- Care home
The Lodge
Assessment report published 8 July 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of Assessment: 29 April 2026 to 22 May 2026.
The service is a residential care home providing support to older people, including some people living with a dementia. At the time of our inspection 29 people were living at this service and receiving a regulated activity.
Overall, people received safe, caring and effective support. The provider had made clear improvements since the last inspection, particularly in addressing previous safety concerns. The provider was previously in breach of the legal regulation in relation to good governance. Further work was required to ensure improvements were consistently embedded and sustained.
The quality of care had improved since the last inspection, particularly in relation to safety. At the previous inspection, the provider was in breach of the legal regulation in relation to risk management and medicines systems. At this inspection, systems were in place to assess and manage risks, and people generally received their medicines safely. Staff demonstrated good knowledge of people’s needs, and care was delivered in a safe and responsive way. This showed the provider had taken action to address previous concerns and improve the delivery of safe care and treatment.
People were supported by kind and attentive staff who understood their needs and preferences. Observations and feedback indicated people were treated with dignity and respect, and staff responded promptly to requests for support. Partnership working with health professionals had improved, with staff seeking advice appropriately and responding to changes in people’s needs.
However, improvements were not yet fully embedded. While care was generally delivered safely and effectively, this was not always supported by accurate and consistent documentation. Care plans, risk assessments and monitoring records did not always reflect people’s current needs or the care being delivered.
Governance and oversight systems were not always effective. Although audits and monitoring processes were in place, and had improved since our last inspection, they had not identified all the issues found during this inspection, including inconsistencies in care planning, medicines monitoring and record keeping. This demonstrated that systems to assess, monitor and improve the quality and safety of the service were not operating as effectively as they could.
People's experience of this service
People’s experiences of the service were mixed. Many people and their relatives spoke positively about the care they received from staff, describing them as kind, attentive and responsive. One person told us, “They’re very good to us here,” and another said, “If I need anything, they come straight away.” This reflected that staff were generally caring and responded promptly to people’s immediate needs.
People were treated with dignity and respect, and staff were observed interacting in a warm and compassionate way. Staff often knew people well and understood their preferences and routines. However, this was not always supported by clear care planning or consistent systems, which meant people’s care was not always personalised or reliably delivered.
Some people told us there were limited opportunities for meaningful activity and engagement. One person said, “There’s not much to do really,” indicating their day-to-day experience was not always tailored to their interests.
Relatives described mixed experiences of communication and involvement. While some felt able to speak to staff informally, others said communication was not always consistent or proactive. The provider was making improvements in this area to remove any barriers that had been identified.