The Briars

33 Broadway, Sandown, PO36 9BD
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9.9 49 Reviews
  • The Briars, Sandown
The Briars is proud to be one of the longest-standing and most respected care homes on the island, rated Good overall and Outstanding in Responsive category by the CQC (April 2021).

The Briars offers high-quality residential care in a warm, welcoming environment just moments from the coast. As part of the Greensleeves Care charity, every penny is reinvested into exceptional care – not profit. Thanks to the charity’s Home for Life Commitment, no resident is ever asked to leave due to a lack of funds.

Situated in a peaceful residential area with easy access to local shops, seafront walks and community life, The Briars combines homely comfort with round-the-clock support tailored to each individual. Residents enjoy freshly prepared meals, spacious en-suite bedrooms, and a genuine sense of companionship and belonging.

To help make the transition into care easier, The Briars offers a 6-week no-obligation trial, giving families peace of mind and the chance to experience life at the home before making a long-term decision.

The Briars offers:

- A top-rated, not-for-profit care setting focused on people – not profit
- Personalised 24/7 residential care
- The Home for Life Commitment – no resident asked to leave due to funding
- A 6-week no-obligation trial stay
- Comfortable, spacious en-suite bedrooms
- A quiet location close to the beach, local shops and transport links
- Cosy lounges, attractive gardens and a sunny conservatory
- Home-cooked meals made daily on site and a varied programme of activities and outings

With a strong connection to the local community and a dedicated, friendly team, The Briars offers not just care, but a true home.

Families are invited to get in touch to learn more or arrange a visit – the team at The Briars is always ready to offer support and a warm welcome.
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Care Provided

Primary Care Categories

  • Older Person Care
  • Dementia
  • Mental Health Condition
  • Physical Disability
  • Visual / Hearing Impairment

Length of Stay

  • Permanent Care
  • Respite Care

Care Types Provided

  • Residential Care
  • Dementia Residential Care
  • For a maximum of 38 Service Users

Dementia Care Types

  • Mild Dementia
  • Moderate Dementia

Other Care Provided

  • Parkinson's Disease
  • Stroke
  • Palliative / End of Life Care
  • Acquired Brain Injury (ABI)
  • Day Care

Facilities

  • Own Furniture if required
  • Pet Friendly (or by arrangement)
  • Smoking not permitted
  • Close to Local shops
  • Near Public Transport
  • Minibus or other transport
  • Lift
  • Stairlift
  • Wheelchair Access
  • Gardens
  • Phone Point in own room
  • Television point in own room

Funding & Fees

Weekly Charges per Person

  • Self-Funded Residential Care: £1269 – £1864
  • Self-Funded Residential Dementia Care: £1269 – £1864
  • RESPITE Self-Funded Residential Care: £1269 – £1864
  • RESPITE Self-Funded Residential Dementia Care: £1269 – £1864

Fees are set based on the specific care needs of each individual. Fees come with Greensleeves Care's unique Home for Life financial assurance and, as a not-for-profit home, every penny goes towards high-quality care, never shareholders. Give the home a call today for more details.

These prices are only a guideline, please contact The Briars to find out the exact price for your requirements.

Funding Types Accepted

  • Self Funding (Private)
  • Local Authority with Top Up
  • Local Authority
  • NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC)

Good to Know

Person in charge

  • Lesley Shaw (Home Manager)

Local Authority / Social Services

Admission Criteria

  • Ages 65+

Care Home Design/Build

  • Purpose Built: No
  • Last Refurbishment: 2012

Room Information

  • Single Rooms (38)
  • Single Rooms with Ensuite Wet Room (12)

Visiting

  • There are no restrictions on visiting Loved Ones. The Briars is the resident's home and therefore visitors are welcome anytime.

Parking

  • Like most other facilities on the Isle of Wight, The Briars Care Home does not have large parking availability. Some time ago the home took a decision, for the benefit of its resident, to convert previously allocated car parking space into a lovely communal outdoor facility for the residents to enjoy. Residents, families and visitors are unanimous in supporting this decision and the benefits of it are evident every day in the resident's wellbeing and happiness. This part of the reason the home achieved Outstanding at the last CQC inspection.


    Visitors are therefore advised to make use of the plentiful on-road car parking space that is available around the home.

The Briars Reviews (49)

9.9

The Briars has a Review Score of 9.9 (9.946) out of 10, based on 17 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time The Briars has 49 reviews.

