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Gainsborough Care Home

53 Ulwell Road, Swanage, Dorset BH19 1LQ
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Little touches like daffodils on St Davids' day showed how much staff listened and understoodKeith B(Son of Resident/Service User)
Gainsborough Care Home, Swanage
We know our mum is safe, cared for, happy and in her ever after home. Thank you.J C(Daughter of Resident/Service User)
Gainsborough Care Home, Swanage
The staff are kind, helpful and jolly, which makes the place homely.Sandy E(Daughter of Resident/Service User)
Gainsborough Care Home, Swanage

Gainsborough Care Home offers a home for life in Swanage, providing affordable residential, respite and dementia care. Gainsborough is set in a picturesque Purbeck seaside town, just a stone’s throw from Dorset’s stunning Jurassic Coast.

After being completely refurbished to a very high standard Gainsborough is fully equipped to deal with a range of needs and requirements. Gainsborough has three comfortable lounges and the dining room mean there is plenty of...  

Care Provided by Gainsborough Care Home

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 48 Service Users

Dementia Care Types

  • Mild Dementia
  • Moderate Dementia
  • Advanced/Complex Dementia

Other Care Provided

  • Parkinson's Disease
  • Stroke
  • Palliative / End of Life Care

Facilities

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

Funding & Fees

Weekly Charges per Person

Type of carePermanentRespite
Residential Care£1,100 - £1,400£1,300 - £1,600
Residential Dementia Care£1,200 - £1,500£1,400 - £1,700
Our Care Home fees are all-inclusive. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Meals
- Activities
- Designated care advisor
- Support with funding
- 24-hour care updates via our app
- Housekeeping
- Laundry

- And more.

In fact, we have NO HIDDEN FEES and will never ask you to pay more than your agreed weekly fee.

Contact Gainsborough Care Home to confirm what's included and get a personalised quote:

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

  • Vicky Boursnell-Brooks (Home Manager)

Local Authority / Social Services

Admission Information

  • Ages 65+

Care Home Design/Build

  • Purpose Built: No
  • Last Refurbishment: 2014

Room Information

  • Single Rooms (48)
  • Single Rooms with ensuite Wet Room (48)

Visiting

  • Visitors welcome anytime

Parking

  • Ample parking

Gainsborough Care Home Reviews (60)

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9.5

Gainsborough Care Home has a Review Score of 9.5 (9.492) out of 10, based on 14 reviews in the last 2 years. Over all time Gainsborough Care Home has 60 reviews.

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Review from Naomi P (Daughter of Resident) published on 6 August 2026 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience
Gainsborough is a wonderful home. The communication is fantastic from the team in the office and the staff on the floor are always beyond helpful and supportive to all.
I feel very blessed that mum is safe, clean and content there.

Thank you all for making a difficult time as smooth as possible for us.

Reply from Roxii Owen, Registered Manager at Gainsborough Care Home

Hi Naomi, thank you so much for your lovely words. The team will be delighted to see this review. I will ensure that this is passed on to all of the team on your behalf.

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Review from G C (Resident / Service User) published on 15 July 2026 Submitted via Postal Card
Overall Experience
All of the staff are lovely and very caring. They go above and beyond to help with anything. They take great care with my medication and make sure I am comfortable.
I have a peaceful room with a view of the garden.
I have made new friend and I feel at home.

It is hard to move into a care home, but the staff have made it easier for me. Catherine and all the staff are brilliant.

Reply from Roxii Owen, Registered Manager at Gainsborough Care Home

Thank you very much for your lovely comments. The team will be delighted to see this review.

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Review from Jan D (Daughter of Resident) published on 6 July 2026 Submitted via Postal Card
Overall Experience
My dad has dementia and has been at Gainsborough for one year now. I visit regularly and have always found the staff at every level kind approachable and friendly. Everyone knows my dad and Dad feels very comfortable there.
I have peace of mind that Dad is safe and being looked after.

I have not rated value for money as I have nothing to compare it to.

Reply from Roxii Owen, Registered Manager at Gainsborough Care Home

Thank you very much for your kind words and feedback, I will be sure to pass this on to the team.

