Underhill Residential Home
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 beds28
- SpecialismsCaring for adults over 65 yrs, Dementia
- Last inspected2020-02-14
The Evidence
What the review data, the inspection reports, and the dementia-care evidence base tell us about this home.
What families say
Families talk about the warm atmosphere here, with spacious rooms and homely furnishings that help residents feel comfortable. The home organises seasonal celebrations and family events, and several people mention how staff balance professional care with genuine personal connection.
The eight family priority themes
- Staff warmth65
- Compassion & dignity65
- Cleanliness65
- Activities & engagement55
- Food quality55
- Healthcare60
- Management & leadership70
- Resident happiness60
What inspectors found
Inspected 2020-02-14
Is this home safe?
Is the care effective?
The home was rated Good for effectiveness at its January 2020 inspection. It specialises in dementia care for adults over 65. No specific detail is available in the published findings about dementia training, care plan content, GP access arrangements, or how food and nutrition are managed. The rating represents an improvement from the previous Requires Improvement judgement.Is this home caring?
The home was rated Good for caring at its January 2020 inspection, improving from Requires Improvement. No direct observations of staff interactions, resident testimony about kindness, or specific examples of dignity and respect in practice are included in the published inspection text. The Good rating in this domain does indicate that inspectors did not find evidence of poor or undignified care.Is the home responsive?
The home was rated Good for responsiveness at its January 2020 inspection, having previously been rated Requires Improvement. No detail is available in the published findings about the activity programme, how the home tailors care to individuals, or how end-of-life care is approached. The home's specialism in dementia care suggests responsiveness to this group should be a priority.Is the home well-led?
The home is run by Mr and Mrs M Turner, with Mrs Linda Turner named as the registered manager. The home was rated Good for leadership at its January 2020 inspection, an improvement from Requires Improvement. This suggests the registered manager responded effectively to earlier concerns. No further detail about management style, governance systems, or staff culture is available in the published text.
Source: CQC inspection report →
What the evidence base says
The home cares for adults over 65, including those living with dementia. For residents with dementia, staff help create structured days with meaningful activities and small tasks that give people a sense of purpose. The team works to match activities to what each person enjoys and can manage. 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
The home was rated Good across all five domains at its last inspection in January 2020, which is a positive sign, particularly given it had previously been rated Requires Improvement. However, the published inspection text provides very little specific detail, so scores reflect the rating itself rather than rich supporting evidence.
Homes in South West typically score 68–82.The three-lens summary
What families tell us
Families talk about the warm atmosphere here, with spacious rooms and homely furnishings that help residents feel comfortable. The home organises seasonal celebrations and family events, and several people mention how staff balance professional care with genuine personal connection.
What inspectors have recorded
Staff here work to understand each resident's individual routines and preferences, which the smaller resident numbers make possible. While most families describe responsive and kind staff, there has been a concerning report about delayed responses during a family visit and restricted access during an end-of-life situation.
How it sits against good practice
With its focus on keeping life interesting through outings and visiting activities, Underhill House offers care in a smaller, more personal setting.
Worth a visit
Underhill House Residential Home, at 12 Underhill Road, Plymouth, was rated Good across all five inspection domains at its last inspection in January 2020. Significantly, this represented an improvement from a previous rating of Requires Improvement, which suggests the registered manager and owners responded to earlier concerns and made real changes. A data review carried out in July 2023 found nothing to suggest that rating needs to be reconsidered. The honest limitation here is that the published inspection text contains very little specific detail. You cannot tell from the available findings how staff interact with residents day to day, what the dementia environment looks like, or how activities and food are managed. This home deserves a careful, in-person visit. Arrive unannounced if possible, observe how staff speak to your parent's potential future neighbours in corridors and communal spaces, ask to see last week's actual staffing rota, and request a conversation with the registered manager about what has changed since the earlier Requires Improvement rating.
The three questions to ask when you visitSave this home. Compare it against your shortlist.
