- Care home
The Lodge - Dementia Care with Nursing
Assessment report published 15 October 2025
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of assessment: 24 – 26 September 2025. The Lodge – Dementia Care with Nursing is a large care home that supports older people, people who may be living with dementia and people with mental health needs. We undertook the assessment to check compliance against breaches of the legal regulations at the previous assessment in December 2023.
Steps needed to be taken to strengthen some aspects of governance, and to ensure guidance about how to manage risks was clear. The facilities and equipment met people’s needs, were clean and well-maintained. There were enough staff with the right skills, qualifications and experience. Managers made sure staff received training and regular appraisals to maintain high-quality care. Staff managed medicines well and involved people in planning any changes.
Staff did not always make sure assessments of people’s needs were up to date, however staff knew people’s needs well and ensured the care met their needs. Care was based on latest evidence and good practice. People had enough to eat and drink to stay healthy. Staff worked with all agencies involved in people’s care for the best outcomes. They monitored people’s health to support healthy living. Staff made sure people understood their care and treatment to enable them to give informed consent. Staff and relevant people took decisions in people’s best interests where they did not have capacity.
People were usually treated with kindness and compassion. Staff protected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated people as individuals and supported their preferences. People had choice in their care and were encouraged to maintain relationships with family and friends. Staff responded to people in a timely way. The provider supported staff wellbeing.
People were usually involved in decisions about their care. Staff provided information people could understand. People knew how to give feedback and were confident the provider took it seriously and acted on it. The service was easy to access and worked to eliminate discrimination. People received fair and equal care and treatment. Staff worked to reduce health and care inequalities through training and feedback. People were involved in planning their care and understood options around choosing to withdraw or not receive care.
Managers did not always assess and mitigate risk and learn lessons from incidents. Leaders and staff had a shared vision and culture for the service. Staff felt supported to give feedback and were treated equally, free from bullying or harassment. Managers worked with the local community to deliver the best possible care and were receptive to new ideas.
The provider was previously in breach of the legal regulations relating to safe care and treatment, and good governance. Some improvements had been made, and the provider was no longer in breach of the legal regulation relating to safe care and treatment. Not enough improvement had been made in the legal regulation relating to good governance, and the provider continued to be in breach of this regulation.
We have asked the provider for an action plan in response to the concerns found at this assessment.
People's experience of this service
We spoke to people who used the service and their relatives. Most people we spoke with were positive about the care they received and felt safe.
People and relatives felt that staff were kind and caring, and knowledgeable about people’s needs. A relative said, “The staff seem to know what they are doing. They have demonstrated that they understand [my relative’s] needs. The staff help her to get dressed and look nice each day.” Another family member said, “The staff are lovely. I feel they are well trained, because [my relative] is better now than when he first moved into the home. They have encouraged him to be a lot more independent.” A third relative said, “They are definitely well trained; they use equipment well. They have a GP, and they have a nurse to support residents too.”
People said they were supported to take their medicines and their needs were met; 1 person said, “I get my medicines every day when I need them. They watch me taking them.” A relative told us, “All [my relative’s] needs are met. She has health funding, which is supporting her very well. She must be turned every 2 to 3 hours which staff do religiously 24/7.”
People were complimentary about the home and the cleanliness. A relative said, “I can’t fault the cleaners; they keep the home spotless. The garden and the building are well maintained. Security is excellent.”