The Old Rectory
At a Glance
The information you need to decide whether this home warrants a closer look.
Residential homes, Long-term conditions
Staff warmth score
of reviewers answered yes
Good to know
- Registered beds47
- SpecialismsCaring for adults over 65 yrs, Caring for adults under 65 yrs, Dementia, Physical disabilities
- Last inspected2020-06-04
- Activities programmeThe kitchen team gets just as much appreciation as the care staff, which says something about the food here. The building itself has a comfortable, lived-in quality that families often mention — less institutional, more domestic. There's outdoor space that residents actually use, not just look at through windows.
- Visit Website
The Evidence
What the review data, the inspection reports, and the dementia-care evidence base tell us about this home.
What families say
The atmosphere feels more like a relaxed household than a clinical setting. Residents watch TV together and debate the news, while pets wander about bringing smiles to faces. Beach trips and music sessions give structure to the week, but there's room for everyone to join in at their own pace.
Based on 10 Google reviews · 0 reviews on carehome.co.uk · most recent 2026-04-10
The eight family priority themes
- Staff warmth82
- Compassion & dignity84
- Cleanliness70
- Activities & engagement88
- Food quality65
- Healthcare72
- Management & leadership72
- Resident happiness78
What inspectors found
Inspected 2020-06-04 · Report published 2020-06-04 · Inspected 2 times in the last three years
Is this home safe?
{"found":"The safe domain was rated Good at the February 2020 inspection. This means inspectors found that systems to keep the people who live here safe from harm, abuse, and medication errors were working adequately. Staffing levels were judged sufficient at the time of inspection. No specific concerns about falls management, infection control, or medicines administration are recorded in the published summary.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good safety rating is reassuring but it tells you less than you might hope, because the detail behind it is not published in the summary. The Good Practice evidence base (61 studies, March 2026) is clear that night staffing is the point where safety most often slips in residential and nursing homes: ratios that look fine on paper during the day can fall to one carer for 20 or more residents overnight. At 47 beds, this home is a mid-sized home where that risk is real. Agency staff usage also matters: our family review data shows that consistency of staff faces is one of the things families most often raise when things go wrong. The published findings give you no specific numbers here, so you need to ask directly.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice rapid evidence review found that agency staff reliance and thin night staffing are the two factors most consistently associated with safety incidents in care homes, and that homes rated Good overall can still have significant variation in these specific areas.","watch_out":"Ask the manager: how many permanent staff are on the floor after 8pm on the dementia unit, and what percentage of shifts in the last month were covered by agency staff? Ask to see the actual rota, not the planned template."}
Is the care effective?
{"found":"The effective domain was rated Good at the February 2020 inspection. This covers staff training, care planning, GP access, nutrition, and health monitoring. A Good rating means inspectors found these systems to be working but did not find the level of outstanding practice that would warrant a higher rating. No specific detail on dementia training content, GP visit frequency, or care plan review timescales is provided in the published summary.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"For your parent, effective care means staff who know not just what condition they have but who they are: their history, preferences, and what matters to them. The Good Practice evidence base is clear that care plans should function as living documents updated after every significant change, not annual paperwork exercises. Dementia-specific training quality varies enormously between homes, even those rated Good: some staff complete a short online module, while others receive regular, supervised, scenario-based training. Our family review data shows that food quality (mentioned in 20.9% of positive reviews) is one of the strongest signals families use to judge whether a home genuinely cares. The published findings give no specific information on food or nutrition here, which means you need to make a mealtime visit.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence review found that dementia training focusing on understanding behaviour as communication, rather than as a problem to manage, is associated with measurably better outcomes for people with dementia, including reduced use of sedating medication.","watch_out":"Visit at lunchtime. Observe whether the food looks and smells appealing, whether your parent would have genuine choice, and whether staff sit with residents during the meal or leave the room. Ask to see a sample menu for the week."}
Is this home caring?
