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The HighlandsGateshead

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Rated:GoodResidential

The Highlands

Durham Road, Birtley, Chester Le Street, County Durham, DH3 1LY
01914923663
Care Type

Residential Care

Assessment date

11 June 2026

Provider

Pathways Care Group Limited

Beds

14 beds

About The Highlands

The Highlands is a residential care home located in Gateshead, North East. Its registered care categories include learning disabilities and physical disabilities. The home has 14 beds. CQC records an overall rating of Good, published in September 2026. The home is operated by Pathways Care Group Limited.

Specialist Care

Learning disabilitiesPhysical disabilities

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
14 places — this is not a vacancy count
Registration checked
Registered · DH3 1LY

Registered care categories

Learning disabilities; 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: Good.

Assessment published 15 September 2026. Assessment date recorded: 11 June 2026.

Read CQC's assessment overview

The following is CQC's published account of its assessment, published 15 September 2026. References to “we” mean CQC. It describes findings at that time.

We carried out this assessment of The Highlands on 3 and 6 August 2026. The Highlands is a care home that provides personal care for up to 14 people with physical disabilities and learning disabilities. At the time of our assessment there were 12 people living at The Highlands and 1 person receiving respite care.

We assessed the service against ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ guidance to make judgements about whether the provider guaranteed autistic people and people with a learning disability respect, equality, dignity, choices, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted.

People received safe, effective and well-coordinated care that reflected their personal needs and choices. Staff were knowledgeable about safeguarding procedures and felt assured that concerns reported through the appropriate channels would be addressed.

The provider worked closely with people and their families to assess needs and develop personalised care plans. Detailed care plans and risk assessments supported consistent care delivery and were regularly updated to ensure they continued to reflect people’s evolving needs, preferences and goals.

Good communication between staff and the management team helped ensure people received consistent, well-coordinated support. Staff were recruited safely and received the training, supervision and support required to carry out their roles.

Medicines were managed safely and given as prescribed. Staff could clearly explain the appropriate procedures to follow in the event of an error or medical emergency.

Effective governance systems provided oversight of safeguarding and incident management. Concerns were reviewed regularly, learning from incidents was captured and disseminated to the wider team, and actions were taken to drive improvements in practice.

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided. At the time of our assessment there was not a registered manager in post.

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

Read The Highlands'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 Highlands, consider asking...

  1. 1.What happens if my relative's care needs increase significantly -- will they have to move?
  2. 2.How do you handle concerns or complaints from families?
  3. 3.What does the monthly fee cover and what will cost extra?
  4. 4.How do you keep families informed about their relative's day-to-day wellbeing?
  5. 5.What happens if my relative is unhappy here?

5 Things to Look For on Your Visit

When you visit The Highlands, look out for...

  1. 1.Do staff greet residents by name and stop to chat?
  2. 2.Are residents dressed, up and occupied, or sitting alone in front of a TV?
  3. 3.Does the home smell fresh and feel clean without being clinical?
  4. 4.Do residents look comfortable and at ease, or anxious and withdrawn?
  5. 5.Does the manager answer your questions openly or deflect?

Could the NHS fund The Highlands'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

Durham Road, Birtley, Chester Le Street, County Durham, DH3 1LY

CQC Logo

The Highlands

CQC overall rating

Good

Assessment date: 11 June 2026

View full inspection report
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