The Gardens Care Home

Pond Field Close, Salutation Road, Darlington DL3 8LH
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8.4 29 Reviews
  • The Gardens Care Home, Darlington
The Gardens Care Home is a single storey, well-appointed and very popular Care Home within the Coniscliffe Road area of Darlington. Set in the very peaceful Pondfield Close, they offer unparalleled Dementia, Nursing, and Residential care amidst a relaxing, leafy setting.

Residents at The Gardens Care Home enjoy first-class quality care within a homely and stimulating environment that places a real emphasis on their happiness and well-being. Staff at The Gardens are carefully recruited and highly trained, and are always on hand to ensure that everything asked of them is delivered with care, passion, empathy and dignity, placing Residents at the heart of everything they do.

The Blackwell Suite, their self-contained nurse-led unit, also forms part of The Gardens Care Home, and specialises in supporting adults with complex mental health needs, including challenging behaviours and brain injury.
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Care Provided by The Gardens Care Home

Primary Care Categories

  • Older Person Care
  • Dementia
  • Mental Health Condition
  • Physical Disability
  • Visual / Hearing Impairment
  • Eating Disorders
  • Alcohol / Drug Misuse

Length of Stay

  • Permanent Care
  • Respite Care

Care Types Provided

  • Residential Care
  • Nursing Care
  • Dementia Residential Care
  • Dementia Nursing Care
  • For a maximum of 56 Service Users

Dementia Care Types

  • Mild Dementia
  • Advanced/Complex Dementia

Other Care Provided

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

Facilities

  • Pet Friendly (or by arrangement)
  • Smoking not permitted
  • Near Public Transport
  • Wheelchair Access
  • Ground Floor Accommodation only
  • Gardens
  • Phone Point in own room
  • Television point in own room
  • Residents Internet Access

Funding & Fees

Weekly Charges per Person

  • Self-Funded Residential Care: £780 – £1080
  • Self-Funded Residential Dementia Care: £780 – £1080
  • Self-Funded Nursing Care: £780 – £2026
  • Self-Funded Nursing Dementia Care: £780 – £2026
  • RESPITE Self-Funded Residential Care: £780 – £1080
  • RESPITE Self-Funded Residential Dementia Care: £780 – £1080
  • RESPITE Self-Funded Nursing Care: £780 – £2026
  • RESPITE Self-Funded Nursing Dementia Care: £780 – £2026

The Gardens Care Home is also home to The Blackwell Suite, a separate nurse-led unit specialised in caring after people with complex mental health needs, including challenging behaviours. Fees for The Blackwell Suite start at £1,650 per week.
Fees at The Gardens and The Blackwell Suite include:
-   Care coverage 24 hour 7 days per week, tailored to the needs of the Resident.
-   All meals and drinks, including specialised diets.
-   In-house laundry service.
-   Bedding and towels.
-   All activities organised to promote physical and mental wellbeing amongst Residents.
Additionally, Residents can request the following external services for an extra charge:
-   Chiropody
-   Vision and/or hearing visits
-   Dedicated dentist
-   Hairdressing
-   Newspaper delivery
Please note that fees published are indicative only. Prices vary based on room sizes, views and ensuite facilities. Final fees to be charged are based on an assessment of the needs and preferences of every Prospective Resident at The Gardens and/or The Balckwell Suite.

These prices are only a guideline, please contact The Gardens Care Home 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)

Support you may be entitled to

If you chose a care home based in England, you may be eligible for NHS Funded Nursing Care (FNC), which helps cover the cost of nursing. This is worth £254.06 per week and is usually paid directly to the care home.

Good to Know

Group/Owner

Person in charge

  • Hannah McCurley (Care Home Manager)

Local Authority / Social Services

Admission Criteria

  • Ages 55+

Care Home Design/Build

  • Purpose Built: Yes
  • Year Purpose Built: 1974
  • Last Refurbishment: 2019
  • Number of floors: 1

Room Information

  • Single Rooms (56)
  • Couples/Companion Rooms (0)
  • Single Rooms with Ensuite Wet Room (2)

Visiting

  • Relatives are welcome at anytime, altough kindly ask that you aim to visit outside of protected meal times, which are 12:00-14:00 and 16:30-17:45 pm. Pet friendly home and welcome well-trained pet visitors with a little advanced notice. Prospective Residents can book a tour to be shown around, meet the team and have questions answered.

