Dementia Care Home

The Millfield

28 Penrith Road, Keswick, Cumbria, CA12 4HB

Residential homes

At a Glance

The information you need to decide whether this home warrants a closer look.

DCC Family Score
68/ 100
Weighted from family reviews
Dementia SpecialismConfirmed

Residential homes

Families Rate The Staff65 / 100

Staff warmth score

“Well Looked After”63%

of reviewers answered yes

Good to know

  • Registered beds45
  • SpecialismsCaring for adults over 65 yrs, Dementia, Mental health conditions, Physical disabilities
  • Last inspected2019-02-28

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The Evidence

What the review data, the inspection reports, and the dementia-care evidence base tell us about this home.

Section 01

What families say

The atmosphere here comes from staff who know what they're doing and care about doing it well. Multiple lounges give residents choice in where to spend their time, while the well-kept garden provides peaceful outdoor space. People talk about residents joining in with activities and getting out into the community — proper engagement, not just passing time.

The eight family priority themes

  • Staff warmth65
  • Compassion & dignity65
  • Cleanliness65
  • Activities & engagement60
  • Food quality60
  • Healthcare62
  • Management & leadership63
  • Resident happiness63
Section 02

What inspectors found

Inspected 2019-02-28

  • Is this home safe?

    Good
    The home received a Good rating for Safety at its February 2019 inspection. This typically means inspectors were satisfied that staffing levels were adequate, medicines were managed safely, and that systems were in place to protect people from avoidable harm. No specific concerns were identified in the Safe domain. However, the full inspection text is unavailable, so no direct observations, staffing numbers, or incident-learning examples can be cited.
    Verified by inspector
  • Is the care effective?

    Good
    The home received a Good rating for Effectiveness at its February 2019 inspection. This domain covers whether staff have the right skills and training, whether care plans are meaningful and up to date, whether people's health needs are met, and whether nutrition and hydration are properly managed. The home lists dementia as a specialism, which means inspectors will have applied additional scrutiny to dementia-specific practice. No specific detail about training content, care plan review frequency, or GP access arrangements is available from the data provided.
    Verified by inspector
  • Is this home caring?

    Good
    The home received a Good rating for Caring at its February 2019 inspection. This is the domain that most directly reflects whether your parent will be treated with kindness and respect. A Good rating here means inspectors were satisfied that staff treated people with dignity, respected privacy, and promoted independence where possible. No direct quotes from residents or families, and no specific inspector observations about interactions, are available from the data provided.
    Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded
  • Is the home responsive?

    Good
    The home received a Good rating for Responsiveness at its February 2019 inspection. This domain covers whether the home tailors care to individual needs, whether activities are meaningful and accessible, and whether end-of-life care is planned and compassionate. The home supports people with dementia, mental health conditions, and physical disabilities, which means responsiveness to individual needs should be nuanced and varied. No specific detail about activities programming, individual engagement, or end-of-life provision is available from the inspection data provided.
    Verified by inspector
  • Is the home well-led?

    Good
    The home received a Good rating for Well-Led at its February 2019 inspection. This domain assesses whether there is stable, visible leadership, whether staff feel supported and able to raise concerns, whether governance systems are effective, and whether the home has a positive culture that puts residents first. A Good rating here means inspectors were satisfied that someone was meaningfully in charge. However, no specific information about management tenure, staff culture, or governance processes is available from the data provided.
    Verified by inspector
  • Source: CQC inspection report →

    Section 03

    What the evidence base says

    The Millfield provides specialist support for dementia and mental health conditions, alongside general care for over-65s and those with physical disabilities. Their dementia care focuses on maintaining dignity and quality of life, with staff who understand how to provide appropriate support through different stages of the condition. All areas worth probing directly during a visit.

The DCC Verdict

Our editorial view, built from the three lenses: what families tell us, what inspectors record, and how the home sits against good dementia-care practice.

68/ 100

DCC Family Score

This home achieved a Good rating across all five domains at its last inspection, but because the full inspection report text is unavailable, no specific observations, quotes, or detailed evidence can be verified — the score reflects the ratings themselves rather than the depth of evidence behind them.

Homes in North West typically score 68–82.

The three-lens summary

Lens 01

What families tell us

The atmosphere here comes from staff who know what they're doing and care about doing it well. Multiple lounges give residents choice in where to spend their time, while the well-kept garden provides peaceful outdoor space. People talk about residents joining in with activities and getting out into the community — proper engagement, not just passing time.

Lens 02

What inspectors have recorded

From carers to cooks to cleaners, the whole team works to consistent standards that put residents first. Families particularly value how staff handle the hardest moments — maintaining comfort and dignity right through end-of-life care, giving real reassurance when it matters most.

Lens 03

How it sits against good practice

Sometimes the best recommendation comes from knowing your loved one was comfortable and well-cared for right to the end.

DCC Recommendation

Worth a visit

This home at 28 Penrith Road, Keswick was rated Good across all five inspection domains — Safety, Effectiveness, Caring, Responsiveness, and Well-Led — at its last inspection in February 2019. That is a positive baseline: a clean sweep of Good ratings indicates that inspectors found no significant concerns across any area of care. The home is registered to support up to 45 people, including those living with dementia, mental health conditions, and physical disabilities, and has held its registration without any recorded deterioration in rating. The most important thing you need to know is that this inspection is now over six years old. A lot can change in a care home over that period — staffing, management, culture, and physical environment can all shift significantly. The rating tells you where the home was in early 2019, not where it is today. Before making any decision, visit in person and ask the home directly about current staffing levels (especially overnight), how often your parent's care plan would be reviewed, and what specific dementia training their staff hold. Ask to see the activity schedule for the past month, not just a brochure. The Good rating is a reasonable starting point, but it is not a substitute for what you will see and hear when you walk through the door.

The three questions to ask when you visit

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In Their Own Words

How The Millfield describes itself — collected from its own website. DCC has not edited or independently verified the content in this tab.

What The Millfield says about itself

Where skilled staff and home cooking create genuine comfort

Residential home in Keswick: True Peace of Mind

Finding the right care means looking for those telling details — the fresh-cooked meals, the consistent faces, the genuine warmth. The Millfield in Keswick offers all three, housed in a Georgian building where modern care meets traditional values. Families describe a place where their loved ones receive thoughtful attention through every stage of care.

Care & specialisms

Who they care for

    The Millfield provides specialist support for dementia and mental health conditions, alongside general care for over-65s and those with physical disabilities.

    How they describe their dementia care

    Their dementia care focuses on maintaining dignity and quality of life, with staff who understand how to provide appropriate support through different stages of the condition.

    “Sometimes the best recommendation comes from knowing your loved one was comfortable and well-cared for right to the end.”

    DCC does not edit or curate content in this tab. For independently curated information, see The Evidence and DCC Verdict.

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