The Lawns Care Home

What families say

Based on 7 Google reviews · 0 reviews on carehome.co.uk · most recent 2026-04-10

The eight family priority themes

• Staff warmth55
• Compassion & dignity60
• Cleanliness55
• Activities & engagement50
• Food quality50
• Healthcare50
• Management & leadership65
• Resident happiness55

What inspectors found

Inspected 2022-10-06 · Report published 2022-10-06 · Inspected 4 times in the last three years

• Is this home safe?

  Requires improvement

  {"found":"The Safe domain was rated Requires Improvement at the August 2022 inspection. This is the only domain not rated Good, meaning inspectors identified at least one area where safety practice did not meet the expected standard. The published summary does not specify whether the concern related to staffing levels, medicines management, falls prevention, infection control, or another safety area. A subsequent review in July 2023 did not find evidence requiring a change to the rating, so the Requires Improvement judgement remains current. Families should treat this as an open question until the home can explain what the concern was and evidence what has changed.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Requires Improvement rating in Safety is the finding that should weigh most heavily in your decision. Good Practice research consistently shows that night staffing is where safety gaps most commonly appear in care homes, and that heavy reliance on agency staff undermines the consistency of care your parent receives. Because the published text does not explain what specifically triggered this rating, you cannot yet assess whether the risk is being managed. The July 2023 monitoring review did not escalate the concern, which is a modest reassurance, but it is not the same as a re-inspection confirming improvement. Ask the manager to show you the incident and accident log for the past three months and to explain what specific safety improvement actions have been completed.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research and Leeds Beckett University rapid evidence review found that night staffing ratios and the consistency of staffing teams are among the strongest predictors of safety outcomes in residential dementia care. Homes with high agency use tend to show more variable safety performance.","watch_out":"Ask the manager: what specifically did the inspector identify as the safety concern in August 2022, and can you show me evidence of what has changed since then? Then ask to see last week's actual rota and count how many overnight shifts were covered by agency staff."}

  Verified by inspectorMentioned, not assessed

• Is the care effective?

  Good

  {"found":"The Effective domain was rated Good at the August 2022 inspection. This domain covers whether staff have the skills and training to meet residents' needs, whether care plans reflect individual requirements, and whether nutrition, hydration, and healthcare are managed well. The published summary does not include specific observations, quotes, or examples from this domain. A Good rating indicates inspectors were satisfied with the evidence they reviewed, but the level of detail available publicly does not allow verification of specific practices such as dementia training content or care plan review frequency.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good rating in Effectiveness means inspectors were satisfied that staff broadly know what they are doing and that systems for care planning and healthcare access are functioning. For a home that lists dementia as a specialism, the specific content and frequency of dementia training matters considerably. Our Good Practice evidence base (61 studies) highlights that care plans need to function as living documents, updated as a person's needs change, not filed and forgotten. Because the published findings do not describe how often care plans are reviewed or whether families are included in that process, you need to ask about this directly. Food quality is rated by 20.9% of positive family reviews as a key satisfaction factor, and the inspection gives no specific detail here, so tasting a meal on your visit is a practical check.","evidence_base":"The Leeds Beckett and IFF Research evidence review found that dementia training which goes beyond basic awareness, covering communication, behavioural understanding, and person-centred approaches, is associated with measurably better outcomes for people with dementia in residential settings.","watch_out":"Ask the manager: what dementia training do staff complete, how recently was it updated, and can you show me an example of how a care plan was revised when a resident's condition changed? Then ask whether families are routinely invited to care plan reviews."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is this home caring?

