Dementia Care Home

Headroomgate Care Home

1 Oxford Road, Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, FY8 2EA

Residential homes

At a Glance

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

DCC Family Score
74/ 100
Weighted from family reviews
Dementia SpecialismConfirmed

Residential homes

Families Rate The Staff72 / 100

Staff warmth score

“Well Looked After”70%

of reviewers answered yes

Good to know

  • Registered beds19
  • SpecialismsCaring for adults over 65 yrs, Caring for adults under 65 yrs, Dementia, Eating disorders, Mental health conditions, Physical disabilities, Sensory impairment
  • Last inspected2020-03-20

Save Headroomgate Care Home to your shortlist

Keep a running list, add visit notes, and compare homes side-by-side. Free account — it takes a minute.

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 describe staff who take time to understand each person's individual needs, showing real patience when residents are struggling. There's a sense that the care team brings genuine warmth to their work, creating connections that help people feel heard and valued.

The eight family priority themes

  • Staff warmth72
  • Compassion & dignity74
  • Cleanliness68
  • Activities & engagement60
  • Food quality58
  • Healthcare65
  • Management & leadership75
  • Resident happiness70
Section 02

What inspectors found

Inspected 2020-03-20

  • Is this home safe?

    Good
    Safe was rated Good at the February 2020 inspection, an improvement from the previous Requires Improvement rating. A named registered manager and nominated individual are confirmed as in post, which supports clear lines of accountability. The published inspection text does not include specific detail about staffing ratios, night cover, medicines management, or falls recording. The home is registered to care for people with complex needs including dementia, mental health conditions, and physical disabilities across 19 beds.
    Verified by inspector
  • Is the care effective?

    Good
    Effective was rated Good at the February 2020 inspection. This domain typically covers care planning, dementia training, healthcare access, nutrition, and how well the team understands each person's needs. The home lists dementia as a specialism alongside eating disorders, mental health conditions, and physical disabilities, which implies a degree of specialist knowledge is expected. The published inspection text does not include specific detail about care plan content, GP access, training records, or how mealtimes are managed for people with complex needs.
    Verified by inspector
  • Is this home caring?

    Good
    Caring was rated Good at the February 2020 inspection. This domain covers how staff treat people: whether they are warm and unhurried, whether they protect dignity and privacy, and whether they support independence. The published inspection text does not include direct inspector observations of staff interactions, quotes from residents or relatives, or examples of how dignity is upheld day to day. The home is small at 19 beds, which in principle allows staff to know each person individually.
    Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded
  • Is the home responsive?

    Good
    Responsive was rated Good at the February 2020 inspection. This domain covers whether people have a meaningful life at the home, including whether activities are tailored to individuals, whether preferences and history are taken into account, and whether end-of-life care is planned. The published inspection text contains no specific detail about the activities programme, one-to-one engagement, how the home supports people who cannot join group activities, or how end-of-life wishes are recorded and respected.
    Verified by inspector
  • Is the home well-led?

    Good
    Well-led was rated Good at the February 2020 inspection, and the improvement across all five domains from the previous inspection suggests the management team identified and addressed earlier shortcomings. A named registered manager, Mrs Anna Mitchell, and a nominated individual, Mrs Pamela Elizabeth Mathauda, are confirmed as in post. The published inspection text does not include detail about manager tenure, staff satisfaction, governance systems, how incidents are reviewed, or how the home responds to complaints. A review of the home's information in July 2023 found no evidence requiring reassessment of the ratings at that stage.
    Verified by inspector
  • Source: CQC inspection report →

    Section 03

    What the evidence base says

    The home supports adults with mental health conditions, eating disorders, physical disabilities and sensory impairments. They also provide dementia care and welcome both younger adults and those over 65. For residents living with dementia, the team works to maintain dignity and connection. Staff show understanding of how dementia affects behaviour and communication. 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.

74/ 100

DCC Family Score

Headroomgate has improved from Requires Improvement to Good across all five inspection domains, which is a genuinely positive sign. However, the published report contains limited specific detail, so many scores reflect a positive but general picture rather than rich, verified evidence.

