Dementia Care Home

The Sycamores Care Home

Norton Road, Wakefield, Yorkshire, WF1 3BD

Residential homes

At a Glance

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

DCC Family Score
72/ 100
Weighted from family reviews
Dementia SpecialismConfirmed

Residential homes

Families Rate The Staff72 / 100

Staff warmth score

“Well Looked After”68%

of reviewers answered yes

Good to know

  • Registered beds56
  • SpecialismsCaring for adults over 65 yrs, Caring for adults under 65 yrs, Dementia
  • Last inspected2022-06-17

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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

Visitors frequently comment on the friendly approach of staff members and how they take time to chat with residents. The Thursday social club appears to be a particular highlight, bringing people together for activities that keep spirits up.

The eight family priority themes

  • Staff warmth72
  • Compassion & dignity72
  • Cleanliness70
  • Activities & engagement60
  • Food quality60
  • Healthcare68
  • Management & leadership75
  • Resident happiness68
Section 02

What inspectors found

Inspected 2022-06-17

  • Is this home safe?

    Good
    The Sycamores received a Good rating for safety at its May 2022 inspection. This is an improvement from the previous Requires Improvement rating. The published report does not include specific detail about staffing numbers, night shift arrangements, medicines management, or falls recording. A Good Safe rating indicates inspectors were satisfied that the home was managing risks appropriately at the time of the visit.
    Verified by inspector
  • Is the care effective?

    Good
    The Sycamores received a Good rating for Effective at its May 2022 inspection. This domain covers training, care planning, nutrition, and healthcare access. The published report does not include specific detail about the content of care plans, how often they are reviewed, what dementia training staff have completed, or how food quality and menu choice are managed. The Good rating indicates inspectors were satisfied with the overall standard.
    Verified by inspector
  • Is this home caring?

    Good
    The Sycamores received a Good rating for Caring at its May 2022 inspection. This domain covers staff warmth, dignity, respect, and whether people are treated as individuals. The published report contains no direct inspector observations of staff interactions, no quotes from residents or relatives, and no specific examples of how privacy or dignity were upheld. The Good rating indicates inspectors judged the overall standard of caring to be satisfactory.
    Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded
  • Is the home responsive?

    Good
    The Sycamores received a Good rating for Responsive at its May 2022 inspection. This domain covers whether the home adapts to individual needs, provides meaningful activities, and plans for end-of-life care. The published report includes no specific detail about the activity programme, how activities are tailored to people with different levels of dementia, or how the home responds to changing needs. The Good rating indicates inspectors were satisfied with the overall approach.
    Verified by inspector
  • Is the home well-led?

    Good
    The Sycamores received a Good rating for Well-led at its May 2022 inspection. The home is run by Highgate Care Services (Yorkshire) Ltd, with a named registered manager and a named nominated individual. The improvement from Requires Improvement to Good across all five domains since the previous inspection indicates that leadership has been effective in driving change. The published report does not include specific detail about how the manager supports staff, how feedback from residents and families is gathered, or how the home identifies and acts on concerns.
    Verified by inspector
  • Source: CQC inspection report →

    Section 03

    What the evidence base says

    The Sycamores cares for adults both under and over 65, including those living with dementia. The home provides specialist dementia support, with staff working to understand each resident's background and preferences. 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.

72/ 100

DCC Family Score

The Sycamores has improved from Requires Improvement to Good across all five inspection domains, which is a meaningful step forward. However, the published inspection text contains very limited specific detail, so scores reflect a confirmed positive direction rather than strong evidence of what daily life here actually looks like.

Homes in Yorkshire & Humberside typically score 68–82.

The three-lens summary

Lens 01

What families tell us

Visitors frequently comment on the friendly approach of staff members and how they take time to chat with residents. The Thursday social club appears to be a particular highlight, bringing people together for activities that keep spirits up.

Lens 02

What inspectors have recorded

Staff are described as polite and responsive when families visit, with the manager and admin team generally accessible when needed. Visitors observe that residents are treated with dignity and given choices in their daily care.

Lens 03

How it sits against good practice

If you're considering care options in Wakefield, arranging a visit can help you get a feel for daily life at The Sycamores.

DCC Recommendation

Worth a visit

The Sycamores, on Norton Road in Wakefield, was rated Good across all five inspection domains at its most recent inspection in May 2022. This is a significant improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating, and covers safety, effectiveness, caring, responsiveness, and leadership. The home is registered for up to 56 people and lists dementia as a specialism alongside care for adults over and under 65. The main uncertainty here is that the published inspection report contains very little specific detail about what daily life at The Sycamores actually looks like. The ratings tell you the direction of travel is positive, but they do not tell you whether staff know your parent by name, what happens on a night shift, or whether the activity programme reaches people who cannot join a group. On a visit, ask to see last week's actual staffing rota (not the template), ask what specific dementia training staff have completed in the past year, and spend time watching how staff interact with residents in communal areas without prompting.

The three questions to ask when you visit

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In Their Own Words

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

What The Sycamores Care Home says about itself

Friendly staff and varied activities brighten days in Wakefield

The Sycamores – Expert Care in Wakefield

Families visiting The Sycamores in Wakefield often mention the warm welcome they receive from staff. This care home provides support for adults of all ages, including those living with dementia, in premises that visitors describe as clean and well-maintained.

Care & specialisms

Who they care for

    The Sycamores cares for adults both under and over 65, including those living with dementia.

    How they describe their dementia care

    The home provides specialist dementia support, with staff working to understand each resident's background and preferences.

    “If you're considering care options in Wakefield, arranging a visit can help you get a feel for daily life at The Sycamores.”

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

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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)

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