Parking

  • Visitor parking is available to the side and rear of the home.

The Gardens Care Home Reviews (29)

8.4

The Gardens Care Home has a Review Score of 8.4 (8.357) out of 10, based on 4 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time The Gardens Care Home has 29 reviews.

Overall Experience
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  • 7
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Date Published
  • 29
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  • 4
  • 25
Reviewer Connection to The Gardens Care Home
  • 12
  • 5
  • 2
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  • 2
  • 2
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
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Total of 29, showing 21-29
Review from Julie M (Granddaughter of Resident) published on 21 December 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My nana and grandad are currently in The Gardens. They are very well looked after here and the staff are fantastic. I can’t praise them highly enough, they always go above and beyond to make the residents happy. They have always done their best to keep spirits high in these awful times. The home is
very clean. The food always looks very tasty. I would highly recommend the Gardens.
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Review from Linda W (Independent Advocate Deputyship) published on 21 December 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The Gardens care home is a joy to visit. The staff are always so welcoming. It is a happy home with lots of laughter. The care is of a high standard. The staff truly care for the residents. They are professional and caring and strive to provide a high quality of care. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming.
They provide a variety of activities which is important to stimulate and socialise residents I would highly recommend the Gardens care home.
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Review from Andrew H (Nephew of Resident) published on 21 December 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I visited my Aunt in the home. The staff were very helpful and accommodating. It was upsetting seeing my aunt in the home. The staff made my aunt feel welcome and extended the family. Nothing is too much to ask, very helpful in both our needs and my aunt's. One member of staff, especially, goes the
extra mile and personally texts us with the latest info about my aunt as I am not able to visit my aunt, due to work. Thank you very much.
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Review from E K (Friend of Resident) published on 21 December 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The staff are always friendly and helpful when I call. They constantly keep me up to date with my aunt's care. If she is not well they will call me and tell me what they are doing to help her and whether they have arranged for a visit by the matron, doctor or dentist. The staff are well trained to
identify any issues and on a couple of occasions, they have been swift to call an ambulance for her when needed. The staff are very respectful to my aunt and take the time to listen to her. The care home has a daily programme of activities to keep the residents entertained and active.
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Review from John J (Son of Resident) published on 7 December 2021 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I've always seen great care and support from all the staff and management. Very friendly atmosphere. The staff and management keep me informed of all treatments and needs required. I would strongly recommend The Gardens care home to all my friends and family.
Reply from Marie Nicholson, Registered Manager at The Gardens Care Home

Thank you for your kind words, it's a pleasure to care for your mum. It's wonderful to hear how happy you are with the service. Thank you.

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Review from Eleanor N (Daughter of Resident) published on 17 August 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
My father has only been in this care home for nearly 4 weeks and he is so happy there! He came out of hospital and then went there for 24-hour care. I worried that on my first visit to him, that he would be adamant that he wanted to come home! I was so happy that he has settled so quickly into his spacious
room and was being attended to well by the staff. He lived on his own for many years and it’s lovely to see that they have managed to integrate him well with the other residents and he is taking part in activities. I am informed every time that he is prescribed a new medicine and given a well-being check. I have to give special mention to one member of staff, in particular, who has definitely got my dad's health and well being at heart. On my last visit, he actually said to me “I’m staying here”! He must have thought that I was taking him back home. I could not have had a better reassurance that he was happy there and I went away buzzing! Well done to The Gardens and thank you.
Reply from Marie Nicholson, Registered Manager at The Gardens Care Home

Thank you for your kind words. It is such a pleasure to look after your father, as he has settled into the Gardens family wonderfully.

