- Care home
Forest Lodge Rest Home
Assessment report published 6 August 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of assessment: 13 July to 20 July 2026. This was a focused assessment, following up on areas of concern found at the last assessment where the service was found to be in breach of regulations relating to safe care and treatment and good governance.
Forest Lodge Rest Home is a residential care home, registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to provide care to a maximum of 28 adults with dementia and mental health needs. At the time of this assessment 28 people were living at the service.
At the last inspection in 2024, the service was rated overall as Requires Improvement. At this assessment, the provider had focused on improving the service, which had resulted in an improved rating overall and is no longer in breach of regulation relating to safe care and treatment and good governance.
The provider had strengthened systems and processes to monitor quality, safety and performance. There was a positive culture of learning and improvement, with incidents reviewed and actions taken to improve practice. Staff assessed risks to people's health and safety and mitigated those risks. People had care plans to guide safe practice. There were enough staff to ensure people’s safety and meet their needs. However, people were not always protected from the risks associated with medicines. We identified concerns relating to the storage and review of prescribed medicines. Although the provider took prompt action when these concerns were identified during the assessment, their existing systems had not identified these issues before our inspection.
We also identified areas where improvements were needed in infection prevention and control practices and aspects of the care environment. The provider responded positively to feedback and took action to address the concerns identified.
Overall, the provider had demonstrated a commitment to improving the quality and safety of care since the previous inspection. Further work was needed to ensure medicines were managed safely and that systems in place consistently identified risks and supported sustained improvement.
People's experience of this service
People told us they felt safe and well supported by staff who knew them. People described staff as kind, caring and respectful, and we observed staff spending time with people in a warm and reassuring way. People told us staff understood their needs and responded when they needed support.
People were supported to maintain their independence and make choices about their daily lives. People told us they could choose when they got up and went to bed, how they spent their time and whether they wanted to take part in activities. Staff supported people to access the community, including local shops, events and places of interest. People valued the opportunities they had to remain independent and continue doing things that were important to them.
People told us staff knew them well, including their preferences, interests and personal histories. We saw examples of personalised care, with staff using their knowledge of people to communicate effectively and provide support in a way that respected their dignity. People had access to healthcare professionals when needed and were encouraged to maintain links with the wider community.
People were able to share their views about the care they received. While many people spoke positively about the support provided, some people told us they would welcome more opportunities for indoor activities. People also shared mixed views about the meals provided, including the variety and portion sizes. The provider had listened to the feedback and was taking action to involve people in reviewing the menu and activities available.