Westwood Care Home | Runwood Homes Senior Living
At a Glance
The information you need to decide whether this home warrants a closer look.
Nursing homes, Residential homes
Staff warmth score
of reviewers answered yes
Good to know
- Registered beds79
- SpecialismsCaring for adults over 65 yrs, Caring for adults under 65 yrs, Dementia, Physical disabilities, Sensory impairment
- Last inspected2019-03-06
- Activities programmeThe home maintains clean, bright spaces throughout, and residents enjoy regular entertainment including singing sessions. The environment feels fresh and well-kept, creating pleasant surroundings for daily life.
- 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
Families describe seeing their loved ones become more engaged and happier after moving in, with residents forming friendships and participating in group activities. The atmosphere feels welcoming, and there's a sense of community that helps people settle in.
Based on 21 Google reviews · 0 reviews on carehome.co.uk · most recent 2026-04-10
The eight family priority themes
- Staff warmth55
- Compassion & dignity55
- Cleanliness60
- Activities & engagement50
- Food quality50
- Healthcare55
- Management & leadership65
- Resident happiness55
What inspectors found
Inspected 2019-03-06 · Report published 2019-03-06 · Inspected 3 times in the last three years
Is this home safe?
{"found":"Westwood received a Good rating for safety at its December 2020 inspection. This domain covers how the home manages risks, handles medicines, responds to safeguarding concerns, and maintains adequate staffing. The published summary confirms the Good rating but does not include specific observations about falls management, medicine administration, infection control, or how many staff are on duty at any given time. The home has 79 beds, which makes staffing ratios an important question. The previous Requires Improvement rating means that safety has been an area of focus for this home.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good safety rating is reassuring, but the detail behind it matters enormously when your parent is one of 79 people in the home. Good Practice research consistently identifies night staffing as the point where safety most often slips, and a home of this size could have very different staffing levels at 3am than at 3pm. Our family review data shows that staff attentiveness (cited in 14% of positive reviews) and a clean, safe environment (24.3% of positive reviews) are among the things families notice and value most. Because this inspection predates the period of greatest infection control scrutiny, it is worth asking the home directly how its infection control practices have developed since 2020.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research and Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review found that agency staff reliance is one of the clearest predictors of inconsistent safety outcomes in care homes, because unfamiliar staff are less likely to notice subtle changes in a resident's condition. Ask how many permanent staff are on the rota.","watch_out":"Ask the manager to show you the actual staffing rota for a typical week, including overnight shifts. Count the number of permanent staff versus agency staff, and ask how many carers are present on the dementia unit specifically after 9pm."}
Is the care effective?
{"found":"The home received a Good rating for effectiveness at its December 2020 inspection. This domain covers whether staff have the right training, whether care plans reflect what each person needs, whether residents get timely access to healthcare professionals, and whether food and nutrition are well managed. Westwood lists dementia as a specialism, which means inspectors will have looked at dementia-specific training and care approaches. The published summary does not include specific detail about training content, how often care plans are reviewed, or what the food is like.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Effectiveness is where the quality of dementia care is most directly tested. Good Practice research identifies care plans as living documents that should be updated whenever your parent's condition changes, not just annually. If your parent is living with dementia, ask how often the plan is reviewed and whether you will be consulted when it changes. Food quality is cited in 20.9% of positive family reviews and is a genuine marker of care quality, because a home that pays attention to what someone enjoys eating is usually paying attention to the person as a whole. The inspection confirms a Good rating but does not tell us what the food is actually like or how the home supports residents with swallowing difficulties.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence base identifies dementia training quality, not just the fact that training exists, as a key differentiator. Ask not just whether staff are trained but what the training covers, specifically whether it includes non-verbal communication and responding to behaviour that challenges.","watch_out":"Ask to see your parent's draft care plan before they move in. Check whether it includes their preferred name, their life history, their food preferences, and their known triggers for distress. A generic template is a warning sign."}
Is this home caring?