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In Their Own Words
How Underhill Residential Home describes itself — collected from its own website. DCC has not edited or independently verified the content in this tab.
Small Plymouth care home where residents enjoy outings and seasonal celebrations
Compassionate Care in Plymouth at Underhill House Residential Home
For families looking at care options in Plymouth, Underhill House Residential Home offers a smaller setting where staff can get to know each resident properly. The home looks after older adults including those living with dementia, focusing on keeping people active and engaged through regular outings and activities.
Who they care for
The home cares for adults over 65, including those living with dementia.
For residents with dementia, staff help create structured days with meaningful activities and small tasks that give people a sense of purpose. The team works to match activities to what each person enjoys and can manage.
“With its focus on keeping life interesting through outings and visiting activities, Underhill House offers care in a smaller, more personal setting.”
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
The home was rated Good across all five domains at its last inspection in January 2020, which is a positive sign, particularly given it had previously been rated Requires Improvement. However, the published inspection text provides very little specific detail, so scores reflect the rating itself rather than rich supporting evidence.
Homes in South West typically score 68–82.The three-lens summary
What families tell us
Families talk about the warm atmosphere here, with spacious rooms and homely furnishings that help residents feel comfortable. The home organises seasonal celebrations and family events, and several people mention how staff balance professional care with genuine personal connection.
What inspectors have recorded
Staff here work to understand each resident's individual routines and preferences, which the smaller resident numbers make possible. While most families describe responsive and kind staff, there has been a concerning report about delayed responses during a family visit and restricted access during an end-of-life situation.
How it sits against good practice
With its focus on keeping life interesting through outings and visiting activities, Underhill House offers care in a smaller, more personal setting.
Worth a visit
Underhill House Residential Home, at 12 Underhill Road, Plymouth, was rated Good across all five inspection domains at its last inspection in January 2020. Significantly, this represented an improvement from a previous rating of Requires Improvement, which suggests the registered manager and owners responded to earlier concerns and made real changes. A data review carried out in July 2023 found nothing to suggest that rating needs to be reconsidered. The honest limitation here is that the published inspection text contains very little specific detail. You cannot tell from the available findings how staff interact with residents day to day, what the dementia environment looks like, or how activities and food are managed. This home deserves a careful, in-person visit. Arrive unannounced if possible, observe how staff speak to your parent's potential future neighbours in corridors and communal spaces, ask to see last week's actual staffing rota, and request a conversation with the registered manager about what has changed since the earlier Requires Improvement rating.
The three questions to ask when you visitSave this home. Compare it against your shortlist.
Let our analysis show you how Underhill Residential Home measures up against the other homes you’re considering. Free account.
In Their Own Words
How Underhill Residential Home describes itself — collected from its own website. DCC has not edited or independently verified the content in this tab.
Small Plymouth care home where residents enjoy outings and seasonal celebrations
Compassionate Care in Plymouth at Underhill House Residential Home
For families looking at care options in Plymouth, Underhill House Residential Home offers a smaller setting where staff can get to know each resident properly. The home looks after older adults including those living with dementia, focusing on keeping people active and engaged through regular outings and activities.
Who they care for
The home cares for adults over 65, including those living with dementia.
For residents with dementia, staff help create structured days with meaningful activities and small tasks that give people a sense of purpose. The team works to match activities to what each person enjoys and can manage.
Management & ethos
Staff here work to understand each resident's individual routines and preferences, which the smaller resident numbers make possible. While most families describe responsive and kind staff, there has been a concerning report about delayed responses during a family visit and restricted access during an end-of-life situation.
The home & environment
The home has safe outdoor space where residents can spend time when the weather's nice, with families mentioning social gatherings in the grounds. People describe the physical environment as warm and welcoming, with room for residents to move around comfortably.
“With its focus on keeping life interesting through outings and visiting activities, Underhill House offers care in a smaller, more personal setting.”
DCC does not edit or curate content in this tab. For independently curated information, see The Evidence and DCC Verdict.
