The Grange

What families say

Visitors describe a relaxing atmosphere throughout the home, with staff who greet residents like old friends. Families mention how the team creates an environment where their loved ones feel comfortable and valued, not just cared for.

Based on 27 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 & leadership35
• Resident happiness55

What inspectors found

Inspected 2019-11-13 · Report published 2019-11-13 · Inspected 2 times in the last three years

• Is this home safe?

  Good

  {"found":"Safe was rated Good at the September 2019 inspection. This rating typically means inspectors were satisfied that risks were identified and managed, that medicines were handled correctly, and that enough staff were on duty. No specific observations about staffing ratios, falls management, or infection control practice are recorded in the published summary. The home supports people with complex needs including dementia and physical disabilities, which makes staffing adequacy and risk management particularly important.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good Safe rating is reassuring as a starting point, but the published report gives you almost nothing specific to hold on to. Our review data shows that families notice safe environments most through what they see and feel on a visit: whether call bells are answered promptly, whether staff seem stretched or calm, and whether the building feels well-maintained. Good Practice research consistently shows that night staffing is where safety can slip most easily, particularly in homes supporting people with dementia who may be unsettled overnight. Because the inspection is more than five years old, you should treat this rating as a prompt to investigate rather than a guarantee. The home has 25 beds, which is a relatively small number, and smaller homes sometimes find it harder to maintain consistent cover when permanent staff are absent.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research and Leeds Beckett University rapid evidence review found that agency staff reliance is one of the most consistent predictors of safety incidents in care homes, because unfamiliar staff are less able to spot changes in a resident's usual behaviour or needs.","watch_out":"Ask the manager to show you the actual staffing rota for the past two weeks, not a template. Count how many shifts were covered by permanent staff versus agency staff, and ask specifically how many carers are on duty overnight for the 25 residents."}

  Verified by inspectorMentioned, not assessed

• Is the care effective?

  Good

  {"found":"Effective was rated Good at the September 2019 inspection. This domain covers training, care planning, healthcare access, nutrition, and how well the home supports people to maintain their health. The home lists dementia as a specialism, which means inspectors would have expected to see evidence of dementia-specific training and care planning. No specific detail about training content, GP access arrangements, medication administration, or food quality is included in the published report.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"For families choosing a home for a parent with dementia, the Effective rating is about whether staff genuinely understand how dementia changes the way your mum or dad experiences the world. A Good rating here means inspectors did not find obvious gaps, but without specific evidence it is difficult to know whether care plans are detailed and personalised or whether they are generic documents that get filed and forgotten. Good Practice research highlights that care plans should be treated as living documents, updated after every significant change in a person's condition and shaped by input from the person themselves and their family. Food quality is a particular marker that families notice: it signals whether the home pays attention to individual preferences and supports good nutrition as a health outcome, not just a routine task. Ask to see an example care plan (anonymised) and ask how often plans are reviewed.","evidence_base":"The Leeds Beckett University evidence review found that dementia-specific training, particularly training that goes beyond basic awareness to cover communication, behaviour support, and person-centred approaches, significantly improves the day-to-day experience of people living with dementia in care homes.","watch_out":"Ask the manager what dementia training staff have completed and when they last did a refresher. Then ask how a care plan is updated when your parent's needs change, and whether families are invited to be part of that review."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is this home caring?

  Good

  {"found":"Caring was rated Good at the September 2019 inspection. This domain covers staff warmth, dignity, respect, and whether people are supported to maintain their independence. A Good rating here means inspectors were satisfied that the home's approach to care was respectful and kind. No specific observations, such as whether staff used preferred names, knocked before entering rooms, or responded well to distress, are recorded in the published report. No quotes from residents or relatives are included in the available 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 follow closely at 55.2%. When families look back on a placement and say they felt confident their parent was well cared for, it almost always comes back to whether staff seemed to genuinely know and like the person, not just whether paperwork was in order. The inspection finding here is positive but thin. You cannot tell from the published summary whether the Good rating reflects a home where staff sit with residents, respond to non-verbal cues, and take time over personal care, or whether it reflects a home that met the minimum standard without going further. Good Practice research shows that non-verbal communication matters as much as words for people with advanced dementia, and that staff who have time to observe and respond to small signals make a measurable difference to wellbeing. Your own visit is the best evidence you will get.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research rapid evidence review found that person-centred care, specifically knowing a person's life history, preferences, and communication style, is the most reliable predictor of positive wellbeing outcomes for people living with dementia.","watch_out":"During your visit, watch how staff interact with residents in corridors and communal areas when no care task is happening. Do staff make eye contact, use the person's name, and stop to chat? Or do they move through the space without acknowledgement? This is the clearest signal of genuine warmth."}

  Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded

• Is the home responsive?

  Good

  {"found":"Responsive was rated Good at the September 2019 inspection. This domain covers whether the home adapts its care to individual needs, whether activities are meaningful and varied, and whether complaints are handled well. The home supports people with a wide range of needs including dementia, mental health conditions, physical disabilities, and sensory impairment. No specific examples of activities, individual engagement, or complaint handling are recorded in the published summary.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Activities and engagement are among the most important quality markers for families, appearing in 21.4% of positive reviews in our data, and resident happiness, closely linked to meaningful occupation, appears in 27.1%. For a parent with dementia, the question is not just whether there is an activity programme on a noticeboard but whether someone will sit with your mum when she cannot join a group, or support your dad to do something that connects with his life before he moved in. Good Practice research shows that tailored one-to-one activities, including everyday household tasks, reminiscence, and sensory engagement, produce significantly better wellbeing outcomes than group activities alone. The published report gives no detail about what actually happens during a typical day at The Grange. This is a gap you should fill yourself by asking specific questions and, if possible, visiting unannounced.","evidence_base":"The Leeds Beckett University evidence review found that Montessori-based and occupation-focused approaches, where activities are built around a person's skills and past roles rather than a generic programme, produce measurable improvements in engagement and reduced agitation in people with dementia.","watch_out":"Ask the activities coordinator (or the manager, if there is no dedicated coordinator) what happens for a resident with advanced dementia who cannot join a group session. Ask for a specific example from the previous week, not a description of what could happen."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is the home well-led?

  Requires improvement

  {"found":"Well-led was rated Requires Improvement at the September 2019 inspection. This is the one domain where inspectors found the home falling short of the Good standard. The published summary does not specify what the concerns were, whether they related to governance systems, management oversight, staff culture, or something else. The home is operated by Derbyshire County Council, with a nominated individual named in the registration. The inspection took place over five years ago, so it is not known whether the issues identified at the time have since been resolved.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Requires Improvement rating in Well-led is the finding that should concern you most when you read this report. Leadership quality is one of the strongest predictors of how a home performs over time. Our review data shows that management and leadership account for 23.4% of family satisfaction scores, and Good Practice research is clear that stable, visible leadership is associated with better outcomes across every other domain. When leadership is weak, it tends to show up in other areas eventually: in staff who feel unsupported and become harder to retain, in governance gaps that mean incidents are not properly investigated, and in a culture where concerns are not raised or acted on. The fact that this rating dates from 2019 means you cannot treat it as current. The situation may have improved significantly, or it may not have been re-inspected at the same depth. This is the most important thing to investigate before making a decision about this home.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research and Leeds Beckett University review found that leadership stability is one of the strongest predictors of care quality over time, and that homes where managers are visible, approachable, and empowered create environments where staff feel able to raise concerns and residents benefit from greater consistency.","watch_out":"Ask the manager directly: what were the specific concerns that led to the Requires Improvement rating in 2019, and what changes were made in response? Then ask how long the current manager has been in post, and whether there has been a subsequent inspection or any monitoring visit from the local authority or the regulator since November 2019."}

  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 Grange supports younger adults under 65 alongside older residents, with experience in sensory impairments, physical disabilities and mental health conditions. They provide both dementia care and rehabilitation support.. Gaps or open questions remain on The home has experience supporting residents living with dementia as part of their wider care approach. Staff work with families to provide appropriate support for each individual's needs. — areas worth probing directly during a visit.