Overall Experience
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Date Published
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Reviewer Connection to The Briars
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Review from Naomi E (Daughter of Resident) published on 22 March 2022 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My experience at The Briars has always been very positive. The ladies on reception are exceptional - so helpful, cheerful and considerate. As I have only known The Briars during Covid times - I cannot express adequately how good the carers have been - they are an absolute credit to your organisation.
They are so kind and have such empathy with the residents. Always cheerful and it is like a family.
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Review from M S (Daughter of Resident) published on 21 February 2022 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
Getting Mum settled in was a challenge as it was at the height of Covid (Dec 2020) and she had to isolate on arrival and then caught Covid (Feb 2021) and had not been vaccinated. She then contracted cellulitis in her legs and had several bad falls, resulting in her being admitted to hospital or paramedics
being called out. The medication given to Mum to keep her calm was not good as it made her liable to falls. However, despite these big challenges Mum does seem to have settled more and she does seem to be well taken care of on a daily basis and the staff are responsive to her needs and are caring. We appreciate the care she is getting.
Reply from Lesley Shaw, Home Manager at The Briars

Thank you for your review and kind comments. We will share your feedback with our staff.

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Review from Shirley R (Friend of Resident) published on 8 February 2022 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Friendly staff and lovely clean home. Residents are all really well looked after here.
Reply from Lesley Shaw, Home Manager at The Briars

Dear Shirley, Thank you for your lovely review. We will share your valuable comments with our staff.

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Review from C H (Daughter of Resident) published on 20 January 2022 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
My mother has only been in The Briars care for a short period but so far, seems to be fairly settled and I am happy with the care she has received.
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Review from Claire H (Daughter of Resident) published on 19 November 2021 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Mum says everything is tip-top, staff are excellent and couldn't be better. Food is excellent (not enough sugar). Girls (staff) are the very top of the range. These are Mum's words. From me, as an ex carer, I can honestly say The Briars and their staff are excellent. Thank you.
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Review from Carole S (Wife of Resident) published on 19 November 2021 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My husband is well cared for in The Briars and I find the staff so welcoming to myself and my family, when we visit. There is a warm, friendly atmosphere everywhere in the home. Excellent.
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Review from Linda S (Sister-in-law of Resident) published on 16 November 2021 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
Can't get used to being unable to walk into the home to visit a friend/family without having to unlock lots of doors. Feels like imprisonment. After noticing food inside the comfy chair seat and complaining, the issue was dealt with immediately. Would like to see beakers used for residents who are vulnerable
to spillage of hot drinks and also oral care daily, with insisting on handwashing after toilet use, please.
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Review from Lesley G (Daughter of Resident) published on 11 November 2021 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
Mum has settled very well. I am extremely pleased with Mum's accommodation and how she is looked after and treated with respect by the staff. The home has a lovely atmosphere and I would recommend it.
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Review from L D (Daughter of Resident) published on 11 November 2021 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
My mother has been cared for very well. The staff are always very caring and nothing is too much trouble.
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Review from James K (Son of Resident) published on 6 August 2021 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
It has been wonderful to see my mum thrive at The Briars. When she entered in late April she was very frail and weak and in desperate need of constant attention. My wife and I have been so impressed by the quality of care and dignity every member of staff have shown her. The result is a much happier
mum, a steady improvement in her mental and physical health and more importantly her being positive about the future. Thank you!
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Review from M O (Daughter of Resident) published on 6 August 2021 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
Difficult to make some of these assessments, following nine months without visits. Based on observations previously and email and phone contact too. Excellent care and concern for Mum after a fall (under supervision of interim manager). Excellent staff - consistent team of friendly, personable, caring
workers. Has been most valuable resource form. Concerns of late, with the number of these good staff leaving and how a new team will work together for the residents. Provision and maintenance of very attractive garden for residents valued. Also stimulating visual areas indoors, which are often changed.
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Review from Robert M (Son of Resident) published on 20 August 2020 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I would like to thank The Briars care home for their exemplary service concerning my father. He was a resident for nearly a year at The Briars and was looked after with utmost care. They have handled the entire Coronavirus situation with commendable care and admirable management. Unfortunately, my father
passed away recently, but the care home gave us ample notice of his condition and allowed us to see my father and pay our final respects, whilst also taking the situation of social distancing seriously. I would wholeheartedly recommend their services, as they look after everyone with absolute respect. I want to say a massive thank you to every staff member at The Briars, for everything that they have done for my father.
Reply from Lesley Shaw, Home Manager at The Briars

Thank you Robert for your lovely review and kind words. We will pass your comments to our staff at The Briars who I am sure will be delighted to hear how much their work and dedication is being appreciated.

