The Albany Care Home

7 London Road, Headington, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX3 7SN

01865744444

Care Type

Nursing Care

Inspection date

20 July 2023

Provider

Healthcare Homes (Spring) Limited

Beds

38 beds

About The Albany Care Home

The Albany Care Home brings together nursing expertise and a genuine sense of community in the heart of Oxfordshire. Families looking for care in this part of the country will find a home that takes its responsibilities seriously, with staff committed to supporting residents through some of life's more challenging transitions. It is a place where people are treated as individuals, and where the wellbeing of those in its care remains at the centre of everything it does.

The Albany provides nursing and personal care to older people, including those living with dementia, and supports hospital discharges requiring rehabilitation before returning home. The service accommodates up to 38 people, with 14 beds designated for short-term rehabilitation placements. At the time of inspection, 36 people were living at the home.

While some improvements had been made to enhance people's outcomes, the provider's quality assurance processes were not effectively driving further improvements. Inspectors found that some records were not completed correctly, and the provider's audits had failed to identify these shortfalls. This suggested gaps in the oversight systems intended to maintain and improve standards of care.

Source: CQC inspection report, 25 August 2023

Specialist Care

DementiaOlder peoplePhysical disabilitiesSensory impairments

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: 38 places — this is not a vacancy count
Registration checked: Registered · OX3 7SN

Registered care categories

Caring for adults over 65 yrs; Dementia; 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 25 August 2023. Latest inspection date recorded: 20 July 2023.

Safe: Good
Effective: Good
CaringPublished 3 August 2022: Good
ResponsivePublished 3 August 2022: Good
Well-led: Requires improvement

Questions prompted by these ratings

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 The Albany Care 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 The Albany Care Home, 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 The Albany Care Home, 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 The Albany Care 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.

Find out if the NHS could fund these fees