Stones Place

Updated 5 July 2026

About the service

Stones Place is a care home providing support for up to 42 people. There were 37 people using the service at the time of the inspection. The service supports adults aged 65 and over.

Who the service is for

Stones Place is a residential care home for older people. The service supports people to live independently for as long as possible whilst providing the care and support they need.

The home places a strong emphasis on helping people continue living meaningful and fulfilling lives. Staff support people in ways which enable them to remain connected to what is important to them whilst maintaining as much independence and choice as possible.

Our view of the service

We carried out this assessment on 10 July 2026. This service was previously rated as good. We carried out this assessment to confirm whether the rating of good remains accurate. This report does not provide detailed information on areas where we found practice continues to meet a good standard. Instead, our findings focus on any areas where the service needs to improve or where we found exceptional practice.

People were supported by staff who knew them well and had the skills and knowledge to support them safely. Risks were monitored and managed appropriately whilst promoting people's independence and choice. Medicines were managed safely and in a person-centred way, including supporting people to retain responsibility for their own medicines where appropriate. The home was clean and well maintained, with effective systems in place to safeguard people from abuse and neglect.

People's needs were assessed and reviewed to ensure care remained responsive to changing circumstances. Staff worked effectively with healthcare professionals and were proactive in recognising when additional support was needed. Visiting professionals told us staff knew people well and were quick to recognise when needs changed. One professional told us, "Stones Place is generally one of our best-performing care homes. The staff are proactive and consistently support [people] to maintain their independence wherever possible. They know [people] extremely well and have a good understanding of their own competencies, as well as the roles of other services, making appropriate and timely referrals when additional support is required."

Staff respected people's rights and supported them to make decisions about their care and support. People were encouraged to maintain choice and control over their lives and were involved in decisions about how they wished to be supported. Staff understood the importance of seeking consent and supporting people to express their views, ensuring care was delivered in line with their wishes and preferences.

People were treated with kindness, dignity and respect by staff who had developed meaningful and trusting relationships with them. Staff supported people in ways which reflected their preferences and routines and encouraged them to remain as independent as possible.

The service demonstrated a strong commitment to helping people live fulfilling lives. People were supported to maintain interests and take part in meaningful activities both within the home and the wider community. People also had access to pastoral support and one-to-one engagement where this was important to them. For some people, this helped ensure their spiritual and religious needs were met in line with their wishes and preferences. For others, it provided opportunities for emotional support and meaningful conversation.

People were encouraged to influence how the home developed through meetings and surveys, and leaders responded positively to ideas about future projects. There was a strong culture of listening to feedback and using it constructively to drive improvements and continually enhance people's experiences of living at the home.

Leaders were visible and promoted an open and positive culture. People, relatives, staff and visiting professionals consistently spoke positively about the home. Professionals described positive working relationships with the service and highlighted the home's willingness to embrace learning and make changes which improved people's experiences and quality of care.

People can only be deprived of their liberty to receive care and treatment with appropriate legal authority. In care homes, this can be done through a procedure called the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), which is part of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). We checked whether the service was working within the principles of the MCA and how they managed DoLS within the service. We found that staff and management worked within the MCA. DoLS authorisations were appropriately applied for and overseen. People were not subject to unlawful or excessive restrictions they had choice, control and freedom over their lives.

Updated 5 July 2026

People were very positive about the care and support provided at Stones Place. People told us they felt safe living at the home and valued the kindness, respect and compassion shown by staff. Feedback reflected positive relationships between people and the staff who supported them.

People were complimentary about life at the home and spoke positively about the range of activities available, including trips out into the local community. Feedback about food and drink was consistently positive. People told us there was plenty of choice and flexibility around meals, with alternative options available if they wanted something different. They said drinks were readily available throughout the day and staff were always willing to provide refreshments on request.

People told us they received the healthcare support they needed and felt reassured that staff acted when concerns arose. They described receiving support from a range of healthcare professionals and spoke positively about follow-up care when health issues occurred.

Feedback from relatives was also very positive. One relative stated, "The overall experience is excellent. In every measure on every metric." They told us, "[My family member] is very well looked after, in respect of their needs, both mentally and physically," and said, "The staff are caring, they provide what we would expect for all round care for them."

Relatives spoke warmly about the relationships staff had developed with their family members and the confidence this gave them. One relative told us, "We enjoy coming here, we know [my family member] is happy." Another said, "I’ve not had to raise concerns but feel they would be listened to if they did. We leave here and feel a sense of relief that [my family member’s] in good hands."

People and relatives described a culture where they felt listened to and involved. One relative told us, "Family meetings. We can raise what we want to, we are listened to. Culturally they are very good." Another said, "Staff are engaged in their roles and engaged in the actual care and not the process. Very positive in that respect."

Leadership within the home was highly regarded. One relative told us, "Management set the scene culturally. [The managers are] very engaging and always around.” Another said, "I feel the managers are like two extra daughters looking after [my family member]. They are so professional as well."

Relatives consistently described staff as compassionate and dedicated. One relative told us, "Everybody there is fantastic. The way they look after [my family member]. [Staff] have a joke with them. [They are] so kind and on it with everything." Another said, "They do a really, really good job."

People's wellbeing and quality of life were clearly important to the service. One relative told us, "My family member has access to healthcare, and if we are visiting and management see us, there is decisive and intentional engagement. They are not waiting for us to say we want something."

Relatives were very positive about the opportunities available to people living at the home. One relative told us, "The activities and social engagement is excellent. [There is a lot of] work that is put into activities to stimulate the brain and mind. A lot of work goes into social events for engagement purposes."

Several relatives reflected on the process of choosing a care home and told us they were confident they had found the right place for their family member. One relative told us, "From my experience of it, it's a lovely place. We looked at other homes, when looking round for my family member. There is nothing in this league that I could find." Another said, "They are very, very good. Staff work extremely hard. I think it’s the best place I could find for my [family member]." They added, "It's the best place, I've no doubt."