{"found":"The caring domain was rated Good at the February 2020 inspection. Inspectors found that staff treated the people who live here with respect and dignity, and that interactions were considerate. Privacy was upheld. The published summary does not include specific observed examples of interactions, preferred name use, or responses to distress, but the Good rating confirms these practices were present to a satisfactory standard.","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 or genuine concern features in 55.2%. These are not abstract qualities: they show up in specific, observable moments. Does a staff member crouch to eye level when speaking to your parent? Do they use the name your parent prefers, not the one on the care plan? Do they move without hurry even when the corridor is busy? A Good rating means inspectors saw enough of this to be satisfied. What it does not tell you is whether these interactions happen consistently across all shifts, including evenings and weekends when management presence is lower. The Good Practice research is clear that non-verbal communication, tone, touch, and pace, matters as much as words for people with advanced dementia.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice rapid evidence review found that person-centred care requires staff to know each individual's biography and communication style, and that this knowledge, when genuinely held, is the strongest predictor of dignified interactions across the full 24-hour period.","watch_out":"When you visit, listen for staff using your parent's preferred name (not 'dear' or 'love') and watch whether staff knock before entering a room or draw a curtain before providing personal care. These small acts are the most reliable indicators of consistent dignity practice."}
Is the home responsive?
{"found":"The responsive domain was rated Outstanding at the February 2020 inspection. This is the highest possible rating and requires inspectors to find compelling, specific evidence that the home treats each person as an individual and responds to their changing needs. To achieve Outstanding in this domain, inspectors must see strong evidence of tailored activities, meaningful engagement, person-centred end-of-life planning, and effective responses to complaints and feedback. This is the home's strongest area.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"An Outstanding responsive rating is genuinely significant. Of the 5,409 UK care homes in our review data, relatively few achieve Outstanding in any domain. Activities and engagement (mentioned in 21.4% of positive reviews) and resident happiness (27.1%) are closely linked in what families report: when people are genuinely engaged and known as individuals, happiness follows. The Good Practice evidence base shows that individualised activity, including everyday household tasks, reminiscence, and one-to-one time, makes a measurable difference to wellbeing in people with dementia, even in the later stages. The Outstanding rating here is your strongest reason to consider this home. However, this rating dates from 2020 and the overall trend has declined from a previous Outstanding, so it is worth checking whether the activities coordinator and key staff who delivered this are still in post.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice rapid evidence review found that Montessori-based and individually tailored activity approaches, where activities are matched to a person's remaining abilities rather than their limitations, consistently improve mood, reduce distress, and lower the need for sedating medication in people with dementia.","watch_out":"Ask the activities coordinator specifically: what would a typical Tuesday look like for your parent if they could not join the main group activity? What one-to-one engagement would happen, who would do it, and how long would it last? The answer to this question tells you more about genuine responsiveness than any group activity programme."}
Is the home well-led?
{"found":"The well-led domain was rated Good at the February 2020 inspection. A named registered manager, Mrs Kerry Ann Meldon-Dempsey, was in post at the time of inspection, with two nominated individuals also named. Good governance systems were found to be in place. The home is run by Southern Healthcare (Wessex) Ltd. The published summary does not describe the manager's tenure, how visible they are to residents and families, or how staff are supported to raise concerns.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Leadership stability is one of the strongest predictors of quality over time, and it is something the published inspection findings rarely describe in enough detail. The Good Practice evidence base is clear that homes where staff feel safe to speak up and where the manager is known by name to residents and families have better outcomes across every domain. Our family review data shows that communication with families (mentioned in 11.5% of positive reviews) is closely tied to trust in leadership: families who hear from the home proactively, not just when something goes wrong, report significantly higher confidence. The fact that the overall rating has declined from Outstanding to Good since the last full inspection is worth raising directly: ask the manager what changed and what they are doing about it.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice rapid evidence review found that manager tenure and stability are among the strongest predictors of sustained quality in care homes, and that homes with frequent management changes show measurable deterioration in safety and caring outcomes within 12 months.","watch_out":"Ask the registered manager: how long have you been in this role, and what do you see as the main difference between where the home is now and where it was when it held an Outstanding overall rating? A confident, honest answer is a positive sign. Evasion or deflection is a warning."}
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 cares for adults over 65, including those living with dementia and physical disabilities. Staff work with each person's specific needs, whether that's mobility support, managing complex health conditions, or finding ways to keep someone engaged when communication becomes difficult.. Gaps or open questions remain on For residents with dementia, the team focuses on practical support that makes a real difference. Some families have seen improvements in speech and appetite, while staff share helpful strategies for managing challenging moments. — 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.
