- Care home
Elm Lodge Nursing and Residential Home
Assessment report published 16 April 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of Assessment: 16 December to 19 January 2026. The service is a residential service providing support for up to 64 older people living with dementia, nursing needs and physical disabilities. At the time of this inspection there were 44 people living at the service. We carried out this inspection due to concerns received about the quality and safety of the care being provided to people. At the time of our inspection the service was going through a transition period following concerns the provider had identified. The provider had shared these concerns with the local authority who was supporting them to improve the service. Although some improvements had been made, they had not been fully embedded.
The provider was previously in breach of the legal regulation related to person centred care. The provider had made improvements in this area and was no longer in breach of this legal regulation.
During this inspection we found the service was in breach of the legal regulations in relation to safeguarding, safe care and treatment and governance of the service. Robust procedures and processes had not been implemented to ensure people were protected. Safeguarding procedures were not established or operated effectively and there was insufficient oversight of the measures in place to safeguard people from abuse. Governance systems were not always effective in identifying areas for improvements.
However, staff, people and relatives were confident in the senior leaders and felt comfortable to raise any concerns. The environment was clean and the facilities and equipment met people’s needs.
The provider was responsive to our feedback. A new manager started in post during our assessment, and they were responsive and proactive in addressing the issues we raised.
In instances where CQC has begun a process of regulatory action, we may publish this information on our website after any representations and/or appeals have been concluded, if the action has been taken forward. We have asked the provider for an action plan in response to some of the concerns found at this assessment.
People's experience of this service
During this inspection, we found elements of care did not always meet expected standards. However, people were generally positive about their care. People told us they felt safe. They were positive about the staff team and told us they had choice and control. One relative told us, “I think the best thing about carers is that they are flexible and the way they adapt to work with many different old people and help them with their needs, especially people who are not able to talk or cannot explain the problem.” Another person told us “Staff are very helpful to me, and they look after all of us well. I think it’s a very good place to be when you need help.” People told us they had flexibility within the home, such as when they went to bed and when they woke up.
Some people could not directly tell us about their experience. We used observation to assess whether they received good care. We observed positive staff interaction with people. However, we also observed some less good experiences for people in relation to not always having engagement from the staff team or not being supported to follow their interests or preferences.