  Good

  {"found":"The Caring domain was rated Good at the August 2022 inspection. This domain covers whether staff treat people with kindness, dignity, and respect, whether residents feel heard, and whether independence is supported where possible. The published summary does not include direct quotes from residents or relatives, nor specific inspector observations about staff interactions. A Good rating indicates inspectors did not find concerns in this area, but the absence of specific detail means families cannot verify particular practices from the published text alone.","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 account for a further 55.2%. These are the qualities families notice most and remember longest. A Good Caring rating is encouraging, but the most reliable way to assess this for your parent is to observe it directly on a visit. Notice whether staff use your parent's preferred name, whether interactions feel unhurried, and how staff respond if a resident appears confused or distressed. Good Practice research is clear that non-verbal communication, tone of voice, pace, and physical approach, matters as much as words for people with dementia. The inspection gives no specific evidence to confirm or contradict good practice in this area, so your own observation is the best available tool.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research and Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review found that person-centred care requires staff to know individual residents well enough to interpret non-verbal signals of distress or pleasure. Consistent staffing, rather than rotating agency workers, is essential to building that knowledge.","watch_out":"On your visit, pay attention to how staff address your parent or any resident you encounter in a corridor. Do they use names? Do they stop and engage, or walk past? Ask a member of care staff what your parent's preferred name is and how they like to spend a morning."}

  Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded

• Is the home responsive?

  Good

  {"found":"The Responsive domain was rated Good at the August 2022 inspection. This domain covers whether the home responds to the individual needs and preferences of each person, whether activities are meaningful and varied, and whether complaints and concerns are handled well. The published summary does not describe specific activities, individual care arrangements, or examples of how the home tailored support to a resident's personal history or preferences. The home lists dementia, physical disabilities, and sensory impairment as specialisms, which means responsiveness to a wide range of needs is particularly important.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Activities and engagement account for 21.4% of positive family reviews, and resident happiness for 27.1%. What families describe valuing most is not a busy schedule of group events but the sense that their parent has something meaningful to do and feels part of life in the home. Our Good Practice evidence base highlights that for people with advanced dementia, one-to-one engagement and everyday household tasks can provide continuity and a sense of purpose that group activities cannot. The inspection gives no detail about what activities are offered, whether they are tailored individually, or how the home supports residents who cannot join groups. This is a significant gap in the available evidence. Ask the home to show you the activity programme and to explain how they engage someone who prefers to stay in their room.","evidence_base":"The Leeds Beckett and IFF Research review found that Montessori-based and individually tailored activity approaches, including familiar domestic tasks, are associated with reduced agitation and improved wellbeing in people with moderate to advanced dementia, compared with group-only activity programmes.","watch_out":"Ask the activities coordinator: if my parent cannot or does not want to join a group session, what would happen on a typical afternoon? Ask to see last week's actual activity records, not just the planned programme."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is the home well-led?

  Good

  {"found":"The Well-led domain was rated Good at the August 2022 inspection. The home is run by Highgate Care Services Ltd, with a named registered manager, Miss Sharon Daglish, and a nominated individual, Mrs Joanne Fogg. A formal management structure is registered with the regulator. The Well-led rating covers governance, staff culture, quality monitoring, and whether the home learns from incidents and complaints. The published summary does not describe specific governance arrangements, staff feedback mechanisms, or how quality is monitored day to day. The improvement from a previous Inadequate rating to Good overall reflects a significant positive trajectory under the current leadership.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Management quality accounts for 23.4% of positive family reviews, and communication with families for a further 11.5%. A Good Well-led rating, particularly following a previous Inadequate judgement, suggests that leadership has stabilised and that basic governance is functioning. Good Practice research consistently finds that leadership stability predicts quality trajectory: homes that improve tend to have managers who stay, who are visible to staff and residents, and who create a culture where staff feel able to raise concerns. The improvement from Inadequate is genuinely encouraging, but it also means this home has had serious problems in the past. The key question is whether the changes that drove improvement are embedded or whether they are still fragile. Ask how long the current manager has been in post and whether they are present most days.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research and Leeds Beckett evidence review found that manager tenure and visibility are among the strongest predictors of sustained quality improvement. Homes that improved from a poor rating but then declined often did so following a change of manager or a rapid increase in occupancy.","watch_out":"Ask the manager directly: how long have you been in post at The Lawns, and what were the main changes made after the previous Inadequate rating? Also ask whether the home is currently at full occupancy, since rapid occupancy growth after a poor rating is a known risk factor for quality slipping back."}

  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 Lawns specialises in supporting adults both under and over 65, including those with physical disabilities and sensory impairments. The home also provides dementia care services.. Gaps or open questions remain on For residents living with dementia, The Lawns offers specialist support as part of their care provision. The home accepts residents at different stages of their dementia journey. — areas worth probing directly during a visit.