Upalong

What families say

Visitors describe being drawn into the life of the home, with staff encouraging them to spend time with residents. There's a sense of ease here that makes people want to stay and chat.

The eight family priority themes

• Staff warmth55
• Compassion & dignity55
• Cleanliness55
• Activities & engagement50
• Food quality50
• Healthcare50
• Management & leadership55
• Resident happiness55

What inspectors found

Inspected 2019-02-01

• Is this home safe?

  Good
  The home received a Good rating for Safe at its last full inspection in March 2021. A monitoring review in July 2023 found no evidence requiring a change to this rating. No specific detail is available in the published summary about staffing ratios, medicines management, falls data, or infection control practices. The home is a nine-bed residential setting, not a nursing home, so clinical risk is managed differently than in larger settings. The absence of a Requires Improvement or Inadequate rating is reassuring, but families should seek specific reassurance on night-time cover given the home's small size.
  Verified by inspector

• Is the care effective?

  Good
  The Effective domain was rated Good at the March 2021 inspection. This domain covers care planning, staff training, healthcare access and food quality. No specific findings are available in the published summary — no examples of care plan content, no detail on GP access arrangements, no information on dementia training programmes or dietary provision. The home lists dementia as a specialism, which implies some structured approach to dementia-specific care, but the nature of that provision is not documented publicly.
  Verified by inspector

• Is this home caring?

  Good
  Caring was rated Good at the March 2021 inspection. This domain covers staff warmth, dignity, respect and support for independence. No specific inspector observations, resident quotes or relative testimony are available in the published summary. For a home this size, the caring culture often depends heavily on the character and consistency of a small, permanent staff team. The absence of concerns is positive, but families have no specific evidence to draw on beyond the rating itself.
  Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded

• Is the home responsive?

  Good
  The Responsive domain was rated Good at the March 2021 inspection. This covers activities, engagement, individuality and end-of-life care. No specific activity programmes, individual engagement examples or end-of-life planning evidence is referenced in the published summary. In a nine-bed dementia home, meaningful individual engagement — not just group activities — is particularly important for residents who may not be able to participate in organised programmes.
  Verified by inspector

• Is the home well-led?

  Good
  Well-led was rated Good at the March 2021 inspection, and a monitoring review in July 2023 confirmed no evidence requiring reassessment. The home is run by Mrs Mary McTeggart. No detail is available on management tenure, governance processes, staff culture, complaint handling or quality monitoring. In a home this small, leadership is often the single person running the service — which means their presence, experience and commitment directly shapes everything else.
  Verified by inspector

Source: CQC inspection report →

Section 03

What the evidence base says

Upalong specialises in dementia care and supports adults over 65. The home's approach to dementia care emphasises creating a comfortable, welcoming environment where residents feel at ease. All areas worth probing directly during a visit.