Durham House
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 beds31
- SpecialismsCaring for adults over 65 yrs, Caring for adults under 65 yrs, Dementia, Physical disabilities
- Last inspected2020-02-22
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STAGE 4 — RESEARCHING CARE HOMES
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Most of us will view care homes the way we view houses, impression, atmosphere, the feeling in the corridor. We go home, try to remember what we saw, and make a permanent decision from a blurred memory.
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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 warmth55
- Compassion & dignity55
- Cleanliness55
- Activities & engagement50
- Food quality50
- Healthcare50
- Management & leadership60
- Resident happiness55
What inspectors found
Inspected 2020-02-22
Is this home safe?
Is the care effective?
Effective was rated Good, covering care planning, staff training, healthcare access, and nutrition. This means inspectors were satisfied that care plans were in place, staff had appropriate training, and residents' health needs were being met. Dementia is listed as a specialism of the home, which implies a degree of dedicated staff capability. However, no detail on training content, care plan review frequency, GP access arrangements, or food quality is available in the published report.Is this home caring?
The Caring domain was rated Good, covering staff warmth, dignity, respect, and support for independence. This is the domain that most directly reflects whether your parent will feel valued and treated as an individual. A Good rating means inspectors observed interactions they judged to be respectful and person-centred. However, the available report text includes no direct observations of staff interactions, no resident or family quotes, and no specific examples — which means it is not possible to verify the texture of daily care from the published evidence alone.Is the home responsive?
Responsive was rated Good, covering activities, engagement, individuality, and end-of-life care. This means inspectors were satisfied that the home was meeting residents' individual needs and preferences, and that activities were available. With dementia as a listed specialism and a relatively small home of 31 beds, there is potential for genuinely personalised engagement. However, no specific activities are described, no individual activity plans are referenced, and no information about end-of-life care practices is available in the published report.Is the home well-led?
Well-led was rated Good, and the home has a named registered manager, Mrs Tina Ayton, and a nominated individual, Mr Jon Paul Oates. A Good rating in Well-led means inspectors were satisfied with governance, culture, and accountability systems. A monitoring review in July 2023 — over two years after the inspection — found no reason to change the rating. However, no specific evidence about management visibility, staff empowerment, or how the home responds to complaints and incidents is available in the published report.
Source: CQC inspection report →
What the evidence base says
The team at Durham House has experience caring for people with dementia and those living with physical disabilities. They support both younger adults under 65 who need residential care and older residents over 65. For residents with dementia, the home provides specialist care tailored to individual needs. The team understands the importance of creating a supportive environment for those living with memory-related conditions. 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
Durham House holds a Good rating across all five inspection domains, but the publicly available report text contains very limited specific evidence — no direct observations, resident quotes, or detailed examples were surfaced, which prevents confident scoring above the mid-range despite the positive rating.
Homes in North East typically score 68–82.Worth a visit
Durham House Residential Care Home on Mains Park Road, Chester le Street, holds a Good rating across all five inspection domains — Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive, and Well-led — based on an inspection carried out in November 2020. A monitoring review in July 2023 found no reason to change that rating. The home is a 31-bed residential care home registered to support people over and under 65, including those living with dementia and physical disabilities, and is run by Premier Care Homes Limited with a named registered manager. The honest limitation here is that the publicly available report text provides almost no specific detail — no inspector observations, no resident or family quotes, and no examples of care in practice. A Good rating is genuinely meaningful and should not be dismissed, but it tells you the home met the standard at the time of inspection, not what daily life feels like for your parent. The inspection is now over four years old, which is a significant gap. Before choosing this home, visit in person, ask to speak with the registered manager Mrs Tina Ayton directly, and use the questions below — particularly around night staffing, dementia-specific staff training, and how the home involves families in care decisions.
The three questions to ask when you visitSave this home. Compare it against your shortlist.
Let our analysis show you how Durham House measures up against the other homes you’re considering. Free account.
In Their Own Words
How Durham House describes itself — collected from its own website. DCC has not edited or independently verified the content in this tab.
Specialist residential care supporting adults of all ages in Chester le Street
Durham House Residential Care Home – Your Trusted residential home
Durham House Residential Care Home in Chester le Street provides specialist support for adults across different age groups and care needs. The home welcomes both younger adults under 65 and older residents, offering tailored care approaches for each person's situation.
Who they care for
The team at Durham House has experience caring for people with dementia and those living with physical disabilities. They support both younger adults under 65 who need residential care and older residents over 65.
For residents with dementia, the home provides specialist care tailored to individual needs. The team understands the importance of creating a supportive environment for those living with memory-related conditions.
“Durham House offers specialist residential care in the heart of Chester le Street. Why not arrange a visit to see how they support residents with different care needs?”
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
Durham House holds a Good rating across all five inspection domains, but the publicly available report text contains very limited specific evidence — no direct observations, resident quotes, or detailed examples were surfaced, which prevents confident scoring above the mid-range despite the positive rating.
Homes in North East typically score 68–82.Worth a visit
Durham House Residential Care Home on Mains Park Road, Chester le Street, holds a Good rating across all five inspection domains — Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive, and Well-led — based on an inspection carried out in November 2020. A monitoring review in July 2023 found no reason to change that rating. The home is a 31-bed residential care home registered to support people over and under 65, including those living with dementia and physical disabilities, and is run by Premier Care Homes Limited with a named registered manager. The honest limitation here is that the publicly available report text provides almost no specific detail — no inspector observations, no resident or family quotes, and no examples of care in practice. A Good rating is genuinely meaningful and should not be dismissed, but it tells you the home met the standard at the time of inspection, not what daily life feels like for your parent. The inspection is now over four years old, which is a significant gap. Before choosing this home, visit in person, ask to speak with the registered manager Mrs Tina Ayton directly, and use the questions below — particularly around night staffing, dementia-specific staff training, and how the home involves families in care decisions.
The three questions to ask when you visitSave this home. Compare it against your shortlist.
Let our analysis show you how Durham House measures up against the other homes you’re considering. Free account.
In Their Own Words
How Durham House describes itself — collected from its own website. DCC has not edited or independently verified the content in this tab.
Specialist residential care supporting adults of all ages in Chester le Street
Durham House Residential Care Home – Your Trusted residential home
Durham House Residential Care Home in Chester le Street provides specialist support for adults across different age groups and care needs. The home welcomes both younger adults under 65 and older residents, offering tailored care approaches for each person's situation.
Who they care for
The team at Durham House has experience caring for people with dementia and those living with physical disabilities. They support both younger adults under 65 who need residential care and older residents over 65.
For residents with dementia, the home provides specialist care tailored to individual needs. The team understands the importance of creating a supportive environment for those living with memory-related conditions.
“Durham House offers specialist residential care in the heart of Chester le Street. Why not arrange a visit to see how they support residents with different care needs?”
DCC does not edit or curate content in this tab. For independently curated information, see The Evidence and DCC Verdict.
