- Care home
Elm Lodge
Assessment report published 11 August 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
About the service
Elm Lodge is a residential care home providing accommodation for up to 27 people. At the time of the visit there were 26 people living at the service.
Support was delivered over 2 floors. People were supported to access all communal areas of the home including the garden.
Who the service is for
The service supports older people including people living with dementia and physical health needs.
Key findings
We carried out this assessment on 29 July 2026. This service was previously rated as good. We carried out this assessment to confirm whether the rating of good remains accurate. This report does not provide detailed information on areas where we found practice continues to meet a good standard. Instead, our findings focus on any areas where the service needs to improve or where we found exceptional practice.
People told us they felt safe living at the home. Relatives confirmed people received safe and effective care and spoke positively about the high level of kindness and support provided by staff and the positive impact this had on their loved one.
People were supported by enough staff who had the skills, knowledge and experience to support them safely and meet their specific health and care needs. Staff completed regular training to ensure people’s needs could be safely met.
Staff consistently spoke about people being at the heart of the home and we saw respectful, engaging interactions by staff throughout the inspection. Several staff including the registered and deputy manager had worked at Elm Lodge for many years. Staff told us they saw Elm Lodge as an extension of their home and considered people living there were like family. People told us, “Over time I have built up a lovely relationship with some staff, they are very important to me” and “The staff are very kind.”
People can only be deprived of their liberty to receive care and treatment with appropriate legal authority. In care homes, this can be done through a procedure called the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), which is part of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). We checked whether the service was working within the principles of the MCA and how they managed DoLS within the service. We found that staff and management worked within the MCA. DoLS authorisations were appropriately applied for and overseen. People were not subject to unlawful or excessive restrictions they had choice, control and freedom over their lives.
Relatives feedback included how people were not restricted and staff understood people’s needs. One told us, “People are supported to walk around rather than being encouraged to sit down in one place which would lead to increased levels of anxiety.” Another told us their relative was more alert and required less medication for anxiety than they had in a previous home.
Risks were assessed and reviewed. This included risk relating to people’s dementia, falls, infection, poor cognition or confusion. All identified risks were reviewed regularly and referrals made to other health professionals when required.
Care plans were detailed and included relevant information to ensure staff had access to the information needed to meet people’s needs. Daily notes were detailed and person centred. Medicines were administered safely with clear management oversight and involvement of GP’s and other health professionals when required. Staff demonstrated a good understanding of medicines prescribed for people and how these should be safely administered.
There were systems in place to ensure the environment was safe. The home had a designated maintenance employee. All required environmental and service checks were completed. Relatives described the environment as, “No frills” with one telling us, “I have been to big care homes with loads of vases of flowers and smart carpets but that does not always mean good care. Here it is lovely, the staff are amazing and the care is second to none.”
The registered manager worked closely with the staff team and staff told us, “The manager is excellent.”
Systems and processes were in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service. The registered manager regularly attended courses and training to ensure best practice and to continue to develop and improve the service.
People's experience of this service
We spoke to people about their experiences of living at Elm Lodge. We gained feedback from visiting relatives and carried out observations in communal areas. This included the short observational framework for inspection (SOFI). We saw staff interactions with people were positive, there was humour and laughter as staff sat chatting to people and it was clear that people felt very comfortable with staff. Staff identified people who were sat quietly on their own and ensured they were encouraged to participate in activities and conversation if they wanted to. There was a daily schedule for activities provided by visiting entertainers or care staff. People receiving one to one support were seen engaged in games with the staff member providing this support or being supported to walk around the home and garden area.
People were encouraged to spend their time how they wished. Staff understood people’s preferences, likes and dislikes. One person liked to spend time in the communal area and was busy and active throughout the inspection. Their relative told us, “They let them rearrange things. They do it all day and staff support this, it is what they want to do and they are content, staff are not constantly trying to get them to sit down as that would just upset them and make them anxious. Staff are really good with them. I can visit when I want and we sit here as its quieter which is better for them, they don’t make them do anything that they do not want to do.”
Staff were able to tell us about peoples lives before they moved to Elm Lodge and the things people enjoyed. People told us they felt that staff understood them and what was important to them. Over time staff had worked hard to build therapeutic relationships with people built on trust and kindness. Relatives spoke of the kindness staff showed to them and their loved one. Telling us, “I come in here regularly and sit with [relatives name], it is our new routine now. I stay for lunch and we sit together to have our meal. It means a lot that I can spend this time with them.”
People’s nutritional needs were met. Mealtimes were relaxed and people were seen to be enjoying the food. Staff provided assistance when required. People were offered choices and alternatives were available. Relatives spoke of improvements in people’s health and wellbeing since moving into the home. One told us, “Even though their dementia is progressing, they are happy here and are well looked after.”
Staff ensured people were treated with respect and dignity, care was not just task based. Staff responded to people’s needs offering emotional support when people were upset or anxious. Staff demonstrated a good understanding around dementia and offered support to people at a pace that met their needs.