Dorrington House (Watton)

73 Norwich Road, Watton, Norfolk, IP25 6DH

01953883882

Care Type

Residential Care

Inspection date

8 September 2022

Provider

Dorrington House

Beds

52 beds

About Dorrington House (Watton)

Dorrington House in Watton, Norfolk, offers residential care for older people in a setting that aims to feel like a genuine home away from home. The team there understands how much it means to find the right place for someone you love, and that sense of care for families as well as residents shapes the atmosphere of the home. If you are beginning your search for residential care in Norfolk, Dorrington House is worth getting to know.

This purpose-built care home provides personal care and support to up to 52 older people, some living with dementia. At the time of inspection, 41 people were using the service. Residents, relatives and staff reported positive feedback about changes being made, with many feeling the service was improving.

One person commented, "It's getting better, I think. There are a lot of changes going on, so we will have to see how they pan out.

However, inspectors identified significant areas requiring further work. Although staff numbers had increased, not all staff received the training and support needed to carry out their roles safely. Systems to monitor staff development lacked robustness, and some new staff lacked essential skills and knowledge, potentially placing people at risk.

Record-keeping remained inconsistent and monitoring systems were not robust enough. Inspectors identified concerns with two people's pressure care and one person at risk of dehydration that the home's own monitoring had failed to detect. The provider plans to introduce a new electronic recording system to improve record keeping and ensure safer monitoring of people's health and welfare.

Source: CQC inspection report, 20 October 2022

Specialist Care

DementiaOlder people

Fees and availability

We have not verified a current weekly fee for this home. Ask for a written quote based on the room and care needed, including any extra charges.

Check current vacancies, the admission assessment and visiting arrangements directly with the home.

Care and inspection details

Checked against the CQC register on 20 September 2026. This is a check of published information, not a visit to the home.

Registered service: Care home service without nursing
Registered capacity: 52 places — this is not a vacancy count
Registration checked: Registered · IP25 6DH

Registered care categories

Caring for adults over 65 yrs; Dementia.

These describe the registration. The home must assess whether it can meet the individual person's needs and whether a place is available.

CQC ratings in more detail

Overall rating shown by CQC: Requires improvement.

Rating report published 20 October 2022. Latest inspection date recorded: 8 September 2022.

Safe: Requires improvement
EffectivePublished 9 October 2019: Requires improvement
CaringPublished 9 October 2019: Good
ResponsivePublished 9 October 2019: Good
Well-led: Requires improvement

Questions prompted by these ratings

Safe: What changes have been made to medicines, staffing and safeguarding since this rating?
Effective: How are staff training, nutrition and health outcomes checked now?
Well-led: What has changed in management, checks and oversight since this rating?

These are questions for your visit, not a claim about conditions today.

Read Dorrington House (Watton)'s CQC record and reports.

Contains Care Quality Commission information under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Ratings and registration details can change after the date checked.

5 Questions to Ask on Your Visit

When visiting Dorrington House (Watton), consider asking...

1.What specific dementia training do staff receive and how recently?
2.How do you support a resident who becomes distressed or confused?
3.How does the home keep a record of a resident's life history and personal preferences?
4.How do you involve families as dementia progresses and communication becomes harder?
5.What happens when a resident's dementia reaches an advanced stage?

5 Things to Look For on Your Visit

When you visit Dorrington House (Watton), look out for...

1.Is the environment calm, uncluttered and easy to navigate?
2.Do staff speak to residents with patience and dignity, even if they repeat themselves?
3.Are there memory cues around the home -- photos, familiar objects, clear signage?
4.Do residents seem settled and safe, or agitated and unsupervised?
5.Is there meaningful activity happening, or are residents just sitting quietly with nothing to do?

Could the NHS fund Dorrington House (Watton)'s fees?

The average nursing home costs £1,535 per week. That's £79,820 a year. NHS Continuing Healthcare could cover all of it. No means test, no contribution from you.

Find out if the NHS could fund these fees