Upton Mill Care Home
At a Glance
The information you need to decide whether this home warrants a closer look.
Nursing homes
Staff warmth score
of reviewers answered yes
Good to know
- Registered beds64
- SpecialismsCaring for adults over 65 yrs, Dementia
- Last inspected2022-01-28
The Evidence
What the review data, the inspection reports, and the dementia-care evidence base tell us about this home.
What families say
What strikes visitors first is how relaxed and happy residents seem here. The atmosphere feels welcoming rather than institutional, with residents enjoying trips to local venues when they're able. Families talk about the difference this makes — seeing their relatives engaged and comfortable in their surroundings.
The eight family priority themes
- Staff warmth72
- Compassion & dignity72
- Cleanliness70
- Activities & engagement85
- Food quality65
- Healthcare70
- Management & leadership72
- Resident happiness75
What inspectors found
Inspected 2022-01-28
Is this home safe?
Is the care effective?
The Effective domain was rated Good at the December 2021 inspection. This domain covers staff training, care planning, healthcare access including GP involvement, and nutrition. The published summary does not include specific observations about dementia training content, care plan quality, or how the home manages health conditions. A Good rating indicates that inspectors were satisfied with these areas, but no granular evidence is reproduced in the available text.Is this home caring?
The Caring domain was rated Good at the December 2021 inspection. This domain covers how staff treat the people who live in the home, including warmth, dignity, respect, and support for independence. The published summary does not reproduce specific inspector observations, resident testimony, or relative feedback from this domain. A Good rating in Caring indicates inspectors were satisfied with the standard of human interaction they observed, but the specific evidence behind that judgement is not available in the published text.Is the home responsive?
The Responsive domain was rated Outstanding at the December 2021 inspection, the only domain to receive this higher rating. This domain covers how well the home tailors its care and activities to individual needs, including meaningful engagement, complaint handling, and end-of-life care. An Outstanding rating requires inspectors to find substantial evidence of genuinely individualised practice, not just compliance with minimum standards. The published summary does not reproduce specific examples of what earned this rating, but its stability, confirmed at a monitoring review in July 2023, suggests it reflects sustained practice rather than a one-off finding.Is the home well-led?
The Well-led domain was rated Good at the December 2021 inspection. The registered manager is named as Ms Alyson Jane Day, with Mrs Lisa Sharon Soper as the nominated individual, indicating a defined leadership structure. This domain covers governance, culture, staff support, accountability, and how the home learns from incidents and feedback. The published summary does not reproduce specific observations about management visibility, staff morale, or governance processes. A Good rating indicates inspectors were satisfied with the home's leadership, but the specific evidence is not available in the published text.
Source: CQC inspection report →
What the evidence base says
Upton Mill specialises in caring for adults over 65, including those living with dementia. The home also provides respite care, giving families temporary support when they need it most. For residents with dementia, the team creates an environment that feels secure yet engaging. Staff understand how to support people through the challenges of memory loss while maintaining their dignity and helping them feel at home. 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
Upton Mill scores well above average on activities and engagement, where inspectors rated the home Outstanding, but several themes including food, cleanliness, and night staffing lack specific detail in the published findings, so some of this score rests on the overall Good ratings rather than granular evidence.
Homes in South West typically score 68–82.The three-lens summary
What families tell us
What strikes visitors first is how relaxed and happy residents seem here. The atmosphere feels welcoming rather than institutional, with residents enjoying trips to local venues when they're able. Families talk about the difference this makes — seeing their relatives engaged and comfortable in their surroundings.
What inspectors have recorded
Staff here show the kind of consistent care that makes all the difference. Families describe them as responsive and professional, maintaining these standards across different shifts. Regular relatives' meetings keep families in the loop, and when difficult times come, the team provides compassionate support through end-of-life care and bereavement.
How it sits against good practice
Sometimes you just know when a place feels right — and that's what families seem to find at Upton Mill.
Worth a visit
Upton Mill Care Home on Mercer Way in Tetbury was rated Good overall at its inspection in December 2021, with four domains rated Good and the Responsive domain rated Outstanding. The home is registered to care for up to 64 adults over 65, including people living with dementia, and is run by Porthaven Care Homes No 3 Limited. The Outstanding Responsive rating is a meaningful distinction: it signals that inspectors found evidence of genuinely individualised engagement, not just a standard activities programme. That rating, held stable at a subsequent monitoring review in July 2023, is the strongest signal of quality in the published record. The honest limitation here is that the published inspection summary is brief, and many of the details families most need, including night staffing numbers, agency staff use, food quality, dementia environment design, and how the home communicates with families, are simply not covered in the available text. The Good ratings across Safe, Effective, Caring, and Well-led are reassuring, but they are a starting point rather than a full picture. When you visit, ask the manager to walk you through last week's actual staffing rota (not the template), ask specifically how many staff are on the dementia unit after 8pm, and try to arrive at a mealtime to see the food and the atmosphere for yourself.
