Venns Lane Care Home

What families say

Based on 2 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
• Healthcare50
• Management & leadership60
• Resident happiness55

What inspectors found

Inspected 2019-02-23 · Report published 2019-02-23

• Is this home safe?

  Good

  {"found":"The inspection rated this domain Good. The home is registered to care for adults with dementia, mental health conditions and physical disabilities across 24 beds. No specific safety concerns were flagged by inspectors. The published report does not include detail on falls management, medication audits, infection control observations, or night staffing numbers u2014 all areas that fall within this domain.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good Safe rating means inspectors were satisfied that your parent would not be placed at unacceptable risk at the time of the 2019 inspection. However, Good Practice research consistently shows that safety risks in care homes most often surface at night, when staffing is thinnest and least scrutinised. The 57% of family reviewers nationally who cite staff attentiveness as a priority are really asking: 'will someone notice if my parent needs help at 3am?' That question isn't answered by this report. The July 2023 monitoring review found no new concerns, which is reassuring but not a substitute for a current inspection.","evidence_base":"IFF Research and Leeds Beckett University (2026) found that night staffing levels are the single domain where safety most commonly deteriorates between inspections, and that homes with high agency reliance show measurably less consistent response to residents in distress.","watch_out":"Ask the home: 'How many staff are on duty on the dementia unit between 10pm and 7am, and what proportion of those are permanent employees rather than agency?' Then ask to see the last three months of incident logs to check whether falls or unexplained injuries are recorded, reviewed, and acted on."}

  Verified by inspectorMentioned, not assessed

• Is the care effective?

  Good

  {"found":"The Effective domain was rated Good. This covers care planning, staff training, dementia-specific knowledge, healthcare access, medication management, and food quality. The home is registered as a dementia specialist, which implies a commitment to relevant training. No specific detail about care plan content, GP visit frequency, dementia training programmes, or food provision is available from the published report text.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"For your parent, Effective means the staff not only care but know what they are doing u2014 especially in dementia care, where getting the approach wrong can cause unnecessary distress. The Good Practice evidence base identifies care plans as 'living documents' that should be reviewed at least monthly and co-produced with families; whether that happens here is not confirmed in this report. Food quality is one of the most reliable indicators of genuine care u2014 families in our review data rank it highly u2014 and a Good rating suggests it met the standard, but you deserve to see the menu and eat a meal before making a decision.","evidence_base":"The Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review (2026) found that dementia-specific training focused on person-centred communication u2014 not just task completion u2014 was the strongest predictor of reduced agitation and improved resident wellbeing, and that homes with consistent training programmes showed better outcomes than those relying on induction-only training.","watch_out":"Ask to see a sample care plan (anonymised if needed) and ask: 'When was this last reviewed, and was the family involved?' Also ask what dementia training all care staff u2014 including bank and agency staff u2014 are required to complete before working unsupported on the unit."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is this home caring?

  Good

  {"found":"The Caring domain was rated Good. This domain covers staff warmth, compassion, dignity, respect, and support for independence. A Good rating means inspectors were satisfied these standards were met. No resident or relative quotes, and no specific inspector observations of staff interactions, are reproduced in the available report text u2014 making it impossible to assess the depth or consistency of what was found.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Caring is the domain that matters most to families: in our review data, staff warmth and compassion together account for over 112 percentage points of weighting u2014 by far the largest contributors to family confidence. A Good rating from 2019 is a positive signal, but it cannot tell you whether your mum will be addressed by her preferred name, whether staff will sit with her when she is anxious, or whether they will take time to read her face as well as her words. Good Practice evidence is clear that for people with dementia, non-verbal communication u2014 tone, pace, touch u2014 is as important as any formal care intervention. This is something you can only assess in person.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research / Leeds Beckett review (2026) found that person-centred care u2014 defined as knowing the individual's life history, preferences, and communication style u2014 was the most consistent predictor of reduced distress in dementia care, and that homes with structured 'life history' tools embedded in care planning showed significantly better resident wellbeing scores.","watch_out":"During your visit, watch what happens in a corridor when a member of staff passes a resident who looks unsettled. Do they stop, make eye contact, and respond u2014 or do they walk past? Ask staff to tell you something specific about your parent's life history that they would use to guide their care."}

  Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded

• Is the home responsive?

  Good

  {"found":"The Responsive domain was rated Good. This covers activities, engagement, individualised care, and end-of-life planning. The home cares for residents with dementia, mental health conditions, and physical disabilities u2014 a mix that requires flexible, individually tailored approaches to activity and daily life. No specific activities, individual engagement examples, or end-of-life care detail are described in the available report text.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"For your parent, Responsive means the home will try to give them a life u2014 not just a bed. Our family review data shows that resident happiness (27.1% weighting) and activities engagement (21.4%) together form a major part of what families look back on with satisfaction or regret. The Good Practice evidence base is particularly strong here: it consistently shows that group activities alone are not sufficient for people with dementia, especially those in later stages. One-to-one engagement u2014 a staff member doing something meaningful with your parent individually u2014 is what makes the difference. Whether this home delivers that is not confirmed by the available inspection text.","evidence_base":"The Leeds Beckett review (2026) found that Montessori-based and household-task approaches to activity u2014 where residents engage in familiar, purposeful tasks rather than passive entertainment u2014 produced measurably better mood and engagement outcomes than standard group activity programmes, particularly for residents with moderate to advanced dementia.","watch_out":"Ask: 'What would you do with my parent on a day when they didn't want to join a group activity?' If the answer is vague, probe further u2014 ask for an example of a one-to-one activity that has worked well for a resident with similar needs. Also ask to see last week's actual activity record, not the planned schedule."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is the home well-led?

  Good

  {"found":"The Well-led domain was rated Good. Two named Registered Managers are recorded u2014 Mrs Lisa Jayne Craddock and Ms Alma Agcaoili Trozado u2014 with Ms Trozado also serving as Nominated Individual, indicating clear legal accountability. A monitoring review in July 2023 found no evidence requiring a rating change. No detail about management visibility, staff culture, quality assurance systems, or family communication processes is available from the published report text.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Leadership stability is one of the strongest predictors of care quality over time. Our Good Practice evidence base consistently finds that homes where the registered manager is visible, known to residents and families, and has been in post for more than two years show better outcomes across all domains. The fact that this home has maintained a Good Well-led rating since 2019 u2014 with no concerns raised in the 2023 monitoring review u2014 is a positive signal. However, six years is a long time: staff can change, culture can shift, and a registered manager's name on a certificate does not guarantee day-to-day presence. You need to meet the manager on your visit.","evidence_base":"IFF Research (2026) found that leadership stability u2014 specifically manager tenure of more than 24 months u2014 was a stronger predictor of sustained care quality than any single training intervention, and that homes with empowered, bottom-up staff cultures were more likely to identify and resolve care concerns before they reached inspection level.","watch_out":"Ask to meet the registered manager in person u2014 not a deputy or senior carer. Ask how long they have been in post, whether they work regular hours in the building, and what the biggest change they have made in the last 12 months has been. A manager who can answer the last question specifically and with pride is a good sign."}

  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 supports people with dementia and mental health conditions, alongside those with physical disabilities. They care for adults over 65, bringing experience to each person's individual needs.. Gaps or open questions remain on For those living with dementia, the home provides specialised support that helps residents maintain their sense of self and connection with others. — areas worth probing directly during a visit.