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Review from Linda P (Friend of Resident) published on 12 June 2026 Submitted via Postal Card
Overall Experience

Lovely, clean and spacious. Staff was very friendly but also hard working. Very polite. So good with the residents. All seemed good during our visit, and well run.

Reply from Paul Beasley, Operations Manager at Gainsborough Care Home

Thank you very much for your kind feedback. We will be sure to pass this onto the Gainsborough team.

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Review from Richard H (Son of Resident) published on 30 April 2026 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience
Dad has been with Gainsborough for approximately 6 years now, mum was with them until she passed in 2022.
Since then dad has been cared for and become well know by all of the staff and particularly by two or three members. It has very recently come to our attention that a member of staff purchased/ obtained a book relating to our family's history within motorcycle racing . Namely mums brother , dad's brother in law . This just does go to show how much you take in when listening to personal life stories of individuals, they are not just a body or resident, they are someone who you do care about.
Thank you

From Dad and Mum's family

Reply from Paul Beasley, Operations Manager at Gainsborough Care Home

Thank you for you kind feedback. I am pleased to see the impact the book has made to your father and how our teams are supporting our residents in such a person-centred way. I will be sure to pass your feedback to the team.

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Review from L P (Daughter of Resident) published on 16 March 2026 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience
After a very long spell in hospital my father's dementia was extreme and made him difficult to manage. He was discharged into the care of Gainsborough Care Home in Swanage. Despite him being violent, rude and troublesome they assured me they were happy to have him with them and that he would settle. He did. He is now comfortable and content, looked after and safe in the last stages of this awful condition.

Every single member of staff is compassionate and shows great empathy to my father and all the residents. They are always smiling and happy which reflects in the residents. Nothing is too much for them. I often hear laughter between residents and staff in the corridors. They show true concern and care for me as well as my father. It has been a difficult journey for my father and our family and at last, with such wonderful care, we can visit dad knowing he is peaceful at last. Thank you.

Reply from Paul Beasley, Operations Manager at Gainsborough Care Home

Thank you for your positive feedback. We are pleased that your father has been able to settle well at Gainsborough and that you have found the staff team compassionate and empathetic. I will be sure to pass on your feedback to the team, who will be delighted to hear this.

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Review from Barry T (Son of Resident) published on 9 February 2026 Submitted via Postal Card
Overall Experience

On every visit, the staff are always friendly and welcoming. My mums room is kept clean and tidy. Mum is very happy with the care she is receiving. She is check on at regular intervals and has everything she needs. Mum needs assistance with eating and feeding. Help is given readily by the staff. Overall we are very happy with the care she is receiving.

Reply from Paul Beasley, Operations Manager at Gainsborough Care Home

We are so pleased that you are finding your mothers experience at Gainsborough such a positive one and you are happy with the care provision and the environment. I will be sure to pass on your comments to the team.

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Review from M P (Daughter-in-law of Resident) published on 7 January 2026 Submitted via Postal Card
Overall Experience

The staff are lovely but always short-staffed. The laundry service is dreadful. Numerous lost items and ruined clothing. Very poorly staffed member of staff does her best but is also a cleaner!! The food is excellent.

Reply from Paul Beasley, Operations Manager at Gainsborough Care Home

We are sorry to read your views of Gainsborough. We take all feedback received very seriously and will be sure to review the concerns raised and ensure these are managed where improvements can be made to improve the service offered. I am pleased to read you found the food excellent and will be sure to pass this feedback onto the kitchen team also.

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Review from Allison F (Daughter of Resident) published on 11 August 2025 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience
Thank you and your lovely staff for making Mum's transition to full time care so easy, showing patience and kindness at all times

Mum feels settled, happy and very well cared for and this is down to you and all at Gainsborough - we can't thank you enough

Reply from The Manager, Registered Manager at Gainsborough Care Home

It has been very stressful for all the families and residents of the care home that closed and we have been glad that we were able to help. Gainsborough tried to do all it could to help the transition go as smoothly as possible, and I'm very happy to read this review that confirms we did actually achieve this.

