Care Beyond Compare
Family-run residential care homes across the North East
Five homes in Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, County Durham and North Yorkshire. Although each has its own team and its own character, all are part of the Lenore family. So choose the home nearest you, and call to talk through the next steps.
- Outstanding at Birch Hill (CQC, March 2026)
- Staff on hand day and night
- Family-run
Choose your nearest home
Every home has its own manager and its own direct number. Because availability is checked weekly, please call to confirm, as rooms can be taken at short notice.
Care that feels like home
From everyday support to the activities that fill the day, our care is shaped around each person’s needs, familiar routines and the things that make them feel at home.
Residential care
Support with washing, dressing, meals and medication, with staff on hand day and night. Residents can also enjoy company, activities and their own space, with care that respects their choices and independence.
Supporting people living with dementia
Patient, reassuring care shaped around each person’s needs, interests and familiar routines. In this way, we help residents feel safe, valued and involved in daily life, while keeping families closely involved in their care.
Activities and wellbeing
Every home has its own programme of activities and events, and we encourage residents to keep up the interests and routines that matter to them. Friends and family are welcome to join in too.
A home from home
Real photographs from our homes, so you can picture someone you love living here.
What a day can look like
Here are a few of the activities our residents enjoy. Because each home has its own programme, ask the home what is on.
How fees and funding work
Fees depend on the home and on the level of support someone needs. Before you decide, the home manager will give you a written breakdown of what is included and what is not, so there are no surprises.
Many families use a mix of local authority funding, NHS funding and private payment, and we can explain the options and what you may be asked to contribute.
Included in the weekly fee
- Accommodation, meals, snacks & drinks
- Personal care and medication support
- Heating, lighting, TV licence
- Housekeeping and laundry of bed linen, towels & clothes
- Activities within the home
- Pharmacy collections
Charged separately, if used
- Professional hairdressing
- Chiropody (podiatry), dentistry and optician visits
- Newspapers and magazines
- Personal purchases
- Clothing and footwear
- Trips and activities away from the home
Why families trust us
Inspection results and what families say, each with a date and a source.
Latest CQC ratings
| Home | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|
| Arden House | Awaiting CQC rating | – |
| Birch Hill | Outstanding | May 2026 |
| Carntyne | Good | September 2021 |
| Kendal House | Good | August 2022 |
| Melbury House | Good | June 2023 |
Each home name links to its page, where you can find a link to the full CQC report.
What families say
What happens when you get in touch
Choosing a care home is a big decision, and there is no pressure to rush it. Here is how it works.
Talk to the home
Call the home nearest you, or ask the home to ring you back. We will ask about the person: their needs, their routines and what matters to them. Whether someone is living with dementia or just needs a little extra help, this is how we find out if the home is the right fit. We will tell you honestly if another home or type of care would suit them better.
Come and see the home
Once we know that we’re able to offer the type of care needed, we’ll invite you to visit the home. You can look round, meet the manager and the team, and ask anything you like. Bring family or friends if you wish. We’ll also explain the fees and what funding options may be available to you.
Agree the plan and settle in
The home manager will talk through the support the person needs and agree the costs with you in writing, including what is in the weekly fee and what is charged separately. When you are ready, we plan the move around the person, encourage them to bring familiar belongings, and check how things are going in the first weeks.
Need a place quickly, for example after a hospital stay? Tell the home when you call and they will do what they can. Professionals can see our referral information.
Advice for families
Choosing a home
How to Talk to a Parent About Moving Into a Care Home
There’s a conversation many adult children put off for months, sometimes years, before they finally have it: the one about whether it might be time for…
Daily life
A Day in the Life in a Lenore Care Home
Ask someone who’s never set foot in a care home what they imagine a typical day looks like, and you’ll often hear something fairly bleak: rows…
Dementia
What Is Dementia? A Plain-English Guide for Families
The word “dementia” tends to arrive in a family’s life carrying more fear than information. It’s a word people often half-understand: enough to be frightened by…
News from our homes
Latest news
The Clocks Are Changing: Helping Someone With Dementia Adjust
On Sunday 25 October, the clocks go back an hour at 2am. For most of us it means an extra hour in bed and a Sunday that feels slightly out of step. For a person living with dementia, the same change can feel far more…
Arden House and Kendal House Raise £405 for Macmillan Cancer Support
Residents, families and staff at Arden House and Kendal House came together for a Macmillan Coffee Morning, raising a fantastic £405 for Macmillan Cancer…
Sheila Celebrates Her 100th Birthday at Arden House
There was a very special celebration recently at Arden House Care Home in Pickering. Resident Sheila celebrated an incredible milestone — her 100th birthday.…
Birch Hill Retains Outstanding CQC Rating
We are delighted to share that Birch Hill Care Centre in Norham has once again been rated Outstanding overall by the Care Quality Commission…
Enquire now
The quickest way is to call the home you are interested in. If you prefer to write, leave a few details and that home will ring you back.
Call a home directly
- Arden HousePickering: see the home page01751 473569+44 1751 473569
- Birch HillNorham: see the home page01289 382216+44 1289 382216
- CarntyneHexham: see the home page01434 600 195+44 1434 600 195
- Kendal HouseWhitley Bay: see the home page0191 297 0093+44 191 297 0093
- Melbury HouseSeaham: see the home page0191 581 8609+44 191 581 8609
Or ask a home to call you
Your message goes to the home you choose, and nowhere else, because we use your details only to reply to your enquiry.