Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvementRated 10 months ago↓ Down from Good
SafeAre people protected from abuse and avoidable harm?53%Requires improvement
See the breakdownHide the breakdown5 of 8 below good
Infection prevention and controlSignificant shortfalls
Safe and effective staffingSignificant shortfalls
Involving people to manage risksSome shortfalls
Medicines optimisationSome shortfalls
Safe environmentsSome shortfalls
Learning cultureGood
Safe systems, pathways and transitionsGood
SafeguardingGood
EffectiveDoes care achieve good outcomes and a good quality of life?67%Good
See the breakdownHide the breakdown2 of 6 below good
Assessing needsSome shortfalls
Consent to care and treatmentSome shortfalls
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?65%Good
See the breakdownHide the breakdown2 of 5 below good
Kindness, compassion and dignitySome shortfalls
Workforce wellbeing and enablementSome shortfalls
Independence, choice and controlGood
Responding to people's immediate needsGood
Treating people as individualsGood
ResponsiveAre services organised to meet people's needs?68%Good
See the breakdownHide the breakdown2 of 7 below good
Person-centred careSome shortfalls
Providing InformationSome shortfalls
Care provision, integration and continuityGood
Equity in accessGood
Equity in experiences and outcomesGood
Listening to and involving peopleGood
Planning for the futureGood
Well-ledIs the home well managed, with a culture of high-quality care?61%Requires improvement
See the breakdownHide the breakdown3 of 7 below good
Governance, management and sustainabilitySignificant shortfalls
Shared direction and cultureSome shortfalls
Workforce equality, diversity and inclusionSome shortfalls
Capable, compassionate and inclusive leadersGood
Freedom to speak upGood
Learning, improvement and innovationGood
Partnerships and communitiesGood
Percentages are CQC scores from its newer way of assessing homes. ?
CQC scored 33 standards: 19 good, 14 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. ?
Betsy Clara Nursing Home is in the Requires improvement tier ?, with 90 other homes in Kent.
79% of rated homes here are Good or Outstanding (England: 82%).
Betsy Clara Nursing Home is one of 485 care homes in Kent: a 50-bed nursing home in Maidstone, run by Betsy Clara and Southdowns Limited. Its CQC registration covers older people, people with dementia and people with mental health needs. That is larger than most homes in Kent, where the typical home has 24 beds.
CQC last rated the home in December 2025, giving it Requires improvement overall. It was Requires improvement for safe and well-led as well. For effective, caring and responsive, the rating was Good. That is down from Good in March 2023. Ratings in Kent are typically about 4 years old, which makes this one newer than most. Of the 33 standards CQC scored, 14 fell below good. The lowest was “infection prevention and control” (significant shortfalls).
The Oast, 1.0 km away, is the closest home rated Good. It is one of 2 homes run by Betsy Clara and Southdowns Limited. 1 of those with a rating are Good or Outstanding. Across Kent, 79% of rated homes are Good or Outstanding, against 82% for England.