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Review from Sandra G (Friend of Resident) published on 25 July 2025 Submitted via Postal Card
Overall Experience

The manager & all the staff are extremely kind & helpful & always do all they can to make my friend feel happy & contented.After her initial distress on moving into a care home, she definitely now feels that Gainsborough is her home. Thank you Gainsborough Care Home.

Reply from The Manager, Registered Manager at Gainsborough Care Home

This is really lovely to read, thank you. We do our best to try to ensure that all residents are happy and content. Our team is wonderful and are caring and kind and they do pay attention to detail.

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Review from Steven W (Son of Resident) published on 20 June 2025 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience

My mum passed away peacefully on 5th June at Gainsborough, with family around her, after a happy two and a half months as a resident there. Suffering from Alzheimer's, she had become increasingly anxious and unhappy at her previous care home, but the move to the area lifted both her spirits and ours (her three sons and our families) - it's clear to me this was down purely to the lovely attentive and cheerful staff and a better environment - a nice room with a view of the pretty garden. My heartfelt thanks and gratitude go to the team led by one member of staff in particular, who made her final months a peaceful and relaxed one - we will be forever in your debt for that, thank you. Xxx

Reply from The Manager, Registered Manager at Gainsborough Care Home

Our dedicated team do everything they can to make the lives of our residents better, especially when they are at the end of their journey. Mum was a very special lady, and we are all very sad at her passing. However, we are all so very proud to have been apart of her life. We are very lucky to...  

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Review from Victoria M (Daughter of Resident) published on 6 June 2025 Submitted via Postal Card
Overall Experience

My mother who has vascular dementia has been at the Gainsborough Care Home since February 2025. She is so happy there, which I never thought I would be able to say! The staff have been excellent at helping her make the difficult transition from home to care home. I cannot speak highly enough of the staff from admin to catering. The caters are wonderful and mum loves them all. From being confused and anxious she is now relaxed and feels safe. Her room is beautiful and she is able to have her own belongings there to make it more homely. Visitors are always welcome at any time.

Reply from The Manager, Registered Manager at Gainsborough Care Home

This is a really wonderful review, thank you. Gainsborough is a really lovely home and we are very lucky to have a team which is really supportive and responsive to our residents and their families. As a team we have always been dedicated to ensuring that all our residents feel safe and their general health and well being is paramount.

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Review from Simon W (Son of Resident) published on 23 May 2025 Submitted via Postal Card
Overall Experience

My mother recently came to live at the Gainsborough after two and a half years in a different home, who after a less than happy time there they eventually admitted they were "unable to meet her needs". Since mum came to the Gainsborough she has become much happier, far less anxious and regained her old sense of humour. The nice surroundings (choice of lounges, lots of light coming in, garden etc.) have contributed greatly, but so has the interaction with staff and the community feeling from relatives of other residents, which is generated by an overall feeling of a happy home and led by good management.

Reply from The Manager, Registered Manager at Gainsborough Care Home

We are very lucky to have a wonderful variety of absolutely amazing residents. They are all wonderful to be around and are all part of the Gainsborough family. We do our very best to give all our residents the attention they need and we try to encourage everyone to be part of social interactions....  

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Review from Rosemary D (Wife of Resident) published on 1 May 2025 Submitted via Postal Card
Overall Experience

I would like to thank all the staff for the kindness shown to my husband. He has recently had several visitors who have all commented of the high standard of care that he receives. Personally I feel that the staff have also been very supportive and helpful towards me. A big thank you to you all.

Reply from Dawn Hand, Registered Manager at Gainsborough Care Home

This is a very lovely read. The staff at Gainsborough have always been very responsive, and we have always done our best to ensure our residents receive the highest standard of care, encouragement and support.

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Review from Richard Y (Son of Resident) published on 16 November 2023 Submitted via Postal Card
Overall Experience
The staff make a real effort with my mum and genuinely seem to know her.
They made a big fuss of my mum on her birthday. She loves visits from Blue the dog.

The friendly banter with staff makes a big difference.

Reply from Dawn Hand, Manager at Gainsborough Care Home

This is a very reflective review as all staff make the effort to get to know our residents and their families and we all get involved with residents birthdays to make the day special.

