Bluebell House

126 Barkham Road, Wokingham RG41 2RP
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9.7 93 Reviews
  • Bluebell House, Wokingham
Support for later life.

Bluebell House is a recently refurbished period property, located within walking distance of Wokingham town centre, the railway station and local shops. The service offers support to older people living with dementia, and nursing care for people aged 65 and over who are living with long term health conditions.

The team of highly trained staff get to know residents individually and offer the highest standards of care and support. People’s preferences, needs and wishes are central to the support provided. The home works with residents and their loved ones to plan their care and support. The team maintain strong working relationships with local health and social care teams to ensure that care and support adjusts as people’s needs change.

People are supported to pursue meaningful activities and experiences while living at Bluebell House. A varied activity schedule provides lots of options for people to enjoy fulfilling days. The home has a dedicated activity coordinator, who plan enjoyable activities each week to keep people moving and entertained. Everyone is welcome to join in as much or as little as they like.
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Care Provided

Primary Care Categories

  • Older Person Care
  • Dementia
  • Physical Disability

Length of Stay

  • Permanent Care
  • Respite Care

Care Types Provided

  • Residential Care
  • Nursing Care
  • Dementia Residential Care
  • Dementia Nursing Care
  • For a maximum of 50 Service Users

Facilities

  • Near Public Transport
  • Lift
  • Wheelchair Access
  • Gardens
  • Television point in own room
  • Residents Internet Access

Funding & Fees

Funding Types Accepted

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

Good to Know

Group/Owner

Person in charge

  • Ruth Sohail (Registered Manager)

Local Authority / Social Services

Admission Criteria

  • Full assessment and care plan prior to admission
  • Ages 65+

Care Home Design/Build

  • Purpose Built: Yes
  • Last Refurbishment: 2023
  • Number of floors: 2

Room Information

  • Single Rooms (50)
  • Couples/Companion Rooms (0)

Parking

  • Free parking on site

Bluebell House Reviews (93)

9.7

Bluebell House has a Review Score of 9.7 (9.721) out of 10, based on 17 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Bluebell House has 93 reviews.

Overall Experience
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Date Published
  • 93
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Reviewer Connection to Bluebell House
  • 30
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Total of 93, showing 81-93
Review from Joan C (Partner of Resident) published on 7 February 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
My partner has been in The Berkshire Care Home for just over two years. It is a good care home and the residents are treated with care, kindness and compassion. There are odd niggles now and again but usually small ones. There is an excellent activities lady and her assistant and events and entertainment
are a regular feature. The food is good and nicely presented and residents are able to make their own menu choice daily. The laundry service is excellent, everything is nicely washed and ironed and neatly put away and we've never had any lost items of clothing. The manager has an open door policy and is always happy to listen and discuss anything that might crop up and there are regular Family Meetings every 2 months which are very useful too. Overall, my partner is happy and well cared for and I would certainly recommend it.
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Review from Richard I (Friend of Resident) published on 7 February 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
The Berkshire Care Home aims to give good support and service to its residents.
It works well with their families and supporters. It provides extras and stimulation. It has improved over the last two years both in terms of staffing, standards and the standards of decoration and provision. We are reasonably
satisfied whilst accepting that there is no perfect Care/Nursing home in the difficult providers environment. It responds to our feedback.
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Review from PJB (Friend of Resident) published on 7 February 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
Residents appear to be well looked after. Manager and senior staff very helpful in trying to accomplish any special requests such as change of room etc. Communal areas kept clean and tidy.
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Review from Kevin G (Son of Resident) published on 7 February 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
Friendly caring staff.
Clean and tidy conditions.
Would like more time spent just talking to mum more.


But, overall, very pleased and staff are nice and helpful and polite.

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Review from S C (Friend of Resident) published on 23 January 2018 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
A very friendly and clean home.
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Review from L E (Daughter of Resident) published on 29 November 2017 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
We mainly visit at the weekend. We find the staff very friendly but not enough of them. Often there are no members of staff available if you have a question to ask. When we visit Mum we often find that her clothes have not been changed frequently enough but otherwise the level of care is very good.
Her room always looks clean and tidy and she is always treated with dignity and the staff always show they care.
Reply from Caroline Walker, Home Manager at Bluebell House

Thank you for your positive feedback about the level of care and cleanliness you have experienced at The Berkshire. I completely understand your point about the weekend team and have added an extra team member in the day at the weekend. We have also reflected on your comments as a team and will try to make sure that we have someone available in the lounge for families to talk to. It’s great to hear that you feel the level of care is very good. I will pass on your positive comments to the team.

