GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: OutstandingResponsive: GoodWell-led: GoodRated 6 months ago↑ Up from Req. improvementNo registered managerNew owner since November 2024
SafeAre people protected from abuse and avoidable harm?72%Good
See the breakdownHide the breakdown1 of 8 below good
Safe environmentsSome shortfalls
Infection prevention and controlGood
Involving people to manage risksGood
Learning cultureGood
Medicines optimisationGood
Safe and effective staffingGood
Safe systems, pathways and transitionsGood
SafeguardingGood
EffectiveDoes care achieve good outcomes and a good quality of life?75%Good
See the breakdownHide the breakdownAll 6 good
Assessing needsGood
Consent to care and treatmentGood
Delivering evidence-based care and treatmentGood
How staff, teams and services work togetherGood
Monitoring and improving outcomesGood
Supporting people to live healthier livesGood
CaringAre staff kind, compassionate and respectful?90%★Outstanding
See the breakdownHide the breakdown3 of 5 exceptional
Responding to people's immediate needsGood
Workforce wellbeing and enablementGood
Independence, choice and controlExceptional
Kindness, compassion and dignityExceptional
Treating people as individualsExceptional
ResponsiveAre services organised to meet people's needs?82%Good
See the breakdownHide the breakdown2 of 7 exceptional
Care provision, integration and continuityGood
Equity in accessGood
Equity in experiences and outcomesGood
Listening to and involving peopleGood
Providing InformationGood
Person-centred careExceptional
Planning for the futureExceptional
Well-ledIs the home well managed, with a culture of high-quality care?75%Good
See the breakdownHide the breakdownAll 7 good
Capable, compassionate and inclusive leadersGood
Freedom to speak upGood
Governance, management and sustainabilityGood
Learning, improvement and innovationGood
Partnerships and communitiesGood
Shared direction and cultureGood
Workforce equality, diversity and inclusionGood
Percentages are CQC scores from its newer way of assessing homes. ?
CQC scored 33 standards: 27 good, 5 exceptional, 1 below good. Use “See the breakdown” on each key question for its standards. ?
CQC hasn't inspected this home for more than 5 years. It re-inspects based on risk, so an old rating doesn't count against a home on this site, but it may not reflect the home today. ?
CQC's register shows no registered manager for this home. Every care home must have one. The home may be recruiting, or a new manager may be applying to CQC. ?
Abbeyfield House is in the Good, with Outstanding areas tier ?, with 8 other homes in Northumberland.
91% of rated homes here are Good or Outstanding (England: 82%).
Abbeyfield House is one of 93 care homes in Northumberland: a 25-bed residential care home in Alnwick, run by Abbeyfield Northumbria. It is registered to care for older people and people with dementia.
The current CQC rating is Good, published in April 2026. It was Good for safe, effective, responsive and well-led as well. For caring, the rating was Outstanding. Its previous rating, in February 2024, was Requires improvement, so the home has improved. Ratings in Northumberland are typically about 3 years old, which makes this one newer than most. CQC found some shortfalls in “safe environments”, one of 1 standards out of 33 scored below good.
Across Northumberland, 91% of rated homes are Good or Outstanding, against 82% for England. Its kitchen was rated 5 for food hygiene in January 2026. That is true of 95% of homes in Northumberland. The home changed owner in November 2024. 3 of Abbeyfield Northumbria’s 3 rated homes are Good or Outstanding (compare care home groups). CQC's register shows no registered manager at the moment. None of the 6 nearest rated homes has a higher rating.
