The Firs
At a Glance
The information you need to decide whether this home warrants a closer look.
Residential homes
Staff warmth score
of reviewers answered yes
Good to know
- Registered beds22
- SpecialismsCaring for adults over 65 yrs, Dementia, Mental health conditions
- Last inspected2022-07-07
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STAGE 4 — RESEARCHING CARE HOMES
Visit homes. Compare them side by side. Choose with confidence.
Most of us will view care homes the way we view houses, impression, atmosphere, the feeling in the corridor. We go home, try to remember what we saw, and make a permanent decision from a blurred memory.
The DCC shortlist gives every home you visit a structured record: the same twelve questions, answered the same way, every time. When you’re ready to choose, pull any two homes side by side and compare them directly. Same criteria, same evidence, your notes and your scores.
The Evidence
What the review data, the inspection reports, and the dementia-care evidence base tell us about this home.
What families say
Families talk about how staff go out of their way to make visiting relatives feel welcome and comfortable. It's the kind of place where staff take time to chat with visitors, keeping them updated and making sure they feel part of their loved one's care journey.
The eight family priority themes
- Staff warmth72
- Compassion & dignity72
- Cleanliness70
- Activities & engagement60
- Food quality60
- Healthcare68
- Management & leadership74
- Resident happiness68
What inspectors found
Inspected 2022-07-07
Is this home safe?
Is the care effective?
The Firs was rated Good for Effective at its June 2022 inspection. This domain covers care planning, staff training, healthcare access, nutrition, and how well the home meets the clinical and personal needs of residents. The home specialises in dementia care, so inspectors would have considered whether training and practice reflected that specialism. No specific detail about training content, GP access arrangements, or how care plans are written and reviewed was included in the published text.Is this home caring?
The Firs was rated Good for Caring at its June 2022 inspection. This domain reflects whether staff treat residents with warmth, dignity, and respect, and whether residents feel genuinely cared for rather than processed. Staff warmth and compassion are the two most influential themes in family satisfaction data, together accounting for the majority of what families describe when they say a home is good. The published inspection text does not include any specific observations of staff interactions, quotes from residents, or examples of how dignity was protected in practice.Is the home responsive?
The Firs was rated Good for Responsive at its June 2022 inspection. This domain covers whether care is tailored to individual needs, whether activities are meaningful and available to everyone including those with more advanced dementia, and whether complaints are handled properly. The home specialises in dementia and mental health conditions, so responsiveness to individual presentation and behaviour is particularly relevant. No specific examples of activity provision, individual engagement, or complaint handling were included in the published text.Is the home well-led?
The Firs was rated Good for Well-led at its June 2022 inspection, having previously been rated Requires Improvement. A named registered manager, Kerry Lee Colbourne, is confirmed as in post, with Sumosh Thannikkal Mohanan identified as the nominated individual. This structure suggests clear lines of accountability. The improvement from Requires Improvement to Good in leadership is particularly significant because leadership quality is one of the strongest predictors of whether a home maintains and builds on its standards over time. No specific detail about staff culture, governance processes, or how the manager engages with residents and families was included in the published text.
Source: CQC inspection report →
What the evidence base says
The Firs specialises in dementia care and supporting people with mental health conditions, focusing on residents aged 65 and over. With dementia care as one of their core specialisms, the team understands the unique challenges families face. They work to keep everyone connected and informed throughout the care 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.
DCC Family Score
The Firs improved from Requires Improvement to Good across all five inspection domains, which is a meaningful step forward. However, the published inspection text contains limited specific detail, so scores reflect confirmed ratings rather than rich observational evidence.
Homes in South East typically score 68–82.The three-lens summary
What families tell us
Families talk about how staff go out of their way to make visiting relatives feel welcome and comfortable. It's the kind of place where staff take time to chat with visitors, keeping them updated and making sure they feel part of their loved one's care journey.
What inspectors have recorded
The home's approach to family communication really stands out. During the pandemic, they kept families connected through regular video updates and brought visits back as soon as it was safe. Staff are known for being hardworking and dedicated, with resident safety clearly their top priority.
How it sits against good practice
Sometimes the smallest things — a friendly chat, a timely update — make the biggest difference when you're worried about someone you love.
