Dukeminster Court

Dukeminster Estate, Church Street, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, LU5 4FF

01582474700

Care Type

Residential Care

Inspection date

31 October 2023

Provider

Quantum Care Limited

Beds

75 beds

About Dukeminster Court

Dukeminster Court is a residential care home in Central Bedfordshire, offering older people a place where they can feel genuinely at home. The team there understands how much it means to families to find somewhere that feels caring and attentive, and that commitment runs through everything they do. For those exploring care options in the area, it is a home worth getting to know.

Dukeminster Court is a purpose-built residential care home providing personal care for up to 75 older people, some living with dementia. The service operates across five units, each with separate adapted facilities, and was caring for 67 people at the time of inspection. Staff followed robust infection control measures and had access to sufficient PPE.

People reported feeling safe and said there were enough staff, while relatives felt free to visit without restrictions.

The home faced some challenges in several areas. Oral health needs were not consistently being met, and incident reports had not always been completed by staff. Care plans did not always contain current information on managing risks, and environmental risks were not always identified and managed appropriately.

Additionally, people did not always receive their medicines safely.

Source: CQC inspection report, 14 December 2023

Specialist Care

DementiaMental healthOlder peoplePhysical disabilitiesSensory impairmentsYounger adults

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: 75 places — this is not a vacancy count
Registration checked: Registered · LU5 4FF

Registered care categories

Caring for adults over 65 yrs; Caring for adults under 65 yrs; Dementia; Mental health conditions; Physical disabilities; Sensory impairment.

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 14 December 2023. Latest inspection date recorded: 31 October 2023.

Safe: Requires improvement
EffectivePublished 15 February 2020: Good
CaringPublished 1 January 2022: Good
ResponsivePublished 1 January 2022: Good
Well-led: Requires improvement

Questions prompted by these ratings

Safe: What changes have been made to medicines, staffing and safeguarding since this rating?
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 Dukeminster Court'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 Dukeminster Court, 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 Dukeminster Court, 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 Dukeminster Court'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