Archived: Durnsford Lodge Residential Home

Updated 18 March 2025

Date of assessment: 23rd April to 12 May 2025.

Durnsford Lodge is a 'care home' that provides care for a maximum of 28 older people, some of whom may be living with dementia or physical frailty. At the time of the inspection, 21 people were living at the service.

This was a responsive assessment to inform the Commission’s ongoing view of the service and to follow up on the enforcement action taken at our last assessment in April 2024.

At this assessment, we looked at all quality statements. The provider was previously in breach of the legal regulation in relation to safeguarding, premises and equipment, recruitment, and notification of other incidents. Improvements were found at this assessment, and the provider was no longer in breach of these regulations.

However, the service was not operating in accordance with the regulations and best practice guidance. This meant people were at risk of receiving care and support that did not promote their wellbeing or protect them from the risk of avoidable harm. We found 5 breaches of regulation at this assessment. The provider was previously in breach of the legal regulation in relation to safe care and treatment, the need for consent, staffing and governance. Improvements were not found at this assessment, and the provider remained in breach of these regulations. In addition, we found the provider was in breach of the legal regulation relating to person-centred care.

This service remains in special measures. The purpose of special measures is to ensure that services providing inadequate care make significant improvements. Special measures provide a framework within which we use our enforcement powers in response to inadequate care and provide a timeframe within which providers must improve the quality of the care they provide.

Updated 18 March 2025

We spoke with 18 people living at the service and gained feedback from 9 relatives to help us assess and understand how people’s care needs were being met.

People who wished to share their views with us told us they felt safe and were mostly happy living at Durnsford Lodge. One person said, “I want to be in my own home, but I don’t feel unsafe here.” Another said, “Staff treat me well.”

Relatives had confidence in the staff and told us their loved ones were supported to manage their care, support and health needs by staff who knew them well. Comments included. “No concerns at all, I am all praise for the place,” “I have never had any complaints from her; I think the staff are very good”. “From what I have seen, they are polite and very helpful, and they take good care of him.” “They are welcoming, they offer coffee, I can speak to anyone in the office, they are friendly”

Relatives had confidence in the management of the service. One relative said, “Never a problem, they are always very pleasant, and I hear from [nominated individual’s name] when something changes”. Another said, “Yes, the owner is [nominated individual’s name]. I definitely have confidence in him, he is approachable and friendly”.

Although people and their relatives spoke positively about the service and the management team. The service did not focus on people's quality of life; care delivery was not person-centred, and the culture of the service did not reflect best practice guidance for supporting people living with a dementia.