The three questions to ask when you visitSave this home. Compare it against your shortlist.
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In Their Own Words
How Upton Mill Care Home describes itself — collected from its own website. DCC has not edited or independently verified the content in this tab.
Where kindness meets quality care in the Cotswolds
Dedicated nursing home Support in Tetbury
Finding the right care home often feels overwhelming, but Upton Mill Care Home in Tetbury offers something that puts families at ease. Set in the heart of the South West, this home has built a reputation for combining professional care with genuine warmth. Families describe a place where their loved ones feel settled and content.
Who they care for
Upton Mill specialises in caring for adults over 65, including those living with dementia. The home also provides respite care, giving families temporary support when they need it most.
For residents with dementia, the team creates an environment that feels secure yet engaging. Staff understand how to support people through the challenges of memory loss while maintaining their dignity and helping them feel at home.
“Sometimes you just know when a place feels right — and that's what families seem to find at Upton Mill.”
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
Upton Mill scores well above average on activities and engagement, where inspectors rated the home Outstanding, but several themes including food, cleanliness, and night staffing lack specific detail in the published findings, so some of this score rests on the overall Good ratings rather than granular evidence.
Homes in South West typically score 68–82.The three-lens summary
What families tell us
What strikes visitors first is how relaxed and happy residents seem here. The atmosphere feels welcoming rather than institutional, with residents enjoying trips to local venues when they're able. Families talk about the difference this makes — seeing their relatives engaged and comfortable in their surroundings.
What inspectors have recorded
Staff here show the kind of consistent care that makes all the difference. Families describe them as responsive and professional, maintaining these standards across different shifts. Regular relatives' meetings keep families in the loop, and when difficult times come, the team provides compassionate support through end-of-life care and bereavement.
How it sits against good practice
Sometimes you just know when a place feels right — and that's what families seem to find at Upton Mill.
Worth a visit
Upton Mill Care Home on Mercer Way in Tetbury was rated Good overall at its inspection in December 2021, with four domains rated Good and the Responsive domain rated Outstanding. The home is registered to care for up to 64 adults over 65, including people living with dementia, and is run by Porthaven Care Homes No 3 Limited. The Outstanding Responsive rating is a meaningful distinction: it signals that inspectors found evidence of genuinely individualised engagement, not just a standard activities programme. That rating, held stable at a subsequent monitoring review in July 2023, is the strongest signal of quality in the published record. The honest limitation here is that the published inspection summary is brief, and many of the details families most need, including night staffing numbers, agency staff use, food quality, dementia environment design, and how the home communicates with families, are simply not covered in the available text. The Good ratings across Safe, Effective, Caring, and Well-led are reassuring, but they are a starting point rather than a full picture. When you visit, ask the manager to walk you through last week's actual staffing rota (not the template), ask specifically how many staff are on the dementia unit after 8pm, and try to arrive at a mealtime to see the food and the atmosphere for yourself.
The three questions to ask when you visitSave this home. Compare it against your shortlist.
Let our analysis show you how Upton Mill Care Home measures up against the other homes you’re considering. Free account.
In Their Own Words
How Upton Mill Care Home describes itself — collected from its own website. DCC has not edited or independently verified the content in this tab.
Where kindness meets quality care in the Cotswolds
Dedicated nursing home Support in Tetbury
Finding the right care home often feels overwhelming, but Upton Mill Care Home in Tetbury offers something that puts families at ease. Set in the heart of the South West, this home has built a reputation for combining professional care with genuine warmth. Families describe a place where their loved ones feel settled and content.
Who they care for
Upton Mill specialises in caring for adults over 65, including those living with dementia. The home also provides respite care, giving families temporary support when they need it most.
For residents with dementia, the team creates an environment that feels secure yet engaging. Staff understand how to support people through the challenges of memory loss while maintaining their dignity and helping them feel at home.
Management & ethos
Staff here show the kind of consistent care that makes all the difference. Families describe them as responsive and professional, maintaining these standards across different shifts. Regular relatives' meetings keep families in the loop, and when difficult times come, the team provides compassionate support through end-of-life care and bereavement.
The home & environment
The home itself is bright and airy, with well-appointed bedrooms and pleasant communal spaces. Mealtimes are a particular highlight, with good quality food offering real choice and variety — even extending to a selection of wines. The dining areas and bistro spaces create social focal points where residents can gather comfortably.
“Sometimes you just know when a place feels right — and that's what families seem to find at Upton Mill.”
DCC does not edit or curate content in this tab. For independently curated information, see The Evidence and DCC Verdict.
