Willowbrooke Residential care 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 beds19
- SpecialismsCaring for adults over 65 yrs, Dementia, Physical disabilities
- Last inspected2018-04-05
The Evidence
What the review data, the inspection reports, and the dementia-care evidence base tell us about this home.
What families say
The eight family priority themes
- Staff warmth72
- Compassion & dignity72
- Cleanliness70
- Activities & engagement65
- Food quality65
- Healthcare68
- Management & leadership72
- Resident happiness70
What inspectors found
Inspected 2018-04-05
Is this home safe?
Is the care effective?
The home was rated Good for effectiveness at the October 2025 inspection. The published report does not include specific detail about care plan quality, GP access, dementia training, or how food and nutrition needs are assessed and met. Dementia is listed as a specialism, which places an obligation on the home to demonstrate specific competence in this area, but the available findings do not confirm what that looks like in practice.Is this home caring?
The home was rated Good for caring at the October 2025 inspection. The published report does not include inspector observations of staff interactions, resident testimony about how they are treated, or specific examples of dignity and respect in practice. Staff warmth and compassion are the two highest-weighted themes in family review data, at 57.3% and 55.2% respectively, which makes this the most important domain for most families and the one where the absence of published detail is most frustrating.Is the home responsive?
The home was rated Good for responsiveness at the October 2025 inspection. The published report does not include specific information about activities, individual engagement, how complaints are handled, or how end-of-life wishes are recorded and respected. With dementia as a listed specialism, the home should be able to describe how it supports people with advanced dementia who cannot join group activities, but this is not covered in the available findings.Is the home well-led?
The home was rated Good for leadership at the October 2025 inspection. The registered manager is Mrs Catherine Whitehead and the nominated individual is Mr Anthony Lawrence Abram. The published report does not include detail about the manager's tenure, visibility, staff culture, or governance systems. The home's previous Requires Improvement rating means that leadership was judged insufficient at some point, and understanding what changed is an important question for any family considering Willowbrooke.
Source: CQC inspection report →
What the evidence base says
The team here supports residents with dementia alongside those managing physical disabilities. They're set up to care for adults over 65 who need that extra bit of help with daily life. For residents living with dementia, the home provides specialised support tailored to individual needs. The team understands the importance of creating a stable, reassuring environment for people navigating memory challenges. 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
Willowbrooke Residential Home scores 73 out of 100. The Good rating across all five domains, improved from a previous Requires Improvement, is encouraging, but the published inspection report contains very limited specific detail, so the score reflects a cautiously positive reading rather than strong confirmed evidence.
Homes in North West typically score 68–82.Worth a visit
Willowbrooke Residential Home, a small 19-bed home in Lostock Hall, Preston, was rated Good at its most recent inspection in October 2025. This is a meaningful improvement from a previous Requires Improvement rating, which suggests that real changes have been made since the home was last assessed. The home supports adults over 65, people living with dementia, and people with physical disabilities, and all five inspection domains, covering safety, effectiveness, care, responsiveness, and leadership, were rated Good. The main limitation here is that the published inspection report contains very little specific detail. There are no inspector observations, resident or family quotes, or specific examples of what Good looks like day to day at Willowbrooke. That means this Family View cannot tell you how warm the staff are, what the food is like, how activities are run, or how the home handles a difficult night. The improvement from Requires Improvement is genuinely encouraging, but it also means there was a period when things were not good enough. On your visit, ask the manager directly: what changed since the last inspection, and how would you know if things started slipping again?
The three questions to ask when you visitSave this home. Compare it against your shortlist.
Let our analysis show you how Willowbrooke Residential care home measures up against the other homes you’re considering. Free account.
In Their Own Words
How Willowbrooke Residential care home describes itself — collected from its own website. DCC has not edited or independently verified the content in this tab.
Quiet confidence in Preston's dementia care community
Willowbrooke Residential Home – Your Trusted residential home
When families are searching for dementia care in Preston, Willowbrooke Residential Home offers a clean, well-maintained environment for older adults. The home specialises in supporting people over 65 with dementia and physical disabilities, providing residential care in the heart of the North West.
Who they care for
The team here supports residents with dementia alongside those managing physical disabilities. They're set up to care for adults over 65 who need that extra bit of help with daily life.
For residents living with dementia, the home provides specialised support tailored to individual needs. The team understands the importance of creating a stable, reassuring environment for people navigating memory challenges.
“If you're considering Willowbrooke for someone you love, getting in touch for a visit could help you see if it feels right.”
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
Willowbrooke Residential Home scores 73 out of 100. The Good rating across all five domains, improved from a previous Requires Improvement, is encouraging, but the published inspection report contains very limited specific detail, so the score reflects a cautiously positive reading rather than strong confirmed evidence.
Homes in North West typically score 68–82.Worth a visit
Willowbrooke Residential Home, a small 19-bed home in Lostock Hall, Preston, was rated Good at its most recent inspection in October 2025. This is a meaningful improvement from a previous Requires Improvement rating, which suggests that real changes have been made since the home was last assessed. The home supports adults over 65, people living with dementia, and people with physical disabilities, and all five inspection domains, covering safety, effectiveness, care, responsiveness, and leadership, were rated Good. The main limitation here is that the published inspection report contains very little specific detail. There are no inspector observations, resident or family quotes, or specific examples of what Good looks like day to day at Willowbrooke. That means this Family View cannot tell you how warm the staff are, what the food is like, how activities are run, or how the home handles a difficult night. The improvement from Requires Improvement is genuinely encouraging, but it also means there was a period when things were not good enough. On your visit, ask the manager directly: what changed since the last inspection, and how would you know if things started slipping again?
The three questions to ask when you visitSave this home. Compare it against your shortlist.
Let our analysis show you how Willowbrooke Residential care home measures up against the other homes you’re considering. Free account.
In Their Own Words
How Willowbrooke Residential care home describes itself — collected from its own website. DCC has not edited or independently verified the content in this tab.
Quiet confidence in Preston's dementia care community
Willowbrooke Residential Home – Your Trusted residential home
When families are searching for dementia care in Preston, Willowbrooke Residential Home offers a clean, well-maintained environment for older adults. The home specialises in supporting people over 65 with dementia and physical disabilities, providing residential care in the heart of the North West.
Who they care for
The team here supports residents with dementia alongside those managing physical disabilities. They're set up to care for adults over 65 who need that extra bit of help with daily life.
For residents living with dementia, the home provides specialised support tailored to individual needs. The team understands the importance of creating a stable, reassuring environment for people navigating memory challenges.
“If you're considering Willowbrooke for someone you love, getting in touch for a visit could help you see if it feels right.”
DCC does not edit or curate content in this tab. For independently curated information, see The Evidence and DCC Verdict.