{"found":"Westwood received a Good rating for caring at its December 2020 inspection. This domain is the most directly relevant to whether your parent will be treated with kindness and respect day to day. It covers whether staff are warm and patient, whether residents are addressed by their preferred names, whether privacy is respected, and whether people are supported to make their own choices where possible. The published summary confirms the Good rating but includes no direct quotes from residents or relatives and no specific observations of staff behaviour.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Staff warmth is the single biggest driver of family satisfaction in our review data, mentioned by name in 57.3% of positive reviews, and compassion and dignity follow closely at 55.2%. A Good Caring rating tells us inspectors were satisfied, but it does not tell you whether the person who will help your mum get dressed in the morning knows her preferred name, knows she likes the radio on, or knows not to rush her. These details live in the care plan and in the culture of the staff team. The most reliable way to assess this is to visit at a busy time, such as mid-morning, and watch how staff move through the building.","evidence_base":"Good Practice research highlights that non-verbal communication matters as much as verbal communication for people living with dementia. Staff who crouch to eye level, speak calmly, and do not appear rushed produce measurably better outcomes in terms of distress and settled behaviour.","watch_out":"When you visit, watch what happens in the corridor. Do staff make eye contact and speak to residents they pass, or do they walk by? Ask a carer what your parent's preferred name is and what they most enjoy in the morning. The answer will tell you more than any rating."}
Is the home responsive?
{"found":"Westwood received a Good rating for responsiveness at its December 2020 inspection. This domain covers whether the home tailors care to individual needs, whether activities are meaningful and varied, whether complaints are handled well, and whether end-of-life care is planned. The home supports people living with dementia as well as those with physical disabilities and sensory impairment, which means activities need to work for people with a wide range of abilities and needs. The published summary confirms the Good rating but provides no detail about specific activities, how the home supports people who cannot join group sessions, or how end-of-life care is approached.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Resident happiness is cited in 27.1% of positive family reviews, and activities are specifically mentioned in 21.4%. Good Practice research is clear that group activities alone are not enough, especially for people with advanced dementia who may not be able to participate in a group setting. One-to-one engagement, including simple tasks like folding, sorting, or listening to familiar music, produces better outcomes for wellbeing and reduces distress. Because the published inspection text does not tell us what activities look like at Westwood, this is an area to investigate directly on your visit.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence review found that Montessori-based and activity-based approaches, including everyday household tasks that draw on long-term memory, significantly reduce agitation and improve quality of life for people living with dementia. Ask whether the home uses any structured approach of this kind.","watch_out":"Ask the activities coordinator to show you the actual activity schedule from last week, not a printed plan from the wall. Ask specifically what happens for residents who cannot join a group, and whether anyone receives one-to-one engagement on days when there is no group activity."}
Is the home well-led?
{"found":"Westwood received a Good rating for well-led at its December 2020 inspection, having previously been rated Requires Improvement. The registered manager is named as Mrs Claire Louise Phillips. A nominated individual, Dr Gavin O'Hare-Connolly, provides organisational oversight. The improvement from Requires Improvement to Good in this domain is significant and suggests the leadership team has addressed whatever concerns were identified previously. The published summary does not describe what specifically changed, how long the current manager has been in post, or what the staff culture is like.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Good Practice research consistently finds that leadership stability is one of the strongest predictors of sustained care quality. A home that has improved from Requires Improvement to Good has done something right, but the question is whether those improvements are embedded in the culture or depend on specific individuals. Communication with families is cited in 11.5% of positive reviews, and families consistently value knowing who is in charge and feeling they can raise concerns without fear. Ask how long the current manager has been in post and what her approach is to keeping families informed when something changes.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence review found that homes where staff feel able to speak up without fear of blame are significantly more likely to catch and correct problems early. A visible, approachable manager who is known by name to residents and staff is one of the most reliable observable signals of a healthy culture.","watch_out":"Ask the manager directly: how long have you been in this role, and what was the main thing you changed after the previous inspection? A confident, specific answer is a good sign. Vagueness or deflection is worth noting."}
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 both under and over 65, including those with physical disabilities and sensory impairments. They also provide dementia care alongside their general residential services.. Gaps or open questions remain on Westwood accepts residents with dementia as part of their broader care provision. Families considering dementia care here should ask specifically about staff training and the home's approach to supporting residents with cognitive changes. — 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
Westwood achieved a Good rating across all five domains at its December 2020 inspection, an improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating. However, the published report text contains very limited specific detail, so scores reflect confirmed ratings rather than rich observational evidence.
