Dalby Court Residential Care Home – Sanctuary Care
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 beds66
- SpecialismsCaring for adults over 65 yrs, Caring for adults under 65 yrs, Dementia
- Last inspected2023-12-12
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 staff who find time to chat and connect, even during busy periods. The entertainment programme brings real energy to the home, with karaoke nights and social suppers that draw relatives in to share the fun alongside residents.
The eight family priority themes
- Staff warmth72
- Compassion & dignity72
- Cleanliness70
- Activities & engagement65
- Food quality65
- Healthcare70
- Management & leadership75
- Resident happiness70
What inspectors found
Inspected 2023-12-12
Is this home safe?
Is the care effective?
The effective domain was rated Good at the October 2023 inspection. This domain covers staff training, care planning, access to healthcare professionals, nutrition and hydration, and consent. The published summary does not include specific detail about dementia training content, how frequently care plans are reviewed, or how the home manages GP access and referrals to specialist services. Dementia is a listed specialism for this home, which means the expectation is that staff hold relevant skills and that care approaches reflect current evidence. The absence of specific findings means the Good rating provides a floor rather than a ceiling here.Is this home caring?
The caring domain was rated Good at the October 2023 inspection. This domain reflects whether staff treat the people who live here with warmth, respect their privacy, support their independence, and respond to them as individuals. No direct inspector observations, resident quotes, or relative testimonies are reproduced in the published inspection summary. For a domain where staff warmth accounts for 57.3% of positive family reviews in our data, the absence of specific examples means this Good rating cannot be fully contextualised without a visit.Is the home responsive?
The responsive domain was rated Good at the October 2023 inspection. This domain covers whether the home responds to individual needs, provides a range of meaningful activities, supports people at the end of their life, and handles complaints effectively. No specific detail about the activities programme, individual engagement for residents with advanced dementia, or end-of-life care arrangements is included in the published summary. For a home with a dementia specialism and 66 beds, the range and quality of activities provision is a significant factor in daily quality of life.Is the home well-led?
The well-led domain was rated Good at the October 2023 inspection, improving from a previous Requires Improvement rating. The home has a named Registered Manager (Ms Diane Maughan) and a Nominated Individual (Mrs Louise Palmer), and is operated by Sanctuary Care Limited. The improvement across all five domains from the previous inspection suggests that leadership identified and addressed earlier shortcomings effectively. No specific detail about management visibility, staff culture, governance systems, or how the home handles complaints and concerns is included in the published summary.
Source: CQC inspection report →
What the evidence base says
Dalby Court provides residential care for adults of all ages, including those living with dementia. The home also offers short-term respite stays. For residents with dementia, the team brings both clinical knowledge and emotional understanding to their approach. Staff work to create familiar routines and meaningful activities that help residents feel secure. 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
Dalby Court has improved from Requires Improvement to a Good rating across all five inspection domains, which is a meaningful positive step. However, the published inspection text contains limited specific detail, so several scores reflect the overall positive rating rather than direct observations or testimony.
Homes in North East typically score 68–82.The three-lens summary
What families tell us
Families describe staff who find time to chat and connect, even during busy periods. The entertainment programme brings real energy to the home, with karaoke nights and social suppers that draw relatives in to share the fun alongside residents.
What inspectors have recorded
The team shows particular skill in coordinating medical care, working closely with doctors to address health issues quickly. Families appreciate how staff communicate about their loved one's needs and respond promptly when complications arise.
How it sits against good practice
While most families feel reassured by the care here, it's worth noting that experiences can vary — taking time to visit and see the home in action will help you decide if it feels right for your family.
Worth a visit
Dalby Court Residential Care Home, at 1 Dalby Court in Middlesbrough, was rated Good at its inspection in October 2023, with the report published in December 2023. Importantly, this is an improvement from a previous Requires Improvement rating, meaning inspectors were satisfied that earlier concerns had been addressed across all five domains: safe, effective, caring, responsive, and well-led. The home is a 66-bed service run by Sanctuary Care Limited, with named management in place, and holds a specialism in dementia care alongside caring for adults over and under 65. The main limitation of this report is that the published inspection text contains very little specific detail about what inspectors actually saw, heard, or read during the visit. That means the Good rating is reassuring, but it cannot tell you what staff warmth looks like in practice, how activities are tailored for someone with advancing dementia, or what night staffing looks like on the unit. Before making a decision, visit in person and ask the manager to show you last week's actual staffing rota, ask what one-to-one engagement looks like for a resident who cannot join group activities, and ask specifically how many permanent staff work nights.