Homes in North West typically score 68–82.

The three-lens summary

Lens 01

What families tell us

Families describe staff who take time to understand each person's individual needs, showing real patience when residents are struggling. There's a sense that the care team brings genuine warmth to their work, creating connections that help people feel heard and valued.

Lens 02

What inspectors have recorded

The team appears particularly attentive to residents with complex behavioural needs, with several families noting how staff respond calmly and thoughtfully to challenging situations. However, some concerns have been raised about communication with families that suggest this is an area where experiences vary.

Lens 03

How it sits against good practice

Every family's experience matters, and it's worth taking time to visit and ask the questions that matter most to you.

DCC Recommendation

Worth a visit

Headroomgate in Lytham St Annes was rated Good at its inspection in February 2020, with Good ratings across all five domains: safe, effective, caring, responsive, and well-led. This is a meaningful improvement from its previous rating of Requires Improvement and shows the home addressed whatever concerns inspectors had raised before. The home is small, with 19 beds, and is registered to support people with dementia, mental health conditions, physical disabilities, eating disorders, and sensory impairments alongside older adults. A named registered manager is confirmed as in post. The main limitation for families reading this report is that the published inspection text is brief and contains very little specific detail about what inspectors actually saw, heard, or read. The Good ratings are real and matter, but they tell you the standard was met rather than painting a picture of daily life for your mum or dad. The inspection also took place in February 2020, over five years ago, which means you should treat this as a starting point rather than a current assessment. On a visit, ask to see last week's actual staffing rota (not a template), ask how many permanent staff are on the dementia unit after 8pm, and observe how staff greet your parent when you walk in together.

The three questions to ask when you visit

Save this home. Compare it against your shortlist.

Let our analysis show you how Headroomgate Care Home measures up against the other homes you’re considering. Free account.

Create free account →

In Their Own Words

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

What Headroomgate Care Home says about itself

Specialist support for complex needs in Lytham St Annes

Headroomgate – Your Trusted residential home

When someone you love needs specialist care for mental health conditions or complex physical needs, finding the right support feels overwhelming. Headroomgate in Lytham St Annes provides residential care for adults of all ages, including those under 65 who need specialised support. The home works with residents facing various challenges, from eating disorders to sensory impairments.

Care & specialisms

Who they care for

    The home supports adults with mental health conditions, eating disorders, physical disabilities and sensory impairments. They also provide dementia care and welcome both younger adults and those over 65.

    How they describe their dementia care

    For residents living with dementia, the team works to maintain dignity and connection. Staff show understanding of how dementia affects behaviour and communication.

    “Every family's experience matters, and it's worth taking time to visit and ask the questions that matter most to you.”

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

    Free download – Dementia Stage 4

    Not sure if it's dementia or just ageing? Here's the checklist your GP will use.

    Twelve signs to observe. A simple scoring framework. A printable, one-page record you can take to your next GP appointment, so you go in with specifics, not anxiety.

    Download Your Checklist

    No registration required to download. Free.

    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

    The Box That Holds a Life

    Digital Photoframe

    The Frame That Brings the Family Into the Room

    Digital Calendar

    The Clock That Knows What Day It Is

    FAQs Related to Care Homes increasing support care

    How often to visit a parent with dementia in a care home — and what makes a visit actually matter

    read this FAQ

    Care home fees and dementia — who pays, who doesn't, and what determines the difference

    read this FAQ

    Do you have to sell the house to pay for dementia care? The options most families don't know about

    read this FAQ

    The 7-year rule and care home fees — what it actually means and why it's misunderstood

    read this FAQ

    How much the NHS will pay for a care home — and what happens when the home costs more

    read this FAQ

    NHS Continuing Healthcare and dementia — who qualifies, how to apply, and what to do if refused

    read this FAQ

    When the NHS pays for dementia care — the two situations and how to access both

    read this FAQ

    What the NHS actually covers in dementia care — and the funding most eligible families never claim

    read this FAQ
    We use cookies in order to give you the best possible experience on our website. By continuing to use this site, you agree to our use of cookies.
    Accept