Elm Lodge Residential Care Home

Updated 29 April 2026

Dates of assessment: 30 April 2026 to 22 May 2026. Elm Lodge is a 17-bedded residential care home, supporting older people, including people living with dementia. We visited the service on 30 April 2026 and 5 May 2026. On the first day of our assessment there were 14 people living at the service. On the second day of our assessment there were 7 people living at the service. We carried out this assessment due to receiving information of concern about the quality and safety of the service.
The provider was in breach of 11 legal regulations relating to fit and proper persons; directors, person centered care, consent, safe care and treatment, safeguarding, nutrition, safe environments, good governance, staffing, fit and proper persons, as well as the failure to notify CQC of events or incidents.
Overall, the service is not providing safe, effective, caring, responsive or well-led care. There are widespread failures in leadership, governance and oversight. Risks are not identified or managed, care is not delivered in line with people’s needs, and staff do not have the support or guidance required. People experience inconsistent, task-led care where dignity, choice and wellbeing are not always upheld. Care planning is inaccurate, communication is poor, and feedback is not used to drive improvement. These failings placed people at significant risk of harm and poor outcomes.

In instances where CQC have decided to take civil or criminal enforcement action against a provider, we will publish this information on our website after any representations and/ or appeals have been concluded.
This service is being placed 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 29 April 2026

People’s experiences of living at the service were not consistently positive. While some people experienced short, kind interactions with individual staff, overall care was often task-focused, with limited meaningful engagement. Several people appeared disengaged, asleep or left without staff presence for periods of time.
People did not always receive timely support. One person told us, “I press my call bell and they come to me”; however, other people who were unable to use a call bell did not receive the same level of care and attention to their needs.
We observed people who were cold, distressed or in need of assistance who were not responded to promptly. One person repeatedly stated they were cold and was seen rubbing themselves, but this was not addressed in a timely way.
People living with dementia, or those unable to express their needs, experienced poorer support. We saw examples of people becoming increasingly distressed when their wishes, such as going outside, were not responded to. In some cases, people expressed significant distress without consistent reassurance or de-escalation from staff.
Some people’s dignity was not upheld, including those who were visibly incontinent or attempting to manage personal care needs without support.
Support at mealtimes was inconsistent. Some people were not assisted when needed, struggled to eat independently or did not eat at all. Choice was limited at times, and people were not always asked for consent before care was provided.
Overall, people’s experiences were variable and, in some cases, dependent on their ability to express their needs and preferences.