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Review from Nichola F (Daughter of Resident) published on 25 June 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
My mum was in The Gardens for about 4 months and I think she was as happy as she could be there. However, to have a phone call to tell me that my mum had died in such an uncaring, brisk way, unacceptable. After travelling 250 miles to get to Darlington, to then have my mum's thing passed out the front
door with no words of comfort or sympathy is totally unacceptable. To then have to ask for my mum's jewellery, totally unacceptable. My mum may have been well looked after but my lasting impression of the place my mum spent her final days in, will be one of coldness and total disinterest. Thank goodness my dad died at the Memorial Hospital. The staff there were amazingly kind and caring and I will never, ever forget that. The questions underneath are very difficult to answer as neither I or my sister managed to get into the home to physically see my mum because of Covid so my review is based on what I saw through a window and the conversations I had with my mum through a window.
Reply from Michelle Faragher, Head of Operations at The Gardens Care Home

Thank you for your review Nichola. I'm sorry to hear that you had a less than satisfactory experience at one of our homes. I will personally contact you within the next 24 hours to discuss the concerns you have raised.

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Review from Helen M (Daughter of Resident) published on 30 December 2019 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Mum was allocated a bed at The Gardens for her final week. Although The Gardens is not a nursing home, it offers respite care and had a bed available.
We knew mum didn’t have long to live and the speed at how quickly she had deteriorated from cancer distressed her yet she visibly relaxed from the minute
she arrived in the bright, cheery room. She was placed on half-hourly observation from the beginning. The staff were super with her, and their sense of humour was really appreciated by mum and by us. Mum was a private, quiet lady, but they did their best to maintain her dignity right to the end. My brother and I spent a week by Mum’s bedside, and even though they were very busy, they went out of their way to support us too with a chat and many cups of tea. Two particular care workers were a real source of strength for Mum (and us) in her final hours.
Reply from Ian Proudfoot, Operations Manager at The Gardens Care Home

Ascot Care would like to thank you for your kind words following your recent positive experience at our Gardens Care Home.

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Review from Caroline B (Daughter of Resident) published on 4 September 2019 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My father was a resident at the Gardens for a short time.
He spent his last weeks in comfort and tranquillity, listening to his favourite classical music on the radio.
Every member of the team was lovely with him, nothing was too much trouble.
My family will be eternally grateful for the care and
respect we were shown.
Reply from Marie Nicholson, Registered Manager at The Gardens Care Home

Thank you for your kind words. It is so important for us to hear that we are supporting people at such difficult times. It was an absolute pleasure to look at your father, who was such a lovely person even though we only knew him for a short while.

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Current Review Score: 8.4 (8.357)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 8.4 (8.357) out of 10 for The Gardens Care Home is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  1. The Average Rating is 4.6 out of 5 from 4 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 3.7 out of 5 from 4 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 4.625 for The Gardens Care Home is calculated as follows: ( (33 Excellents x 5) + (12 Goods x 4) + (3 Satisfactorys x 3) ) ÷ 48 Ratings = 4.625
  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 3.732 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for The Gardens Care Home is based on 4 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 = 3.375
    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 56 registered maximum number of service users is 11.2. 4 Positive Reviews ÷ 11.2 = 0.357
  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: 12 Nov 2024

Overall Requires improvement

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

Bed Vacancies

Bed Vacancies

Posted: 03 Oct 2025

For up to date information on bed vacancies, please contact us.

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Awards / Recognitions (0)

Meet the Team (2)

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Hannah McCurley

Job Title: Care Home Manager Joined: 2025

Hannah joined Ascot care in 2025, as Care Home Manager for The Gardens care home and The Blackwell Suite, our nurse-led unit specialised in complex behaviours.

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Kirsty Artle

Job Title: Deputy Manager Joined: 2013

Kirsty joined Ascot Care in 2013 as a Care Assistant at The Gardens. Since then, she has been promoted to Team Leader in 2014, Senior Carer in 2017, and Deputy Manager in early 2025.


She has an NVQ Level 3 in Health and Social Care, and a CACHE Diploma Level 3.

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