DCC Family Score
The Old Rectory Nursing Home scores well above average on the themes families care about most, driven by an Outstanding rating for responsiveness and solid Good ratings across all other domains. The score reflects genuinely strong evidence of person-centred engagement and dignity, offset by limited specific detail on food, cleanliness, and night staffing in the published inspection findings.
Homes in South West typically score 68–82.The three-lens summary
What families tell us
The atmosphere feels more like a relaxed household than a clinical setting. Residents watch TV together and debate the news, while pets wander about bringing smiles to faces. Beach trips and music sessions give structure to the week, but there's room for everyone to join in at their own pace.
What inspectors have recorded
Staff across every department work as equals, from admin to caretaking to hands-on care. They've helped families through some of the hardest times imaginable, arranging adjacent rooms so relatives can stay close, welcoming beloved pets for final visits, and knowing when to step back and let families have their moments.
How it sits against good practice
What matters here are the documented improvements families see — better mobility, renewed appetite, moments of clarity and connection that make each day worthwhile.
Worth a visit
The Old Rectory Nursing Home at 45-46 Old Tiverton Road, Exeter was rated Good overall at its last inspection in February 2020, with an Outstanding rating for responsiveness. That Outstanding responsive rating is the standout finding here: it means inspectors found compelling, specific evidence that the home treats the people who live there as individuals, tailoring activities, care, and engagement to each person rather than running a generic programme. All other domains, covering safety, training, kindness, and leadership, were rated Good. The home is registered and has a named manager in post. One important context to keep in mind: this inspection took place in February 2020, over five years ago, and the overall rating has declined from a previous Outstanding to Good. That downward trend does not mean the home is poor, but it does mean you should treat the published findings as a starting point rather than a current guarantee. On your visit, ask the manager to show you last week's actual staffing rota (not the template) so you can see how many permanent versus agency staff covered nights. Ask specifically how staff support your parent if they cannot join group activities, and spend at least 20 minutes sitting in a communal area to observe whether the atmosphere matches the inspection findings.
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In Their Own Words
How The Old Rectory describes itself — collected from its own website. DCC has not edited or independently verified the content in this tab.
Where small moments and daily kindness make all the difference
Compassionate Care in Exeter at The Old Rectory Nursing Home
When families choose The Old Rectory Nursing Home in Exeter, they often notice something different from the start. Staff here take the time to really understand each person's situation, explaining options carefully and helping ease what can be an overwhelming transition. It's this thoughtful approach that seems to set the tone for everything else.
Who they care for
The home cares for adults over 65, including those living with dementia and physical disabilities. Staff work with each person's specific needs, whether that's mobility support, managing complex health conditions, or finding ways to keep someone engaged when communication becomes difficult.
For residents with dementia, the team focuses on practical support that makes a real difference. Some families have seen improvements in speech and appetite, while staff share helpful strategies for managing challenging moments.
Management & ethos
Staff across every department work as equals, from admin to caretaking to hands-on care. They've helped families through some of the hardest times imaginable, arranging adjacent rooms so relatives can stay close, welcoming beloved pets for final visits, and knowing when to step back and let families have their moments.
The home & environment
The kitchen team gets just as much appreciation as the care staff, which says something about the food here. The building itself has a comfortable, lived-in quality that families often mention — less institutional, more domestic. There's outdoor space that residents actually use, not just look at through windows.
“What matters here are the documented improvements families see — better mobility, renewed appetite, moments of clarity and connection that make each day worthwhile.”
DCC does not edit or curate content in this tab. For independently curated information, see The Evidence and DCC Verdict.