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Review from Catherine B (Sister of Resident) published on 25 September 2023 Submitted via Postal Card
Overall Experience

My experience is one of good care for my sister. Whenever I visit her she is comfortable and clean, the staff are very friendly and know her by name. The management listens to any concerns I have about her which is extremely important to me. They answer all my questions regarding my sister and put my mind at rest so that I can enjoy my visits with her. She is so much better now than when she first arrived from hospital, she interacts and has a better quality of life. Many thanks to all those at Gainsborough.

Reply from Dawn Hand, Manager at Gainsborough Care Home

Thank you for this wonderful review which is very reflective of our staff and care home.

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Review from Anthony D (Son of Resident) published on 21 August 2023 Submitted via Postal Card
Overall Experience

Very pleased with service to/for resident mother and very consistent communication and care provision information with myself. Have very much had a positive experience with staff (both management and frontline).

Reply from Dawn Hand, Manager at Gainsborough Care Home

This is a lovely, positive review and very reflective on the care and devotion we give to our residents.

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Review from Bernard T (Husband of Resident) published on 21 July 2023 Submitted via Postal Card
Overall Experience

I am happy for my wife to be a resident and be looked after.

Reply from Dawn Hand, Manager at Gainsborough Care Home

We are happy to be able to take care of all her needs and are glad she is staying with us here at Gainsborough Care Home.

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Review from Rosemary M (Daughter of Resident) published on 19 July 2023 Submitted via Postal Card
Overall Experience

A very friendly and helpful home. The staff not only look after the residents but also family and friends. Since my mother moved into the home, she is looking better and is very well looked after.

Reply from Dawn Hand, Manager at Gainsborough Care Home

This review is really reflective of how much we really care about the residents, their families and friends and the staff. We really put a lot of effort into ensuring everybody's general well-being whilst in the home and really appreciate this being recognised by family members. Thank you.

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Review from C P (Son of Resident) published on 27 February 2023 Submitted via Postal Card
Overall Experience
Dad has been at Gainsborough Care Home for almost two years. After the initial upheaval of being moved there, he has settled in really quite well. Although he suffers from dementia, he interacts very well with the staff and them with him. There always seems to be smiles and laughter on both sides.

Dad has put on weight as the food is very good and he is well-fed. I can say that I am very happy with the care that Dad receives at Gainsborough.

Reply from Dawn Hand, Manager at Gainsborough Care Home

We really appreciate feedback like this as the team do a wonderful job of caring for our residents. We do have a lot of laughter with our residents and the team interactions are second to none.

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Regulatory Rating

Care Quality Commission (CQC) Rating

Date: 21 May 2025
Overall
Good
  • CaringGood
  • EffectiveGood
  • ResponsiveGood
  • SafeGood
  • Well-ledGood
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.

News (0) & Events (0)

News

There are no news items for Gainsborough Care Home.

Upcoming Events

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Awards / Recognitions (0)

There are currently no awards/recognitions posted yet for Gainsborough Care Home.

Accreditations

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Meet the Team (1)

Juliet Porter
Juliet PorterJob Title:Deputy ManagerJoined: 2017

Juliet has been working at Gainsborough Care Home since 2017 as an Administrator. During this time, Juliet has grown with the home and has been a valued team member, understanding the needs of the home and the residents.

In 2022 Dawn Hand became the new Registered Manager and appointed Juliet as her Deputy reinforcing the Management Team, new ideas and structure.

Frequently Asked Questions about Gainsborough Care Home

What types of Care is Gainsborough Care Home registered for?

Older Person Care, Dementia, Mental Health Condition, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment are the registered (by the Care Quality Commission) categories of Care.

How many Rooms does Gainsborough Care Home have?

There are 48 Single Rooms.

What are the Facilities & Services at Gainsborough Care Home?

Own Furniture if required, Pet Friendly (or by arrangement), Smoking not permitted, Near Public Transport, Minibus or other transport, Lift, Wheelchair Access, Gardens, Phone Point in own room, Television point in own room, Residents Internet Access are some of the Facilities & Services.

How far is Gainsborough Care Home to the centre of Swanage?

0.8 mile(s) as the crow flies, distance by road may be significantly further.

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