Homes in East Midlands typically score 68–82.The three-lens summary
What families tell us
Families describe seeing their loved ones become more engaged and happier after moving in, with residents forming friendships and participating in group activities. The atmosphere feels welcoming, and there's a sense of community that helps people settle in.
What inspectors have recorded
Staff show willingness to contact GPs when families raise medical concerns, and management maintains an open-door approach to communication. However, some families have experienced challenges with medication oversight and the time taken to address serious concerns, suggesting the need for clearer systems around clinical care and complaint resolution.
How it sits against good practice
Every family's priorities differ — some value social atmosphere while others need robust clinical oversight. Taking time to discuss your specific needs will help determine if Westwood offers the right fit.
Worth a visit
Westwood, on Talbot Road in Worksop, was rated Good across all five inspection domains at its most recent inspection in December 2020, published on 30 December 2020. This is a meaningful improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating, and covers safety, the effectiveness of care, the kindness of staff, how the home responds to individual needs, and the quality of its leadership. The home is registered to care for up to 79 people, including adults living with dementia, physical disabilities, and sensory impairment, across both residential and nursing care. The main limitation of this report is that the published summary contains very little specific detail. Inspectors reached positive conclusions across all domains, but the available text does not include direct quotes from residents or relatives, descriptions of what staff were observed doing, or specific evidence about night staffing, activities, food, or how the home supports people with dementia. Before you visit, prepare a list of specific questions. On the visit itself, watch how staff greet your parent at the door, whether they use the correct name, and whether interactions feel unhurried. Ask to see last week's actual staffing rota, not a template, and ask specifically how many staff are on duty overnight across all 79 beds.
The three questions to ask when you visitSave this home. Compare it against your shortlist.
Let our analysis show you how Westwood Care Home | Runwood Homes Senior Living measures up against the other homes you’re considering. Free account.
In Their Own Words
How Westwood Care Home | Runwood Homes Senior Living describes itself — collected from its own website. DCC has not edited or independently verified the content in this tab.
Finding the right balance between activities and individualised care
Westwood – Expert Care in Worksop
When families choose Westwood in Worksop, they're often drawn by the home's activity programme and bright, welcoming atmosphere. The care home supports adults of all ages with various needs, from physical disabilities to dementia, and many residents find genuine enjoyment in the social connections they build here.
Who they care for
The home cares for adults both under and over 65, including those with physical disabilities and sensory impairments. They also provide dementia care alongside their general residential services.
Westwood accepts residents with dementia as part of their broader care provision. Families considering dementia care here should ask specifically about staff training and the home's approach to supporting residents with cognitive changes.
Management & ethos
Staff show willingness to contact GPs when families raise medical concerns, and management maintains an open-door approach to communication. However, some families have experienced challenges with medication oversight and the time taken to address serious concerns, suggesting the need for clearer systems around clinical care and complaint resolution.
The home & environment
The home maintains clean, bright spaces throughout, and residents enjoy regular entertainment including singing sessions. The environment feels fresh and well-kept, creating pleasant surroundings for daily life.
“Every family's priorities differ — some value social atmosphere while others need robust clinical oversight. Taking time to discuss your specific needs will help determine if Westwood offers the right fit.”
DCC does not edit or curate content in this tab. For independently curated information, see The Evidence and DCC Verdict.