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Review from Chris S (Son of Resident) published on 29 October 2019 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My father was lucky enough to end his days at The Briars suffering from Parkinson's which slowly robbed him of his movement and speech to the point where he was unable to do anything for himself.
His condition gradually deteriorated over 13 months, during which time I am unable to praise the staff
highly enough for their patience and dedication.
In how many care homes does the chef come up to have a chat with a resident before he goes off shift, or takes the time to find out what his favourite food is or lovingly shapes puree food to resemble real vegetables instead of mush?
The carers treated Dad like he was just an ordinary person not disabled or a burden, even when he was semi-conscious on a morphine drip, they would explain to him what they were doing and always looking after his interests, I have so much admiration for these people including the managers and support staff who always had a smile and a welcome for us.
Highly recommended.
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Review from Ralph E (Son of Resident) published on 11 October 2019 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My mother recently moved into The Briars, having found that she could no longer cope in her assisted cottage, even with 24-hour care. When mum first arrived she was very bewildered and disorientated, having come straight from the hospital, after yet another fall. The Briars staff welcomed mum like a
long lost friend and made her arrival warm and calm. Once we had settled her into her room, with her familiar ornaments and odd bits of meaningful furniture around her, she seemed happier and more peaceful than I had seen her in weeks. I would recommend The Briars to anyone who has a relative or friend who is suffering from Dementia. They will receive the best possible care from a wonderful team of loving, friendly people; it doesn't matter who you talk to – chefs, kitchen staff, cleaners, care staff, auxiliaries, receptionists, everybody has the same caring attitude and each takes personal responsibility for the needs of the residents and visitors alike.
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Review from R B (Son of Resident) published on 19 September 2019 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Both my mother and her siblings felt welcome from the start. Management and staff are always happy to talk to the residents and their families and advise you on how to deal with situations as they happen. Also excellent, a local doctor took the time to talk to everyone regarding ongoing medical treatment
requirements.
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Review from T P (Nephew of Resident) published on 17 September 2019 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
Overall, The Briars has been a very safe, welcoming and supportive environment for my aunt, after a challenging transition when she became unable to manage living in her own home any more. Having direct access to a conservatory and garden from her room has been a great plus for her. Staff have always
been very positive, direct and open when I have visited my aunt at the Briars and have shown a respectful and caring approach to her.
In recent months I've been aware (as have other members of my family) that the Briars staff have been on a steady learning curve in their work with my aunt. With some considerable encouragement from my sister, in particular, they have taken a more pro-active approach in enabling my aunt a healthier daily routine of getting up in the morning and interacting with co-residents and staff. I believe the Briars has come to realise that this more proactive approach does not in any way run counter to person-centred care.
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Review from R P (Daughter of Resident) published on 11 September 2019 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I am very impressed with the kind, sensitive care that my Mother has at The Briars. The staff are all very professional and caring. The atmosphere is homely and relaxed.
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Review from N C (Son of Resident) published on 11 September 2019 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
The Briars has a very "homely" feeling so my mother immediately felt at home there and always says how wonderful it is. This was a huge relief to us (her family) especially as she has always been so fiercely independent. She is gluten intolerant but is full of praise about the food and the chefs who
seem to go out of their way to ensure she eats properly and well. The care staff are friendly and thoroughly efficient and we cannot praise them enough.
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Review from Joy R (Daughter of Resident) published on 11 September 2019 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
My mother has been well looked after over the past fifteen months. We have no complaints with regards to her care from the very dedicated staff.
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Review from A G (Daughter of Resident) published on 11 September 2019 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 3.0 out of 5
The standard of care has dropped considerably in the past six months. There is a constant change of staff and only a few longstanding ones remain. As a consequence of this, bank staff are often on-site. Long term residents have lost the continuity that helped with their dementia. Having someone who
knows how you like your hair, nails and clothes helps a resident to feel they are still themselves.
Reply from Donna McCormick, Interim Manager at The Briars

Thank you for your valuable comments. As per our conversation, all the areas you have mentioned in your review have now been addressed.

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Current Review Score: 9.9 (9.946)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.9 (9.946) out of 10 for The Briars is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  1. The Average Rating is 4.9 out of 5 from 17 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 17 positive Reviews in the last 24 months.

