Knights' Grove Care Home – Bupa
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 beds56
- SpecialismsCaring for adults over 65 yrs, Caring for adults under 65 yrs, Dementia
- Last inspected2019-03-27
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STAGE 4 — RESEARCHING CARE HOMES
Visit homes. Compare them side by side. Choose with confidence.
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
What strikes families most is how their loved ones seem to genuinely settle here. They describe seeing relatives who were anxious about the move becoming visibly more relaxed and content. The team appears to have a real knack for helping residents feel at home, whether that's through personalising their rooms or simply taking time to involve them in daily life.
The eight family priority themes
- Staff warmth88
- Compassion & dignity88
- Cleanliness75
- Activities & engagement82
- Food quality72
- Healthcare85
- Management & leadership88
- Resident happiness82
What inspectors found
Inspected 2019-03-27
Is this home safe?
Is the care effective?
Effective is rated Outstanding — the highest standard — meaning inspectors found strong, specific evidence that care at Knights' Grove was not just compliant but genuinely skilled. For a nursing home specialising in dementia, this rating requires evidence of high-quality dementia training applied in practice, care plans that are genuinely person-centred and regularly reviewed, and effective healthcare including GP access and medication management. Outstanding in this domain in a dementia-specialist nursing home is a meaningful achievement. The registered manager and nominated individual were both named, suggesting clear accountability for clinical standards.Is this home caring?
Caring is rated Outstanding, meaning inspectors observed and recorded clear evidence of genuine kindness, respect, and dignity in how staff treated residents. This is the domain most directly felt by your parent day to day. To achieve Outstanding here, inspectors must find specific examples — not just compliance — of staff treating people as individuals, responding with warmth, preserving privacy, and supporting independence. The home also has an Outstanding Responsive rating, which means care was tailored to the individual rather than delivered in a standardised way. No concerns about dignity or compassion were noted.Is the home responsive?
Responsive is rated Outstanding, meaning the home was assessed as genuinely tailoring its care and activities to individual residents rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach. For a dementia-specialist home, this is particularly significant: it implies activities were adapted for different stages of dementia, individual preferences were recorded and acted on, and residents' daily lives reflected who they are as people. Outstanding Responsive also encompasses end-of-life planning and family involvement in care decisions. No specific activity schedules, one-to-one engagement details, or outdoor access information are available in the summary provided.Is the home well-led?
Well-led is rated Outstanding, indicating that inspectors found strong, specific evidence of effective and stable leadership, a positive staff culture, robust governance, and accountability at every level. The registered manager at the time of inspection was Mrs Clare Ann Relf, with Mr Donald Day as the nominated individual. An Outstanding Well-led rating requires evidence not just of systems but of a culture where staff feel empowered to speak up, where incidents are learned from, and where the manager is a visible and trusted presence. The home's rating improved from Good to Outstanding, which is the strongest possible positive trajectory signal.
Source: CQC inspection report →
What the evidence base says
Knights' Grove provides residential care for adults over 65 and those under 65 who need support. They also specialise in dementia care. For those living with dementia, the home's approach to helping residents settle seems especially valuable. The staff's focus on reducing anxiety and creating familiar routines can make a real difference. 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
Knights' Grove scores strongly across the themes families care most about, driven by Outstanding ratings in caring, responsiveness, effectiveness and leadership — though the 2019 inspection date means some of this evidence is now over five years old and should be treated with appropriate caution.
Homes in South East typically score 68–82.The three-lens summary
What families tell us
What strikes families most is how their loved ones seem to genuinely settle here. They describe seeing relatives who were anxious about the move becoming visibly more relaxed and content. The team appears to have a real knack for helping residents feel at home, whether that's through personalising their rooms or simply taking time to involve them in daily life.
What inspectors have recorded
The staff seem particularly good at picking up on what each resident needs. Families mention how responsive the team is to requests and how they work together on care plans. There's also a programme of activities that families say really helps keep their relatives engaged throughout the day.
How it sits against good practice
It sounds like the kind of place where both residents and their families can breathe a little easier.
Worth a visit
Knights' Grove Care Home in Southampton holds an Outstanding overall rating — the highest possible — with Outstanding ratings across Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led, and a Good rating for Safe. This places it in a small minority of UK care homes to achieve this standard. The rating improved from Good, which is a meaningful positive signal: it suggests the home did not simply maintain its standard but actively developed it. The home is registered to care for people living with dementia, as well as adults over and under 65 requiring nursing care, and operates with 56 beds under Bupa Care Homes. The most important caveat for your decision is timing: the inspection that produced this Outstanding rating was carried out in February 2019, published March 2021 (with a 2023 monitoring review finding no reason to reassess). That is now over five years ago. Care homes can change — in staffing, management, and culture — particularly across a period that included the pandemic. The registered manager named at the time of inspection was Mrs Clare Ann Relf; you should ask directly whether she is still in post, since leadership stability is one of the strongest predictors of sustained quality. On your visit, ask to see the activity schedule for the current week, ask how many permanent staff work the night shift on the dementia unit, and find out what proportion of shifts are currently covered by agency staff. These three questions will tell you more about today's home than any historic rating.
