This covers activities, engagement, individuality, complaints handling and end-of-life care. Inspectors were satisfied that the home met the standard in January 2021. No specific information is available about the activities programme u2014 its content, frequency, or how it is tailored to individuals. No detail is provided about how the home supports residents with advanced dementia who cannot join group activities, or how families are kept informed and involved in decisions.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Our family review data shows that resident happiness u2014 whether your parent is settled, engaged and content u2014 is one of the factors families mention most in positive reviews. A Good rating in Responsive is a reasonable indicator, but for people living with dementia, meaningful engagement is not about a calendar on the wall u2014 it is about whether someone is there to sit with your mum during a difficult afternoon, or whether your dad can still feel useful and connected to everyday life. Good Practice research supports Montessori-based and household-task approaches as particularly effective for people with mid-to-advanced dementia. The absence of any specific activity detail in this report means you need to ask and observe directly.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence review identifies tailored one-to-one activities u2014 not group programmes alone u2014 as the most significant factor in reducing distress and supporting wellbeing in people with moderate-to-severe dementia.","watch_out":"Ask the activities coordinator: 'If my parent can no longer join a group session, what would happen on a typical afternoon? Who would be with them, and what would they be doing?' Then observe whether communal areas have residents engaged or simply seated in front of a television."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is the home well-led?

  Good

  {"found":"The Well-led domain is rated Good. The home is run by The Conifers Healthcare Limited, with Mrs Alice Danquah Dokyi as Registered Manager and Mrs Lorna Barry as Nominated Individual. This indicates a defined governance structure is in place. A Good rating in Well-led suggests inspectors were satisfied that the home had adequate oversight, accountability and a culture that supported good practice. However, no specific information is available about manager tenure, how the culture is maintained, how staff are supported, or how the home responds to complaints and incidents.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Leadership stability is one of the strongest predictors of care quality over time u2014 our family review data and Good Practice research both point to this. A named, consistent manager who knows residents and staff by name is a very different proposition from a frequently changing management team. The home has two named leaders on record, which is a positive structural indicator, but the inspection is over four years old and there is no information about whether these individuals are still in post or how the culture has developed since 2021. For families, the question to ask is not whether there is a manager u2014 but whether that manager is visible, approachable and known to your parent. Our family review data shows that communication with families is a strong driver of trust.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research / Leeds Beckett evidence review found that management stability u2014 specifically low turnover of registered managers u2014 was one of the most consistent predictors of sustained quality in care homes, and that bottom-up staff empowerment (staff feeling able to raise concerns) was a key marker of a healthy culture.","watch_out":"When you visit, ask to meet the registered manager. Ask them directly: 'How long have you been in this role, and what is the biggest change you have made to the home in the last year?' A manager who can answer specifically and confidently u2014 and who is clearly known to staff and residents u2014 is a strong positive signal."}

  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 here specialises in dementia care and supporting adults over 65. They understand the unique needs that come with these conditions.. Gaps or open questions remain on The care team has experience supporting residents with different stages of dementia. They work to create an environment where people feel comfortable and understood. — areas worth probing directly during a visit.