Dementia Care Home

Kingsfield Residential Home

252 Abbey Road, Barrow In Furness, Cumbria, LA13 9JJ

Residential homes

At a Glance

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

DCC Family Score
63/ 100
Weighted from family reviews
Dementia SpecialismConfirmed

Residential homes

Families Rate The Staff65 / 100

Staff warmth score

“Well Looked After”60%

of reviewers answered yes

Good to know

  • Registered beds27
  • SpecialismsCaring for adults over 65 yrs, Caring for adults under 65 yrs, Dementia, Mental health conditions, Physical disabilities
  • Last inspected2021-12-08

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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 eight family priority themes

  • Staff warmth65
  • Compassion & dignity65
  • Cleanliness45
  • Activities & engagement55
  • Food quality50
  • Healthcare55
  • Management & leadership65
  • Resident happiness60
Section 02

What inspectors found

Inspected 2021-12-08

  • Is this home safe?

    Requires improvement
    Safety was the only domain rated Requires Improvement at the November 2021 inspection — the single below-standard finding in an otherwise Good-rated home. The published summary does not specify what drove this rating, meaning families cannot tell from publicly available information whether concerns related to medicines management, staffing levels, falls, or infection control. A July 2023 monitoring review found no evidence requiring reassessment, but this was a desk-based review, not a fresh inspection. The home cares for people with dementia, mental health conditions, and physical disabilities — a combination that typically places high demands on safe staffing. The full inspection report would contain the specific findings and the required improvement actions.
    Verified by inspector
  • Is the care effective?

    Good
    The Effective domain was rated Good at the November 2021 inspection. This domain covers whether staff have the skills and knowledge to care well, whether care plans are person-centred and up to date, whether healthcare professionals are involved appropriately, and whether nutrition and hydration needs are met. The published summary does not provide specific examples of what inspectors observed, which quotes they recorded, or which aspects of effectiveness were strongest or weakest. The home lists dementia as a specialism, which typically requires inspectors to examine staff training in dementia care as part of the Effective assessment. No detail about training content, care plan review frequency, or GP access frequency is available from the published summary alone.
    Verified by inspector
  • Is this home caring?

    Good
    The Caring domain was rated Good at the November 2021 inspection. This domain assesses whether staff treat people with kindness, respect their dignity, support their independence, and respond to them as individuals. A Good rating indicates inspectors were satisfied with the standard of interactions they observed and the accounts they gathered from residents and relatives. However, the published summary contains no direct quotes from residents or relatives, no specific observations of staff interactions, and no named examples of caring practice. For a 27-bed home with residents living with dementia, mental health conditions, and physical disabilities, specific evidence of how staff communicate with people who may not be able to express themselves verbally would be particularly valuable.
    Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded
  • Is the home responsive?

    Good
    The Responsive domain was rated Good at the November 2021 inspection. This domain examines whether the home responds to people as individuals — through meaningful activities, attention to personal preferences, and appropriate end-of-life planning. For a home with dementia as a specialism, the Responsive rating is particularly important because it covers whether people who can no longer advocate for themselves are still treated as individuals with histories, preferences, and ongoing lives. The published summary does not include specific detail about the activities programme, whether one-to-one engagement is offered for residents unable to join groups, or how end-of-life planning is approached.
    Verified by inspector
  • Is the home well-led?

    Good
    The Well-led domain was rated Good at the November 2021 inspection, and a monitoring review in July 2023 found no evidence requiring reassessment of any domain. The home has a named Registered Manager (Mrs Sarah Jane Williams) and a Nominated Individual (Mrs Kim Lara Rogerson) in post. A Good Well-led rating indicates inspectors were satisfied with governance structures, the culture of the home, and leadership accountability at the time. The published summary contains no specific examples of how leadership functions in practice — no staff testimony, no examples of incidents learned from, and no detail about how the manager engages with residents and families.
    Verified by inspector
  • Source: CQC inspection report →

    Section 03

    What the evidence base says

    The team at Kingsfield works with residents who have dementia, mental health conditions and physical disabilities. They support adults across different age groups, including those under 65 who need residential care. For residents living with dementia, Kingsfield provides specialist support tailored to each person's needs. The home accepts residents at different stages of their dementia journey. 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.

63/ 100

DCC Family Score

Kingsfield scores in the mid-range, reflecting a home rated Good overall with genuine strengths in care and leadership, but held back by a Requires Improvement in Safety — and critically, the inspection is now over three years old, meaning the evidence base for this score is significantly dated.

Homes in North West typically score 68–82.
DCC Recommendation

Worth a visit

Kingsfield Residential Care Home on Abbey Road, Barrow-in-Furness, was rated Good overall at its last inspection in November 2021, with Good ratings across Effective, Caring, Responsive, and Well-led domains. The home is a 27-bed registered service with specialisms covering dementia, mental health conditions, and physical disabilities, and has a named Registered Manager in post. A July 2023 monitoring review found no evidence requiring a reassessment of the rating, suggesting no major concerns had emerged in the interim. The most important thing to know before visiting is that this inspection is now over three years old, and the published summary contains very limited specific detail — no direct quotes, no named observations, no incident data. The Requires Improvement in Safety is the single biggest concern and you should request the full inspection report to understand exactly what drove that finding. Ask the manager directly: what safety concerns were identified in 2021, what actions were taken, and has there been a re-inspection since? Also ask specifically about night staffing numbers and agency staff usage, as these are the areas where safety most commonly slips in homes of this size caring for people with dementia.

The three questions to ask when you visit

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In Their Own Words

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

What Kingsfield Residential Home says about itself

Specialist support for complex care needs in Barrow

Kingsfield Residential Care Home – Expert Care in Barrow In Furness

Kingsfield Residential Care Home in Barrow In Furness provides specialist care for people with dementia, mental health conditions and physical disabilities. The home supports both younger adults under 65 and older residents who need focused care. If you're considering Kingsfield for someone you love, arranging a visit will help you understand their approach to complex care needs.

Care & specialisms

Who they care for

    The team at Kingsfield works with residents who have dementia, mental health conditions and physical disabilities. They support adults across different age groups, including those under 65 who need residential care.

    How they describe their dementia care

    For residents living with dementia, Kingsfield provides specialist support tailored to each person's needs. The home accepts residents at different stages of their dementia journey.

    “Understanding how a care home supports residents with complex needs takes time and careful consideration.”

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

    Free download – Dementia Stage 4

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    Related:

    What Real Families Say About Dementia Care Homes: The Eight Things That Matter Most

    A Which? Report for Care Homes: Real Family Reviews, Not Just Official Inspections

    Step-by-Step Guide to Finding a Care Home for Your Mum in the UK

    What Does 'Dementia Specialist' Actually Mean? How to Tell If a Care Home Really Is One

    Best UK Website for Comparing Dementia Care Homes (Beyond CQC Ratings)

    Dementia care gifts that help

    The Thoughtful Gift That Makes a Difficult Day Easier

    The things that make the greatest difference to someone living with dementia are rarely the most obvious ones. They are the things that ease the day — that give a carer a moment to breathe, or give the person they care for a moment of calm or quiet joy. Every item here was chosen because it works, and because it reduces stress for everyone in the room.

    Comforting Memories

    Britain 1940 to 1970: Memory Lane

    Card Game

    The Card Game That Turns Familiar Phrases Into Open Doors

    Memory Box

    The Box That Holds a Life

    Digital Photoframe

    The Frame That Brings the Family Into the Room

    Digital Calendar

    The Clock That Knows What Day It Is

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