The three questions to ask when you visitSave this home. Compare it against your shortlist.
Let our analysis show you how Knights' Grove Care Home – Bupa measures up against the other homes you’re considering. Free account.
In Their Own Words
How Knights' Grove Care Home – Bupa describes itself — collected from its own website. DCC has not edited or independently verified the content in this tab.
Where families find their loved ones settling in and thriving
Knights' Grove Care Home – Expert Care in Southampton
When someone you love needs residential care, watching them adjust can be one of the hardest parts. Knights' Grove Care Home in Southampton seems to understand this deeply. Families here talk about seeing their relatives become noticeably happier and more settled after moving in, with staff who work hard to ease those difficult early days.
Who they care for
Knights' Grove provides residential care for adults over 65 and those under 65 who need support. They also specialise in dementia care.
For those living with dementia, the home's approach to helping residents settle seems especially valuable. The staff's focus on reducing anxiety and creating familiar routines can make a real difference.
“It sounds like the kind of place where both residents and their families can breathe a little easier.”
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
Knights' Grove scores strongly across the themes families care most about, driven by Outstanding ratings in caring, responsiveness, effectiveness and leadership — though the 2019 inspection date means some of this evidence is now over five years old and should be treated with appropriate caution.
Homes in South East typically score 68–82.The three-lens summary
What families tell us
What strikes families most is how their loved ones seem to genuinely settle here. They describe seeing relatives who were anxious about the move becoming visibly more relaxed and content. The team appears to have a real knack for helping residents feel at home, whether that's through personalising their rooms or simply taking time to involve them in daily life.
What inspectors have recorded
The staff seem particularly good at picking up on what each resident needs. Families mention how responsive the team is to requests and how they work together on care plans. There's also a programme of activities that families say really helps keep their relatives engaged throughout the day.
How it sits against good practice
It sounds like the kind of place where both residents and their families can breathe a little easier.
Worth a visit
Knights' Grove Care Home in Southampton holds an Outstanding overall rating — the highest possible — with Outstanding ratings across Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led, and a Good rating for Safe. This places it in a small minority of UK care homes to achieve this standard. The rating improved from Good, which is a meaningful positive signal: it suggests the home did not simply maintain its standard but actively developed it. The home is registered to care for people living with dementia, as well as adults over and under 65 requiring nursing care, and operates with 56 beds under Bupa Care Homes. The most important caveat for your decision is timing: the inspection that produced this Outstanding rating was carried out in February 2019, published March 2021 (with a 2023 monitoring review finding no reason to reassess). That is now over five years ago. Care homes can change — in staffing, management, and culture — particularly across a period that included the pandemic. The registered manager named at the time of inspection was Mrs Clare Ann Relf; you should ask directly whether she is still in post, since leadership stability is one of the strongest predictors of sustained quality. On your visit, ask to see the activity schedule for the current week, ask how many permanent staff work the night shift on the dementia unit, and find out what proportion of shifts are currently covered by agency staff. These three questions will tell you more about today's home than any historic rating.
The three questions to ask when you visitSave this home. Compare it against your shortlist.
Let our analysis show you how Knights' Grove Care Home – Bupa measures up against the other homes you’re considering. Free account.
In Their Own Words
How Knights' Grove Care Home – Bupa describes itself — collected from its own website. DCC has not edited or independently verified the content in this tab.
Where families find their loved ones settling in and thriving
Knights' Grove Care Home – Expert Care in Southampton
When someone you love needs residential care, watching them adjust can be one of the hardest parts. Knights' Grove Care Home in Southampton seems to understand this deeply. Families here talk about seeing their relatives become noticeably happier and more settled after moving in, with staff who work hard to ease those difficult early days.
Who they care for
Knights' Grove provides residential care for adults over 65 and those under 65 who need support. They also specialise in dementia care.
For those living with dementia, the home's approach to helping residents settle seems especially valuable. The staff's focus on reducing anxiety and creating familiar routines can make a real difference.
Management & ethos
The staff seem particularly good at picking up on what each resident needs. Families mention how responsive the team is to requests and how they work together on care plans. There's also a programme of activities that families say really helps keep their relatives engaged throughout the day.
“It sounds like the kind of place where both residents and their families can breathe a little easier.”
DCC does not edit or curate content in this tab. For independently curated information, see The Evidence and DCC Verdict.
