Nursing home · Kent

The Old Downs Care Centre

Castle Hill, Hartley, Dartford, DA3 7BH

Good Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good Rated 1 year ago

CQC rating

Good
Published 5 November 2024 Rated 1 year ago ?
  • SafeAre people protected from abuse and avoidable harm?75%Good
    See the breakdownHide the breakdownAll 8 good
    • Infection prevention and controlGood
    • Involving people to manage risksGood
    • Learning cultureGood
    • Medicines optimisationGood
    • Safe and effective staffingGood
    • Safe environmentsGood
    • 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?75%Good
    See the breakdownHide the breakdownAll 5 good
    • Independence, choice and controlGood
    • Kindness, compassion and dignityGood
    • Responding to people's immediate needsGood
    • Treating people as individualsGood
    • Workforce wellbeing and enablementGood
  • ResponsiveAre services organised to meet people's needs?75%Good
    See the breakdownHide the breakdownAll 7 good
    • Care provision, integration and continuityGood
    • Equity in accessGood
    • Equity in experiences and outcomesGood
    • Listening to and involving peopleGood
    • Person-centred careGood
    • Planning for the futureGood
    • Providing InformationGood
  • 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: 33 good. Use “See the breakdown” on each key question for its standards. ?

Earlier ratings ?

  • September 2017GoodSECRW
  • August 2016Requires improvementSECRW

Read the full report on the CQC website ↗

How it compares in Kent

The Old Downs Care Centre is in the Good tier ?, with 286 other homes in Kent. 79% of rated homes here are Good or Outstanding (England: 82%).

  • Outstanding 17 (4%)
  • Good, with Outstanding areas 15 (3%)
  • Good 287 (59%)
  • Good, with an area to improve 44 (9%)
  • Requires improvement 91 (19%)
  • Inadequate 8 (2%)
  • Not yet rated 23 (5%)

See all 485 care homes in Kent →

Care homes nearby

  • Fairby Grange
    Longfield, Kent · DA3 8ER · Residential care home · 27 beds0.6 km
    Good S: GoodE: GoodC: GoodR: GoodW: Good Rated 1 year ago
  • Russell Court Nursing Home
    Longfield, Kent · DA3 7RY · Nursing home · 40 beds1.0 km
    Good S: GoodE: GoodC: GoodR: GoodW: Good Rated 7 years ago
  • Bramblings Residential Home
    Hartley, Kent · DA3 7PE · Residential care home · 42 beds1.1 km
    Requires improvement S: GoodE: GoodC: GoodR: Requires improvementW: Requires improvement Rated 4 years ago
  • Hazelwood Care Home
    Longfield, Kent · DA3 7PW · Nursing home · 50 beds1.4 km
    Good S: GoodE: GoodC: GoodR: GoodW: Good Rated 1 year ago
  • Withens Nursing Home
    Gravesend, Kent · DA13 9NQ · Nursing home · 33 beds3.1 km
    Good S: GoodE: GoodC: GoodR: GoodW: Good Rated 5 years ago
  • The Chestnuts Care Home
    Gravesend, Kent · DA13 9AH · Residential care home · 30 beds3.8 km
    Good S: GoodE: GoodC: GoodR: GoodW: Good Rated 3 years ago

More care homes near DA3 7BH →

Other homes run by Nellsar Limited

13 care homes in total: 10 Good, 3 Requires improvement.

All 13 homes run by Nellsar Limited →

The Old Downs Care Centre in brief

The Old Downs Care Centre is one of 485 care homes in Kent: a 41-bed nursing home in Dartford, run by Nellsar Limited. Its CQC registration covers older people, people with dementia, people with a physical disability and people with a sensory impairment. Most homes in Kent are smaller: the median there is 24 beds.

286 other homes in Kent share its tier, “Good”. Its kitchen was rated 5 for food hygiene in July 2025. 90% of homes in Kent also score 5. Nellsar Limited runs 13 care homes, and 10 of the 13 rated are Good or Outstanding. Of the 6 closest rated homes, none is rated above it.

In November 2024, CQC gave it Good overall, and Good for each of the five key questions too. That matches its previous rating, from September 2017. The typical rating in Kent is about 4 years old, so this one is fairly recent. CQC scored 33 standards, and every one was good.