Worth a visit
The Firs, at 83 Church Road, Southampton, was rated Good across all five inspection domains at its last inspection in June 2022. This represents a significant improvement from its previous rating of Requires Improvement, meaning inspectors found enough progress to be confident the home was meeting the standards families would expect. The home is a small residential setting of 22 beds, specialising in dementia, mental health conditions, and care for older people, with a named registered manager in post. The main limitation here is that the published inspection text contains very little specific detail about what inspectors actually observed. The Good rating tells you the direction of travel is positive, but it does not tell you what the food is like, how staff respond when your mum becomes anxious, or whether there is meaningful activity for someone who can no longer join a group session. The inspection was conducted in June 2022, which means the findings are now over two years old. Treat a visit as essential before making any decision, and use the checklist questions in this report to fill the gaps the published findings leave open.
The three questions to ask when you visitSave this home. Compare it against your shortlist.
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In Their Own Words
How The Firs describes itself — collected from its own website. DCC has not edited or independently verified the content in this tab.
Where families feel heard and residents come first
Compassionate Care in Southampton at The Firs
When you're looking for dementia care in Southampton, finding somewhere that truly listens to families can feel impossible. The Firs has built its reputation on exactly that — keeping families connected and informed while putting resident wellbeing at the heart of everything they do. This specialist care home supports people over 65 with dementia and mental health conditions.
Who they care for
The Firs specialises in dementia care and supporting people with mental health conditions, focusing on residents aged 65 and over.
With dementia care as one of their core specialisms, the team understands the unique challenges families face. They work to keep everyone connected and informed throughout the care journey.
“Sometimes the smallest things — a friendly chat, a timely update — make the biggest difference when you're worried about someone you love.”
DCC does not edit or curate content in this tab. For independently curated information, see The Evidence and DCC Verdict.
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 Firs improved from Requires Improvement to Good across all five inspection domains, which is a meaningful step forward. However, the published inspection text contains limited specific detail, so scores reflect confirmed ratings rather than rich observational evidence.
Homes in South East typically score 68–82.The three-lens summary
What families tell us
Families talk about how staff go out of their way to make visiting relatives feel welcome and comfortable. It's the kind of place where staff take time to chat with visitors, keeping them updated and making sure they feel part of their loved one's care journey.
What inspectors have recorded
The home's approach to family communication really stands out. During the pandemic, they kept families connected through regular video updates and brought visits back as soon as it was safe. Staff are known for being hardworking and dedicated, with resident safety clearly their top priority.
How it sits against good practice
Sometimes the smallest things — a friendly chat, a timely update — make the biggest difference when you're worried about someone you love.
Worth a visit
The Firs, at 83 Church Road, Southampton, was rated Good across all five inspection domains at its last inspection in June 2022. This represents a significant improvement from its previous rating of Requires Improvement, meaning inspectors found enough progress to be confident the home was meeting the standards families would expect. The home is a small residential setting of 22 beds, specialising in dementia, mental health conditions, and care for older people, with a named registered manager in post. The main limitation here is that the published inspection text contains very little specific detail about what inspectors actually observed. The Good rating tells you the direction of travel is positive, but it does not tell you what the food is like, how staff respond when your mum becomes anxious, or whether there is meaningful activity for someone who can no longer join a group session. The inspection was conducted in June 2022, which means the findings are now over two years old. Treat a visit as essential before making any decision, and use the checklist questions in this report to fill the gaps the published findings leave open.
The three questions to ask when you visitSave this home. Compare it against your shortlist.
Let our analysis show you how The Firs measures up against the other homes you’re considering. Free account.
In Their Own Words
How The Firs describes itself — collected from its own website. DCC has not edited or independently verified the content in this tab.
Where families feel heard and residents come first
Compassionate Care in Southampton at The Firs
When you're looking for dementia care in Southampton, finding somewhere that truly listens to families can feel impossible. The Firs has built its reputation on exactly that — keeping families connected and informed while putting resident wellbeing at the heart of everything they do. This specialist care home supports people over 65 with dementia and mental health conditions.
Who they care for
The Firs specialises in dementia care and supporting people with mental health conditions, focusing on residents aged 65 and over.
With dementia care as one of their core specialisms, the team understands the unique challenges families face. They work to keep everyone connected and informed throughout the care journey.
Management & ethos
The home's approach to family communication really stands out. During the pandemic, they kept families connected through regular video updates and brought visits back as soon as it was safe. Staff are known for being hardworking and dedicated, with resident safety clearly their top priority.
“Sometimes the smallest things — a friendly chat, a timely update — make the biggest difference when you're worried about someone you love.”
DCC does not edit or curate content in this tab. For independently curated information, see The Evidence and DCC Verdict.