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Review from Joyce B (Resident) published on 14 November 2017 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
Excellent care. Homely. Prefer my own company most times, but not unsociable.


I find the staff at all times are brilliant.

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Review from Christine M (Wife of Resident) published on 30 October 2017 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My husband has been in The Berkshire Care Home for 1 year. I am very pleased with the care he receives. The staff are very friendly and caring. He has a good choice of food and drinks and the staff help him as he is unable to do it himself. I am very pleased with the home and would certainly recommend
it.
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Review from Tim J (Son of Resident) published on 30 October 2017 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
The staff are always smiling and friendly and do whatever they can to help, even when busy.


Mum has improved a lot in 6 months since coming; healthwise, happiness and socially (mostly with staff).

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Review from Chris (Nephew of Resident) published on 23 October 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
Very happy with the care and staff treatment of my aunt and to see a definite improvement in her since her admission.
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Review from Gloria C (Daughter of Resident) published on 6 September 2017 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
The care is very good and the staff are really nice and helpful.
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Review from Fiona J. M (Daughter of Resident) published on 3 April 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My mother has been at The Berkshire Care Home for 3 1/2 years now and has been very well taken care of. The building itself is bright and welcoming, and the staff are committed to caring for the residents as fully rounded individuals. There is also a lovely garden that gives my mum, who is no longer
mobile, much enjoyment. The manager has made many changes for the better since he arrived and is very open to feedback from the residents and their families. The cooking has improved since my mum first arrived, becoming a bit more varied and tasty. Also, under the excellent activities manager, at The Berkshire Care Home maintains a constant wide-ranging programme of activities for the residents. Also, I believe the manager is working towards setting up a programme of volunteers to visit residents, which will be particularly welcome at weekends when the place can be quite quiet for those residents with no visitors.
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Review from Rod (Son of Resident) published on 10 March 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
The home has been on a journey since my father has been a resident. During the past 6 months the home has improved and are nearly at full strength. The staff are always happy to help, polite and kind to my father and the other residents.
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Current Review Score: 9.7 (9.721)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.7 (9.721) out of 10 for Bluebell House is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  1. The Average Rating is 4.7 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 16 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 4.721 for Bluebell House is calculated as follows: ( (155 Excellents x 5) + (37 Goods x 4) + (8 Satisfactorys x 3) + (1 Poors x 2) ) ÷ 201 Ratings = 4.721
  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 Bluebell House is based on 16 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 50 registered maximum number of service users is 10, which has been reached with 16 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

Care Quality Commission is responsible for the registration and inspection of social care services in England. View Latest Report

Bed Vacancies

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Awards / Recognitions (0)

Meet the Team (1)

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Matthew Bowden

Job Title: Home Manager Joined: 2022

What do you enjoy most about your role and the people you care for?


I love being in homes and getting to know the residents. I love to hear their stories and I love to hear about their lives and experiences. I enjoy trying to bring good quality care to people and making a home feel like a home and creating a family-type environment, which Berkshire already has that close feeling. I enjoy the fact that the staff care.


What are your favourite hobbies and pastimes?


My favourite hobbies are football, I am an avid Arsenal fan which goes to show that no one is perfect. My biggest passion is my family, my wife and my two beautiful daughters.


Are there any highlights in your career you are particularly proud of?


My biggest highlight and achievement is taking my previous home from inadequate to a good rating with CQC and getting a 32 bedded unit commissioned with CQC.


What is your work experience in care?


I started as a carer in a nursing home in Uxbridge, Hillingdon. I then proceeded to attain a team leader position in a residential home. As a team leader, I joined a support team where we went from home to home supporting were needed so in one home I would be writing local policies and in another, we helped in closing a home and transferring residents to a brand new build. I then become a Home Manager in a 75 bedded residential home for 6 years taking the home from a poor rating to the good before transferring to another home that required improvement with CQC and taking that home to good, I was in that position for 4 years. The last home I managed was rated poor with CQC and we attained a good rating and commissioned a 32 bedded nursing unit to take them home from 59 beds to 91, I worked there for 5 and a half years before coming to the Berkshire.


What top tips would you give someone who is looking for the right care home?


You will get a feeling when you visit a home for the first time. If it feels warm, welcoming and friendly and the staff say hello then this is a good first sign. Also to review all homes on the CQC website and look at the last inspection, however homes change over time and a home that is rated inadequate or requires improvement can change with the right team in place, so use this as a guideline rather than an exact guide.


What do you like most about working for the company?


The warm welcome that I have received so far as I am only 4 weeks into my employment. The staff group at the Berkshire have been very friendly and welcoming and has been very open to anything that I have suggested so far.

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