- Care home
Elmwood Residential Home Limited
Assessment report published 2 April 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of Assessment: 12 February 2026 to 6 March 2026, with an onsite visit on 25 February 2026.
Elmwood Residential Home is registered to provide accommodation with personal care for up to 38 people with physical disabilities, long term medical conditions or memory loss. At the time of this assessment, they were supporting 35 people.
This assessment was announced and carried out to follow up on the warning notice issued at our last assessment.
We assessed 19 Quality Statements under the 4 Key Questions of Safe; Effective; Responsive and Well Led. Our overall rating for the service is Good.
The provider was previously in breach of 4 legal regulations in relation to safe care and treatment, consent, person centred care and good governance. Improvements were found at this assessment, and the provider was no longer in breach of these regulations.
People were protected and kept safe. The provider and registered manager had taken effective action in response to the concerns identified at the last assessment, resulting in demonstrable improvements to the safety of the service. Strong governance processes were now in place to ensure any issues or concerns were promptly identified, monitored and addressed.
People’s needs were thoroughly assessed, and risks were well managed. Each person had a personalised care plan containing clear information about their physical and mental health, communication needs and daily support requirements. People and their relatives were actively involved in creating and updating these plans, ensuring they remained current and accurately reflected the person’s wishes, including their preferences for end of life care.
Staff knew people well and demonstrated a good understanding of their individual communication needs. People’s rights around consent were understood and consistently respected by the staff team, including in situations where individuals lacked capacity to make certain decisions.
There were enough staff with the appropriate skills, experience and qualifications to meet people’s needs safely. Managers ensured staff received regular training, supervision and appraisal to support high‑quality care. Medicines were managed safely and effectively.
People spoke positively about the quality and variety of food available, which supported their health and wellbeing. A person‑centred activities programme was being developed, focused on helping people achieve their personal goals and enhance their quality of life.
The service worked holistically with health and social care partners to achieve the best possible outcomes for people.
The provider and management team had worked to strengthen the culture of the service. Feedback from people, relatives, staff and external professionals described a warm and caring staff team, supported by approachable and responsive leaders. There was a strong commitment to continuous learning, ongoing improvement and the delivery of high‑quality, person‑centred care.
People's experience of this service
People and their relatives spoke positively about the care and support provided. They told us they felt safe. One relative shared, “They are absolutely wonderful here…they pop in all the time. They are always very friendly and helpful, always smiling. If [family member] has a fall, they come from everywhere. They are amazing here. They deal with it efficiently.”
People had confidence in the skills and knowledge of the staff supporting them. They told us staff understood their needs and managed their medicines safely. One person commented, “They are always in training, a lot of training goes on, they are competent. They soon get pulled up it there is something.” People also told us staff worked effectively with external health professionals to support them. A relative said, “They are very good at getting doctors and nurses in here. The nurses do all the dressings. The doctor has time for a chat. As [family member] has been off colour for the last couple of weeks, the doctor is informed. We haven’t got anything to worry about; they do everything correctly.”
People spoke about the kindness of staff and how valued they felt. One person told us, “They are kind. They put themselves out to help me.” Another said, “Recently it was Valentines Day. I was given a red rose in a pot, and something special for lunch.” People told us staff treated them with dignity and respect, and they were able to maintain their independence as much as possible. Comments included, “I told them I don’t want to be treated like a patient, I want to be treated as a person, they do that now. I have a good laugh with them” and “They ask (before providing care). They wouldn’t just come in and do.”
People told us the activities and events offered by the service had improved. One person said, “There is somebody who comes in to do activities. She is very good. She does things to get me interested. I go to the lounge, especially when we have got entertainment.” A relative described how much their family member enjoyed painting and watching the fish in the pond in the garden. They told us their relative had become more active and sociable since being at Elmwood.
Feedback about the quality and choice of food was extremely positive. One person said, “It’s very, very good. [Chef] is brilliant and a jolly good cook. If you want something you just ask. I ask for watercress and I get it. That sort of thing.” A relative told us, [Person’s name] is able to choose each meal individually from a varied and comprehensive weekly menu. They have been asked by both of the Chefs to make their own menu suggestions. The food is prepared in house. [Person’s name] enjoys the food at Elmwood and visitors are routinely encouraged to join their family members for the midday meal.”
People and their relatives commented on the improvements made since the previous assessment. They told us, “It’s probably even more organised than the start. They have now got a screen at the door (for signing in), they have changed a lot of doors and fire doors. It’s always very clean, tidy and warm. It was always good, never anything to criticise, but it’s just got even better” and “I have visited Elmwood on numerous occasions over the last three years. Over the past 12 months I have been immensely impressed by the changes the new manager has brought about.”