The three questions to ask when you visitSave this home. Compare it against your shortlist.
Let our analysis show you how Dalby Court Residential Care Home – Sanctuary Care measures up against the other homes you’re considering. Free account.
In Their Own Words
How Dalby Court Residential Care Home – Sanctuary Care describes itself — collected from its own website. DCC has not edited or independently verified the content in this tab.
Where medical know-how meets genuine warmth in Middlesbrough
Compassionate Care in Middlesbrough at Dalby Court Residential Care Home
When health complications arise, families need confidence that their loved one is in capable hands. Dalby Court Residential Care Home in Middlesbrough brings together clinical expertise with the kind of personal attention that helps residents feel genuinely cared for. The team here understands that good care means more than just medical competence — it's about creating moments of connection and joy.
Who they care for
Dalby Court provides residential care for adults of all ages, including those living with dementia. The home also offers short-term respite stays.
For residents with dementia, the team brings both clinical knowledge and emotional understanding to their approach. Staff work to create familiar routines and meaningful activities that help residents feel secure.
“While most families feel reassured by the care here, it's worth noting that experiences can vary — taking time to visit and see the home in action will help you decide if it feels right for your family.”
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
Dalby Court has improved from Requires Improvement to a Good rating across all five inspection domains, which is a meaningful positive step. However, the published inspection text contains limited specific detail, so several scores reflect the overall positive rating rather than direct observations or testimony.
Homes in North East typically score 68–82.The three-lens summary
What families tell us
Families describe staff who find time to chat and connect, even during busy periods. The entertainment programme brings real energy to the home, with karaoke nights and social suppers that draw relatives in to share the fun alongside residents.
What inspectors have recorded
The team shows particular skill in coordinating medical care, working closely with doctors to address health issues quickly. Families appreciate how staff communicate about their loved one's needs and respond promptly when complications arise.
How it sits against good practice
While most families feel reassured by the care here, it's worth noting that experiences can vary — taking time to visit and see the home in action will help you decide if it feels right for your family.
Worth a visit
Dalby Court Residential Care Home, at 1 Dalby Court in Middlesbrough, was rated Good at its inspection in October 2023, with the report published in December 2023. Importantly, this is an improvement from a previous Requires Improvement rating, meaning inspectors were satisfied that earlier concerns had been addressed across all five domains: safe, effective, caring, responsive, and well-led. The home is a 66-bed service run by Sanctuary Care Limited, with named management in place, and holds a specialism in dementia care alongside caring for adults over and under 65. The main limitation of this report is that the published inspection text contains very little specific detail about what inspectors actually saw, heard, or read during the visit. That means the Good rating is reassuring, but it cannot tell you what staff warmth looks like in practice, how activities are tailored for someone with advancing dementia, or what night staffing looks like on the unit. Before making a decision, visit in person and ask the manager to show you last week's actual staffing rota, ask what one-to-one engagement looks like for a resident who cannot join group activities, and ask specifically how many permanent staff work nights.
The three questions to ask when you visitSave this home. Compare it against your shortlist.
Let our analysis show you how Dalby Court Residential Care Home – Sanctuary Care measures up against the other homes you’re considering. Free account.
In Their Own Words
How Dalby Court Residential Care Home – Sanctuary Care describes itself — collected from its own website. DCC has not edited or independently verified the content in this tab.
Where medical know-how meets genuine warmth in Middlesbrough
Compassionate Care in Middlesbrough at Dalby Court Residential Care Home
When health complications arise, families need confidence that their loved one is in capable hands. Dalby Court Residential Care Home in Middlesbrough brings together clinical expertise with the kind of personal attention that helps residents feel genuinely cared for. The team here understands that good care means more than just medical competence — it's about creating moments of connection and joy.
Who they care for
Dalby Court provides residential care for adults of all ages, including those living with dementia. The home also offers short-term respite stays.
For residents with dementia, the team brings both clinical knowledge and emotional understanding to their approach. Staff work to create familiar routines and meaningful activities that help residents feel secure.
Management & ethos
The team shows particular skill in coordinating medical care, working closely with doctors to address health issues quickly. Families appreciate how staff communicate about their loved one's needs and respond promptly when complications arise.
The home & environment
The home offers spacious living areas that feel neat and welcoming. Residents speak well of the food, and there's a real effort to create social occasions around meals that bring people together.
“While most families feel reassured by the care here, it's worth noting that experiences can vary — taking time to visit and see the home in action will help you decide if it feels right for your family.”
DCC does not edit or curate content in this tab. For independently curated information, see The Evidence and DCC Verdict.
