Dementia Care Home

Ferndene Care Home

Park Springs Road, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, DN21 1NY

Nursing 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

Nursing homes

Families Rate The Staff70 / 100

Staff warmth score

“Well Looked After”68%

of reviewers answered yes

Good to know

  • Registered beds49
  • SpecialismsCaring for adults over 65 yrs, Caring for adults under 65 yrs, Dementia
  • Last inspected2023-02-01

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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 warmth70
  • Compassion & dignity70
  • Cleanliness70
  • Activities & engagement60
  • Food quality60
  • Healthcare68
  • Management & leadership75
  • Resident happiness68
Section 02

What inspectors found

Inspected 2023-02-01

  • Is this home safe?

    Good
    The Safe domain was rated Good at the January 2023 inspection. This domain covers staffing levels, medicines management, infection control, and how the home responds to and learns from incidents. The home's improvement from a previous Requires Improvement rating suggests that earlier safety concerns have been resolved. No specific inspector observations, staffing numbers, or medication audit details are included in the published inspection summary.
    Verified by inspector
  • Is the care effective?

    Good
    The Effective domain was rated Good. This domain covers training, care planning, healthcare access, and nutrition. Dementia is listed as a specialism for the home, which means inspectors will have assessed whether staff training and care planning reflect the needs of people living with dementia. No specific examples of care plan content, training records, GP access arrangements, or food quality are included in the published findings.
    Verified by inspector
  • Is this home caring?

    Good
    The Caring domain was rated Good. This domain covers staff warmth, dignity, respect, and how well staff support residents' independence. A Good rating in this domain is the most directly relevant finding for families choosing a dementia care home. However, no inspector observations of staff interactions, no quotes from residents or relatives, and no specific examples of dignity in practice are recorded in the published inspection summary.
    Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded
  • Is the home responsive?

    Good
    The Responsive domain was rated Good. This domain covers activities and engagement, how well the home responds to individual preferences and complaints, and end-of-life planning. Responsiveness is particularly important for people with dementia, whose ability to communicate preferences may change over time. No specific activities are described, no individual engagement examples are recorded, and no detail about end-of-life planning or complaints handling is included in the published findings.
    Verified by inspector
  • Is the home well-led?

    Good
    The Well-led domain was rated Good. Named leadership is confirmed: Mrs Melanie Jayne Killelay is the registered manager and Ms Tracy Jane Davison is the nominated individual. The home is operated by Monarch Healthcare (Ferndene) Ltd. The improvement from a previous Requires Improvement rating across all domains is itself evidence of effective leadership: problems were identified and resolved. No detail about manager tenure, staff culture, governance systems, or how the home uses feedback from residents and families is included in the published findings.
    Verified by inspector
  • Source: CQC inspection report →

    Section 03

    What the evidence base says

    The team at Ferndene provides care for adults under 65, including those with complex needs, alongside their services for older residents. They also offer specialist dementia support. For residents living with dementia, the care assistants bring particular patience and understanding to their work. The home's approach focuses on maintaining dignity while providing the specialist support each person needs. 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

Ferndene Care Home has improved from Requires Improvement to a fully Good rating across all five inspection domains, which is a meaningful positive step. However, the published inspection text provides limited specific detail, so several scores reflect the positive rating rather than direct observed evidence.

Homes in East Midlands typically score 68–82.
DCC Recommendation

Worth a visit

Ferndene Care Home on Park Springs Road, Gainsborough was rated Good across all five inspection domains at its most recent inspection in January 2023. This is a notable improvement: the home had previously been rated Requires Improvement, and moving to a fully Good rating across every domain is a positive sign that problems identified earlier have been addressed. The home is registered for 49 beds and specialises in dementia care for both older and younger adults. The main limitation for families reading this report is that the published inspection text contains very little specific detail about what inspectors actually saw. There are no recorded observations of staff interactions, no quotes from residents or relatives, and no specific evidence about food, activities, night staffing, or agency use. The Good rating is encouraging, but before making a decision, visit in person, ask to see last week's actual staffing rota rather than a template, watch how staff interact with residents in corridors and at mealtimes, and ask the manager directly about dementia-specific training and how the home keeps families informed when something changes.

The three questions to ask when you visit

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In Their Own Words

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

What Ferndene Care Home says about itself

Caring staff support residents through recent ownership changes

Ferndene Care Home – Expert Care in Gainsborough

When families need residential care in Gainsborough, Ferndene Care Home offers support from care assistants who bring warmth and patience to their daily work. The home has undergone ownership changes, with new management focusing on resident-centred approaches and staff development. Located in the East Midlands, this care home provides services for adults both under and over 65.

Care & specialisms

Who they care for

    The team at Ferndene provides care for adults under 65, including those with complex needs, alongside their services for older residents. They also offer specialist dementia support.

    How they describe their dementia care

    For residents living with dementia, the care assistants bring particular patience and understanding to their work. The home's approach focuses on maintaining dignity while providing the specialist support each person needs.

    “If you're considering care options in Gainsborough, visiting Ferndene could help you understand their approach to supporting residents through life's changes.”

    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)

    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

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    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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