Detailed Breakdown of Review Score

The maximum Review Score for a Care Home is 10, which is made up from the Average Rating of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) and the Number of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) in the last 24 months:

  1. 5 Points are available for the Average Rating from all Reviews in the last 24 months. The Average Rating of 4.946 for The Briars is calculated as follows: ( (191 Excellents x 5) + (11 Goods x 4) ) ÷ 202 Ratings = 4.946
  2. 5 Points are available for the number of Positive Reviews in the last 24 months. A Positive Review is defined as any Review with an 'Overall Experience' of '4' or '5' (out of a max rating '5'). The 5 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for The Briars is based on 17 positive Reviews in the last 24 months and is calculated as per below:

    The 5 points available are broken down as follows:

    1. 4 points are available for the first 10 Positive Reviews in the last 24 months; 3 points for the first Positive Review, and then 0.125 Points for each of the next four Positive Reviews and then 0.1 Points for the next five Positive Reviews. (1st = 3.000, 2nd = 0.125, 3rd = 0.125, 4th = 0.125, 5th = 0.125, 6th = 0.100, 7th = 0.100, 8th = 0.100, 9th = 0.100, 10th = 0.100) 3 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 = 4
    2. 1 point is available for the number of Positive Reviews reaching 20% of the registered maximum number of service users in the last 24 months. If this number is partially reached, then that proportion of 1 point is given. eg a Care Home registered for a maximum of 50 service users has to reach 10 Positive Reviews to receive 1 point, if it has 7 reviews it will receive 0.7 points. 20% of the 38 registered maximum number of service users is 7.6, which has been reached with 17 Positive reviews. Points = 1
  3. When a Review is submitted by someone who has previously submitted a Review, only the latest Review will count towards the Review Score.
  4. If a Care Home does not have a review in the last 24 months, then it will not have a Review Score.

Regulatory Rating

Care Quality Commission (CQC) Rating

Date: 19 Mar 2020

Overall Good

  • Caring Good
  • Effective Good
  • Responsive Outstanding
  • Safe Good
  • Well-led Good
Care Quality Commission is responsible for the registration and inspection of social care services in England. View Latest Report

Bed Vacancies

Please contact us for latest vacancies.

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Awards / Recognitions (18)

Meet the Team (7)

Lesley

Lesley Shaw

Job Title: Home Manager Joined: 2019

Hello, my name is Lesley Shaw and I am proud to be the manager of The Briars.


We are based in the seaside town of Sandown on the Isle of Wight. The Briars is a specialised dementia home where the residents always come first. Our aim is to provide high quality care, in a safe and friendly environment, which respects the rights, dignity and privacy for all who live here.


Being a specialised dementia home my staff are highly qualified and dedicated ensuring everyone can live their life to the fullest. It is a privilege to be part of the team. I am a qualified, experienced manager, I believe in openness and transparency and always have time for a cup of tea and a chat. At The Briars we have strong links to our local community and always welcome new friends.

Kim

Kim Mears

Job Title: Family Liaison Manager Joined: 2018

My role at The Briars is to offer support and advice to families who are looking for care for their loved ones. There is no greater reward for me than helping people on this journey into finding the right home. Away from work, I love to spend time with my family and friends.

Cath

Cath

Job Title: Care Supervisor Joined: 2015

I have worked in care for 30 years in a variety of settings and positions. I joined the team at the Briars in December 2015. Supporting and caring for residents living with dementia is an integral part of my role that I find full-filling and each day brings new experiences.

Chloe

Chloe

Job Title: Senior Carer Joined: 2015

I joined The Briars 5 years ago as a Care Assistant and have now progressed to a Senior Carer. My residents here are very important to me and I will always take time out of my shift to chat to them and check they are doing OK. Outside of work, I love spending time with my family and paddleboarding, weather permitting.

Carol

Carol

Job Title: Administrator Joined: 2017

I feel very privileged to work at The Briars, the staff and residents are what make the home such a nice place to be. I enjoy my job knowing that the job I do makes a difference to the team and residents. Out of work, I enjoy spending time with my family and walking my three terrier style dogs.

Ava-Marie

Ava-Marie

Job Title: Head Chef Joined: 2016

I have worked in the catering sector of residential care for just over 10 years. I have previously worked as a Cook in holiday camps and public houses. I enjoy spending time with the residents and finding out about their likes and dislikes in terms of food. In my private time, I enjoy kayaking, swimming and spending time with my family.

Tony

Tony

Job Title: Head of Maintenance Joined: 2012

I enjoy my role as no two days are the same, for example, one day I could be changing fire doors, the next making a wooden birthday cake! In my spare time, I like to go kayaking with my sons and dog in tow! We enjoy exploring the Isle of Wight with plenty of walks and trips to the beach.

Information on this page is displayed without responsibility for its accuracy on the part of carehome.co.uk. Please contact The Briars to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. The Briars has an Enhanced Service - more info.