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Palm Court Nursing HomeEast Sussex

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Rated:Requires ImprovementNursing

Palm Court Nursing Home

17 Prideaux Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN21 2ND
01323721911
Care Type

Nursing Care

Assessment date

18 November 2025

Provider

DFB (Care) Limited

Beds

53 beds

Rating history

  1. Requires ImprovementJul 2015
  2. Requires ImprovementAug 2015
  3. InadequateNov 2016
  4. InadequateSept 2017
  5. Requires ImprovementJan 2018
  6. InadequateJun 2019
  7. Requires ImprovementJun 2019
  8. Requires ImprovementSept 2020
  9. Requires ImprovementDec 2021
  10. Requires ImprovementFeb 2023
  11. Requires ImprovementAug 2023
  12. Requires ImprovementJan 2026

Improved from Inadequate to Requires Improvement in 2019. CQC has rated this home 12 times since 2015.

Source: CQC inspection reports. Contains CQC data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Costs and who runs this home

This is the only care home DFB (Care) Limited runs in England.

  • NHS-funded Nursing Care pays £267.68 a week to the home towards registered nursing care for eligible residents (2026/27). A quoted fee may already exclude it.
  • 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 Palm Court Nursing Home

Palm Court Nursing Home is a nursing home in East Sussex, providing care for older people and people living with dementia. Further details on the latest CQC findings are set out below.

Palm Court Nursing Home provides personal and nursing care for up to 53 older people and people living with dementia, with 30 people using the service at the time of assessment. Following earlier serious concerns that had placed the home in special measures, the CQC found enough improvement had been made for it to exit special measures, with care now rated Requires Improvement overall.

Inspectors found staff were kind, safe in numbers and well trained, and the home was clean and comfortable. However, shortfalls remained in supporting people's mental health, social wellbeing and dementia-friendly communication, and quality assurance systems needed to be embedded further to ensure improvements are sustained.

Source: CQC assessment, 20 January 2026

Specialist Care

DementiaPhysical disabilities

Practical details from the provider

  • The activity programme includes gardening, reminiscence and painting, alongside one-to-one sessions. Gardens and outdoor spaces offer opportunities for fresh air and gentle movement.

Published on the provider's website, checked 21 September 2026. Confirm arrangements with the home before deciding.

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 21 September 2026. This is a check of published information, not a visit to the home.

Registered service
Care home service with nursing
Registered capacity
53 places — this is not a vacancy count
Registration checked
Registered · BN21 2ND

Registered care categories

Dementia; Physical disabilities.

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.

Assessment published 20 January 2026. Assessment date recorded: 18 November 2025.

Read CQC's assessment overview

The following is CQC's published account of its assessment, published 20 January 2026. References to “we” mean CQC. It describes findings at that time.

Date of assessment, 15 December to 29 December 2025.

Palm Court Nursing Home is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care for up to 53 people. The service provides support to older people and people living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 30 people using the service.

This inspection was carried out to follow up on the warning notices served for safe care and treatment, and good governance, and the previous breaches of regulations relating to; safe care and treatment, person centred care, staffing and good governance.

At this inspection we found sufficient improvements had been made and the provider had met the warning notices and the breaches of regulation. However, whilst the breaches of regulation have been met, there needs to be continuous monitoring and embedding to ensure the improvements are sustained.

The provider and manager had re-introduced quality assurance systems to ensure any improvements required, were identified, monitored and actioned. Person centred care for peoples’ health and physical needs was improved, and contained detailed information for staff to follow, but there were gaps in peoples’ oral health and personal care support plans regarding choice. Improvements were also needed to ensure peoples’ mental health and social needs were highlighted, monitored and steps taken to promote social well-being and mental stimulation. Daily notes were task focussed and contained minimal reflection of their emotional and social needs.

We received an update during the assessment process, which included any areas brought to the managers attention. However we did find some shortfalls that were fully discussed. For example, improvements were needed to support communication and for those people who lived with dementia, such as dementia aids and dementia friendly signage.

Staff felt the management team were open and approachable, and there were regular opportunities for staff and management to discuss incidents or areas for improvement within the service to ensure lessons were learnt. People and staff told us they would feel confident to raise any concerns and that these would be responded to by the management team. The provider had liaised with external health professionals to provide joined up care and treatment for people. This had promoted safe transitions for people moving between different services. People received safe care from a sufficient number of suitably trained staff. Staff managed risks safely, responsively and effectively. The home was clean and provided a comfortable and safe environment.

People were supported by staff to follow a healthy lifestyle. Staff treated people with kindness and compassion, and there was a positive and friendly culture in the service.

This service has been in Special Measures since June 2025. The provider demonstrated improvements that have been made. The service is no longer rated as inadequate overall or in any of the key questions. Therefore, this service is no longer in Special Measures.

Safe
Good
Effective
Good
Caring
Good
Responsive
Requires Improvement
Well-led
Requires Improvement

Questions prompted by these ratings

  • Responsive: How are care plans, activities and complaints adapted to each resident?
  • 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 Palm Court Nursing Home'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 Palm Court Nursing Home, consider asking...

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

5 Things to Look For on Your Visit

When you visit Palm Court Nursing Home, look out for...

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

Could the NHS fund Palm Court Nursing Home'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

17 Prideaux Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN21 2ND

CQC Logo

Palm Court Nursing Home

CQC overall rating

Requires Improvement

Assessment date: 18 November 2025

View full inspection report
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