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Dorrington House (Wells)
Residential Care
1 May 2026
Dorrington House
38 beds
How this home compares nearby
Of 7 care homes for older people within 10 miles, 6 are rated higher by CQC, 1 is the same and none are lower.
2 of these nearby homes have been inspected more recently than this one.
Based on CQC ratings, updated 22 October 2026. How we compare homes | See the nearby homes
Costs and who runs this home
Run by Dorrington House, which runs 3 care homes in England: 1 rated Good and 2 Requires Improvement.
Average care home fees in the East of England: £1,034 a week for residential care and £1,411 for nursing care (2024-25 averages). Self-funders usually pay more. See our care home costs guide.
- This home lists dementia care, which usually costs more than standard residential care. See dementia care home costs. NHS Continuing Healthcare may apply where someone's needs are primarily health needs.
- How to pay for a care home explains the council means test, what counts as capital and the funding you can ask to be assessed for.
About Dorrington House (Wells)
Dorrington House (Wells) is a residential care home located in Norfolk, East of England. Its registered care categories include dementia and older people. The home has 38 beds. CQC records an overall rating of Good, published in July 2026. The home is operated by Dorrington House.
Specialist Care
Facilities & Amenities
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
- 38 places — this is not a vacancy count
- Registration checked
- Registered · NR23 1BY
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: .
Assessment published 30 July 2026. Assessment date recorded: 1 May 2026.
Read CQC's assessment overview
The following is CQC's published account of its assessment, published 30 July 2026. References to “we” mean CQC. It describes findings at that time.
Date of Assessment: 19 May to 2 July 2026.Dorrington House (Wells) is a residential care home that can accommodate up to 38 older people, some of whom may be living with a dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 35 people living in the home. The last rating for this service was Requires Improvement (report published 26 January 2021). The provider was in breach of regulations relating to Safe care and treatment, Good governance, Fit and proper persons employed and Staffing. We carried out this assessment because of the length of time since the last inspection and to check whether sufficient improvements had been made. We found the provider had taken appropriate action to address the concerns identified. Sufficient improvements had been made, and the required level of compliance had been achieved, which meant the provider was no longer in breach of these regulations.During our site visit on 19 May 2026, we identified some issues regarding cleanliness, infection control and some environmental safety issues, which had not been identified during the management’s auditing process. However, the management team took immediate steps with the provider to rectify the issues and, by the time of our 2nd site visit on 11 June 2026, significant improvements had been made.People received a safe service, were protected from abuse or neglect and had their human rights promoted. Robust recruitment procedures were followed. There were sufficient staff to meet people’s needs and keep them safe. Risks to people were assessed and their safety was monitored and managed. Accidents and incidents were monitored and analysed, so lessons could be learned and recurrences avoided.People had their needs assessed and care plans were compiled to meet their individual requirements. People were supported to live healthy and safe lifestyles and had full support to access healthcare professionals, as needed. Staff understood the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and made sure people consented to their care and support.Care plans were regularly reviewed and kept up to date. People were supported to make a complaint if needed and they were listened to and responded to appropriately. Information from complaints, comments or concerns was used to help drive improvement.People received a personalised service and were fully involved in all aspects of their care and support. Staff worked with people in accordance with their care plans, but also made sure people were encouraged to do as much for themselves as possible. Information was accessible and available to people in a format suitable for their communication needs. Equality and diversity was consistently promoted and respected for everyone.The provider’s quality assurance systems were generally effective and helped ensure care was delivered safely and in accordance with people’s needs and legal requirements. However, some checks and audits were not fully robust and needed strengthening to consistently identify and address areas requiring improvement.
- Safe
- Effective
- Caring
- Responsive
- Well-led
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 (Wells), 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 (Wells), 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 (Wells)'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.
Location
Westfield Avenue, Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk, NR23 1BY

Dorrington House (Wells)
CQC overall rating
Assessment date: 1 May 2026
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