Listening, learning and improving care at Leeming Bar Grange Care Home
At Healthwatch North Yorkshire, our mission is simple: to make sure people’s voices shape the health and social care services they use. One way we do this is through our visits to social care settings, where we spend time in care homes to see and hear what life is really like for residents, their families, and staff.
Recently, we visited Leeming Bar Grange Care Home in Northallerton to understand what’s working well and where improvements could make a big difference.
Why these visits matter
Every person living in a care home deserves to live with dignity, independence, and a sense of wellbeing. By visiting in person, Healthwatch can observe the environment, talk to residents and staff, and gather honest feedback from families. These insights don’t just stay on paper. They’re shared with the care home, the Care Quality Commission, and local decision-makers to drive positive change.
Healthwatch's aim isn’t to inspect, but to listen and learn. Listening to people’s experiences is the first step toward making services better for everyone.
What we found is working well
During our visit to Leeming Bar Grange Care Home, Healthwatch saw many positives that contribute to a caring and supportive environment:
- Strong leadership and management: Residents, relatives, and staff spoke highly of the general manager, praising her passion and commitment to high-quality care.
- A welcoming, well-maintained home: The building was clean, comfortable, and homely. Residents appreciated being able to personalise their rooms.
- Friendly and caring staff: Staff were approachable, kind, and engaged warmly with residents. Many residents described feeling safe and well looked after.
- Food and dining: Meals were described as tasty and varied, with options to suit preferences. Lunchtimes were sociable, and residents appreciated being able to choose where and when to eat.
- Activities and social contact: There was a regular programme of activities, from pamper sessions to outings, which residents enjoyed. Many valued the opportunities for social interaction and time outdoors.
Overall, residents and families rated the home highly, with average scores of 4.3 out of 5 and 4.4 out of 5 respectively.
Areas for improvement
While the feedback was overwhelmingly positive, Healthwatch identified a few areas where changes could enhance residents’ experiences:
- Staffing levels in the dementia unit: Healthwatch found that the needs of residents in the dementia unit are higher and may require more support than current ratios allow. Healthwatch recommend reviewing staffing to ensure timely assistance and more opportunities for meaningful engagement.
- Activities provided for less mobile residents: While activities were plentiful on the ground floor, there were fewer tailored options for people living upstairs. Increasing one-to-one and sensory-based activities would help ensure everyone has the chance to enjoy stimulation and social contact.
- Opportunities for outings: Some residents expressed a desire for more trips outside the home, even short visits to local shops or cafés.
Response from the care home
Healthwatch North Yorkshire’s approach is always supportive. Feedback is shared with providers, good practice is celebrated, and practical improvements are agreed together.
One recent example is a visit to Leeming Bar Grange Care Home, where manager Kathryn shared her experience:
“My name is Kathryn and I am the general manager from Leeming Bar Grange Care Home. I have been in this post for nearly two years and this was my first experience with Healthwatch. I found the team very friendly, and communication with them from the beginning was great. They contacted us beforehand to explain the process and what to expect from their visit.
They didn’t tell me the exact date they were coming, which I think is a good approach. it means they see the home as it really is. On the day, the team were friendly and approachable, which helped the staff, residents, and families feel at ease when speaking with them.
The feedback we received was positive. One of the recommendations was about staffing levels in our Memory Lane community. This was already something I had been reviewing using our company’s internal tools, but Healthwatch’s recommendation helped support my case for increasing staffing.
Another recommendation was about how we use our activities team, to make sure that residents in the Memory Lane community — and those who prefer to stay in their rooms — are equally included. After reviewing our timetable with the activities team, we were able to make some changes to involve those residents more often and improve their experience.
I believe Healthwatch is a valuable part of the care sector. They offer a fresh set of eyes to see what is going well, and where we can improve. As a manager, it’s important to recognise the hard work of the team while also looking at how we can do even better for our residents.
I also feel that the Care Quality Commission looks at feedback from visits like these when they carry out their own inspections. That makes Healthwatch’s role even more useful in helping care services continue learning, developing, and making care better for the people who live in them.”
Why asking and listening matters
The voices of residents, their families, and the staff who care for them are invaluable. They highlight not just what needs to change, but also what’s already working well. By listening, Healthwatch ensure care homes can celebrate successes while focusing on areas that matter most to those who live and work there.
Healthwatch North Yorkshire will continue to visit care homes across the county and share what we learn. Together, we can make sure every resident enjoys a safe, happy, and fulfilling life.
