Real Life Options - Darlington Road

54 Darlington Road, Hartburn, Stockton On Tees, Cleveland, TS18 5EW

01642806448

Care Type

Residential Care

Inspection date

14 February 2023

Provider

Real Life Options

Beds

7 beds

Rating history

Requires ImprovementJun 2016
GoodFeb 2020
Requires ImprovementFeb 2022
GoodFeb 2023

Improved from Requires Improvement to Good in 2023. CQC has rated this home 4 times since 2016.

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

Costs and who runs this home

Run by Real Life Options, which runs 7 care homes in England: 7 rated Good.

Average care home fees in the North East: £897 a week for residential care and £1,164 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 Real Life Options - Darlington Road

Real Life Options - Darlington Road is a residential care home in Stockton-on-Tees. It offers support to a small number of people, including those with learning disabilities, physical disabilities and mental health conditions. Details from the most recent CQC inspection are set out below.

Real Life Options on Darlington Road provides residential care and support for up to 7 people with learning and physical disabilities and mental health conditions. At the time of inspection, all 7 places were occupied. People received appropriate support with their medicines and were encouraged to make choices about their care, with staff using the least restrictive approaches.

Staff understood how to recognise and report abuse, and the service worked effectively with other agencies to keep people safe. The home had sufficient staff with appropriate skills to meet residents' needs. The management and staff created an inclusive environment where people led empowered lives with respect for their dignity, equality and independence.

Source: CQC inspection report, 24 February 2023

Specialist Care

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

Registered service: Care home service without nursing
Registered capacity: 7 places — this is not a vacancy count
Registration checked: Registered · TS18 5EW

Registered care categories

Caring for adults over 65 yrs; Caring for adults under 65 yrs; Dementia; Learning disabilities; 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: Good.

Rating report published 24 February 2023. Latest inspection date recorded: 14 February 2023.

Safe: Good
EffectivePublished 14 February 2020: Good
CaringPublished 14 February 2020: Good
ResponsivePublished 14 February 2020: Outstanding
Well-led: Good

Read Real Life Options - Darlington Road'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 Real Life Options - Darlington Road, 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 Real Life Options - Darlington Road, 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 Real Life Options - Darlington Road'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