Westcliffe Care Home

What families say

People talk about how staff take time to understand each resident as an individual. They notice the smaller details — learning about family situations and personal preferences. The atmosphere seems to help residents form friendships with each other too.

Based on 5 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 & leadership60
• Resident happiness55

What inspectors found

Inspected 2023-08-05 · Report published 2023-08-05 · Inspected 2 times in the last three years

• Is this home safe?

  Good

  {"found":"The Safe domain was rated Good at the June 2023 inspection. This domain covers staffing levels, medicines management, infection control, and how well the home protects people from harm. The published report does not include specific inspector observations about any of these areas. A Good rating means inspectors were satisfied at the time of the visit, but the evidence base in the available text is thin.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"For your parent, safety is about more than a rating on a page. The inspection found no concerns serious enough to require improvement, which is reassuring. However, our Good Practice evidence base highlights that night staffing is where safety most commonly slips in smaller homes, and with 19 beds this is a compact service where one absent carer can change the risk profile significantly. The published findings do not tell us how many staff are on duty overnight or how often agency staff fill gaps. These are the specific questions that matter most for your parent's safety, and you will need to ask them directly.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research and Leeds Beckett University rapid evidence review found that agency staff reliance is one of the strongest predictors of safety incidents in dementia care settings, because unfamiliar staff are less able to recognise subtle changes in a person's usual behaviour that signal a health problem.","watch_out":"Ask the manager to show you the actual staffing rota for the past two weeks, including night shifts. Count how many named carers are permanent employees versus agency or bank staff, and ask what the minimum staffing level is overnight."}

  Verified by inspectorMentioned, not assessed

• Is the care effective?

  Good

  {"found":"The Effective domain was rated Good at the June 2023 inspection. This domain covers training, care planning, nutrition, and healthcare access. The published report does not include specific findings about dementia training content, care plan quality, food provision, or GP access arrangements. A Good rating means inspectors were satisfied at the time of the visit.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Knowing what staff actually do with their dementia training matters enormously for your parent. A Good rating in this domain is encouraging, but our Good Practice evidence base shows that the content and quality of dementia training varies widely between homes, even those with the same rating. Food quality is one of the clearest markers of genuine care in our family review data, featuring in 20.9% of positive reviews, yet the published report tells us nothing specific about what your parent would eat or how dietary needs would be managed. Ask to see the menu and, if possible, eat a meal at the home before making your decision.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence review found that care plans function best as living documents updated with family input after every significant change in a resident's condition or preferences, rather than as paperwork completed at admission and rarely revisited.","watch_out":"Ask how often care plans are formally reviewed and whether you would be invited to take part. Then ask to see a sample menu for the current week and find out how the home adapts meals for residents who have difficulty swallowing or who have lost interest in eating."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is this home caring?

  Good

  {"found":"The Caring domain was rated Good at the June 2023 inspection. This domain covers how staff treat residents, whether dignity and privacy are respected, and whether residents are supported to maintain independence. The published report does not include direct inspector observations of staff interactions, resident testimony about how they are treated, or specific examples of dignity being upheld.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Staff warmth is the single biggest driver of family satisfaction in our review data, mentioned in 57.3% of positive Google reviews across UK care homes. Compassion and dignity follow closely, appearing in 55.2% of positive reviews. These are the things families care about most, and they are exactly what a Good Caring rating should reflect. The problem here is that the published report gives us no specific observations to point to. When you visit, watch how staff speak to residents in corridors and communal areas when they are not aware of being assessed. The tone, pace, and use of preferred names will tell you more than any written report.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence review found that non-verbal communication matters as much as verbal interaction for people with advanced dementia. Staff who approach calmly, make eye contact at the resident's level, and allow time for a response before speaking again produce measurably lower levels of distress behaviour.","watch_out":"During your visit, ask a staff member what your parent's preferred name is (not their formal name). Then watch whether staff actually use that name, and whether they crouch or sit to make eye contact rather than speaking down to residents who are seated."}

  Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded

• Is the home responsive?

  Good

  {"found":"The Responsive domain was rated Good at the June 2023 inspection. This domain covers activities, individual engagement, end-of-life care planning, and how well the home responds to complaints. The published report does not include specific examples of activities offered, individual engagement for residents who cannot join group sessions, or how end-of-life wishes are recorded and respected.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Whether your parent will have a life at Westcliffe, not just a place to stay, is one of the most important questions you face. Activities and resident happiness together account for nearly half of the positive signals in our family review data (21.4% and 27.1% respectively). The Good rating is a positive signal, but it tells us nothing about whether the activity programme is genuinely varied, whether one-to-one engagement is available for residents who cannot join groups, or whether everyday meaningful tasks (such as folding laundry or tending plants) are built into the day. For a person with dementia, these small moments of purposeful activity can make the difference between a settled and an anxious day.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence review found that Montessori-based approaches and the inclusion of familiar household tasks in daily routines significantly reduce agitation and improve mood in people with dementia, particularly those who are no longer able to participate in structured group activities.","watch_out":"Ask to see the activities rota for the past month, not just the planned schedule. Then ask specifically what happens for a resident with advanced dementia who cannot join group sessions: who provides one-to-one engagement, how often, and what form does it take?"}

  Verified by inspector

• Is the home well-led?

  Good

  {"found":"The Well-led domain was rated Good at the June 2023 inspection. A registered manager (Mrs Michelle Patricia Murdoch) and a nominated individual (Mr Simon David Hodgkinson) are named in the registration record. The published report does not include specific findings about management visibility, staff culture, how feedback from residents and families is acted on, or how the home governs quality and safety over time.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Good leadership is the engine behind everything else. Our Good Practice evidence base is clear that leadership stability predicts quality trajectory: homes where the manager is visible, trusted by staff, and has been in post for several years consistently outperform those experiencing frequent management change. The named manager structure here is positive, but the published report does not tell us how long the current manager has been in post, how often they are present on the floor, or whether staff feel able to raise concerns. Management quality accounts for 23.4% of positive signals in our family review data, making it the fourth most important theme. This is a gap you can close by speaking directly to the manager and, if possible, to a senior carer, on your visit.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence review found that homes where staff feel empowered to raise concerns without fear of reprisal have significantly better outcomes for residents, including lower rates of avoidable incidents and higher family satisfaction scores.","watch_out":"Ask the manager how long they have been in post and whether the same senior carers have been working at Westcliffe for more than two years. Then ask how a family member would raise a concern if they were unhappy with something, and listen for whether the answer involves a clear, named process or vague reassurances."}

  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 Westcliffe provides residential care for people over 65, with specific experience in dementia care.. Gaps or open questions remain on For residents living with dementia, the home's smaller scale seems to help people feel more settled. Staff work to understand each person's individual needs and preferences. — areas worth probing directly during a visit.