Dementia Care Home

Freeland House Care Home – Minster Care Group

Wroslyn Road, Witney, Oxfordshire, OX29 8AH

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 Staff72 / 100

Staff warmth score

“Well Looked After”70%

of reviewers answered yes

Good to know

  • Registered beds111
  • SpecialismsCaring for adults over 65 yrs, Caring for adults under 65 yrs, Dementia
  • Last inspected2018-12-01

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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

Families talk about the respectful way staff treat residents, maintaining professional standards while creating a warm atmosphere. There are organized games and activities that help people stay engaged throughout the day.

The eight family priority themes

  • Staff warmth72
  • Compassion & dignity72
  • Cleanliness70
  • Activities & engagement65
  • Food quality65
  • Healthcare70
  • Management & leadership72
  • Resident happiness70
Section 02

What inspectors found

Inspected 2018-12-01

  • Is this home safe?

    Not yet rated
    The inspection rated this domain Good. Beyond that overall rating, the published report does not include specific findings about staffing levels, medicines management, infection control practice, or how the home responds to and learns from incidents. The home is a large 111-bed nursing home, which means registered nurses are required on duty at all times, but night staffing ratios are not recorded in the available text.
    Verified by inspector
  • Is the care effective?

    Not yet rated
    The inspection rated this domain Good. The published findings do not include specific detail about care plan quality, how often plans are reviewed, whether families are involved, or the content and completion rates of dementia training. Food quality, dietary accommodation, and GP access are also not described in the available text.
    Verified by inspector
  • Is this home caring?

    Not yet rated
    The inspection rated this domain Good. The published findings do not include inspector observations of staff interactions, resident or relative quotes about warmth or dignity, or specific examples of how staff address residents or respond when someone becomes distressed. Without that detail, it is not possible to go beyond the headline rating.
    Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded
  • Is the home responsive?

    Not yet rated
    The inspection rated this domain Good. The published findings do not describe the activities programme, whether activities are tailored to individuals or group-only, how the home supports residents who cannot participate in group settings, or how end-of-life care is planned and communicated. With 111 beds and a dementia specialism, the question of individual engagement is particularly important.
    Verified by inspector
  • Is the home well-led?

    Not yet rated
    The inspection rated this domain Good. A registered manager, Mrs May Hernandez Vidal-Payne, was in post at the time of the inspection, with Mr Colin William Farebrother listed as the nominated individual. The published findings do not describe the manager's visibility, how long they have been in post, how staff are supported to raise concerns, or how the home responds to complaints and incidents.
    Verified by inspector
  • Source: CQC inspection report →

    Section 03

    What the evidence base says

    The home provides specialized nursing care for adults both under and over 65, with particular experience supporting people living with dementia. For those with dementia, the staff work to maintain dignity and respect while keeping families closely connected to their loved one's 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.

72/ 100

DCC Family Score

Freeland House Nursing Home received a Good rating across all five domains at its February 2024 inspection, which is a positive baseline, but the published report contains very little specific detail, so most scores sit in the mid-range rather than the higher bands that require direct observations, resident testimony, and concrete examples.

Homes in South East typically score 68–82.

The three-lens summary

Lens 01

What families tell us

Families talk about the respectful way staff treat residents, maintaining professional standards while creating a warm atmosphere. There are organized games and activities that help people stay engaged throughout the day.

Lens 02

What inspectors have recorded

Staff are known for answering calls promptly and providing regular health updates. Families appreciate being kept in the loop about care decisions and feeling genuinely involved in their relative's daily life.

Lens 03

How it sits against good practice

Some families have raised concerns about care quality during respite stays and staff supervision that prospective residents may want to explore further.

DCC Recommendation

Worth a visit

Freeland House Nursing Home, on Wroslyn Road in Witney, received a Good rating across all five inspection domains at its assessment on 19 February 2024, with findings published in May 2024. The home is a large nursing home with 111 beds, registered to care for people living with dementia as well as adults of varying ages who require nursing or personal care. A registered manager was in post at the time of the inspection, and the home is operated by Minster Care Management Limited. The main limitation of this report is that the published inspection text available for analysis is very brief and contains almost no specific observations, resident or relative quotes, or concrete examples to support the Good ratings given. A Good rating is a positive finding, but it tells you the baseline, not the detail. Before placing your parent here, visit in person and ask to see last week's actual staffing rota, including night shifts, ask how many of the care staff hold dementia-specific qualifications, and spend time in a communal area observing how staff interact with residents when they are not being watched.

The three questions to ask when you visit

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In Their Own Words

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

What Freeland House Care Home – Minster Care Group says about itself

Where respect meets round-the-clock family access in Witney

Compassionate Care in Witney at Freeland House Nursing Home

When families need nursing care that keeps them connected, Freeland House Nursing Home in Witney opens its doors at any hour. This care home specializes in supporting adults over 65, those under 65 with care needs, and people living with dementia. Relatives describe feeling genuinely welcomed here, with staff who keep them informed about their loved one's daily life and health.

Care & specialisms

Who they care for

    The home provides specialized nursing care for adults both under and over 65, with particular experience supporting people living with dementia.

    How they describe their dementia care

    For those with dementia, the staff work to maintain dignity and respect while keeping families closely connected to their loved one's care journey.

    “Some families have raised concerns about care quality during respite stays and staff supervision that prospective residents may want to explore further.”

    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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