- Care home
Saint Elkas Care Home
Assessment report published 18 June 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of inspection: 20 April to 8 May 2026.
Saint Elkas Care Home is a residential home providing regulated activity to adults living with mental health conditions. The service is registered to provide care for up to 10 people. At the time of our inspection, 10 people were using the service. This inspection was carried out due the time passed since the last inspection in 2017. The service demonstrated a proactive and positive culture of safety. Staff listened to concerns, reported incidents appropriately and took part in reflective reviews to understand root causes and embed improvements. The registered manager balanced risk management with people’s independence, ensuring control measures were proportionate and person‑centred. Safeguarding was well understood, and people consistently told us they felt safe. Thorough assessments, personalised transitions and ongoing reviews ensured people’s needs, risks and preferences were accurately understood and safely supported.
The environment was clean, well maintained and homely, with regular health and safety checks in place. Infection prevention and control measures were embedded into daily routines, and staffing levels were safe, responsive and supported by robust recruitment, training and competency checks. Staff worked collaboratively with people to understand and manage risks in a way that supported their goals, independence and wellbeing. Care plans clearly outlined people’s aspirations and risk strategies, and keyworkers met regularly with people to review their progress. External professionals praised the service’s ability to safely plan effectively. Medicines were managed safely, and although PRN outcomes had not always been recorded, the registered manager took immediate action to address this.
People received highly effective, evidence‑based care and treatment that was planned and delivered in full partnership with them. We saw strong evidence of the provider’s commitment to coordinated and person‑centred care, with reasonable adjustments consistently identified and implemented to support people to access healthcare. Staff supported people to make meaningful progress, overcome personal challenges and develop greater independence, working patiently and creatively to build their confidence, skills and wellbeing.
Staff knew people extremely well and had an in depth understanding of what mattered most to them, adapting their communication, recognising emotional triggers and responding to the individual ways people expressed their needs. The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and enabled them to deliver person‑centred care. The registered manager demonstrated a strong commitment to continuous staff development, and people were consistently supported to work in partnership with staff to develop and review their own care plans. Staff adapted information and communication methods so people could fully understand and lead decisions about their care, including planning for important life changes.
The provider had a clear, well‑communicated and consistently applied vision and strategy, and leaders demonstrated integrity, openness and honesty. The registered manager maintained good oversight through regular audits, and staff were encouraged to contribute ideas, reflect on their practice and provide feedback, creating a collaborative environment where staff felt valued and involved in shaping the service.
People's experience of this service
People received exceptionally high standards of care from staff who knew and understood their needs extremely well. People and their relatives spoke highly of the support provided, describing staff as kind and patient. People were supported to develop and review their own care plans, and staff helped them make meaningful progress, overcome personal challenges and build greater independence by working patiently and creatively to develop their confidence, skills and wellbeing.
People gave us many examples of how their care had been tailored to their individual needs. One person told us, “I am very happy here, staff know when to speak to me and when to not, staff are so kind and helpful.” Another person proudly showed us the plants they had grown in the garden and said, “I have many interests, the staff all help me.” People and their relatives consistently told us the service was safe, and relatives shared positive feedback about how staff treated their family members. One relative explained that staff’s patient, kind and empathetic support had played a key role in helping their family member regain the confidence to take part in activities they had previously avoided.