- Care home
The Elms Care Home
Assessment report published 15 October 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
About the service
The Elms Care Home is a care home with nursing. There were 75 people using the service at the time of the assessment.
Who the service is for
The Elms Care Home supports older people and people living with dementia. A separate building in the same grounds provides specialist care for people living with advanced dementia.
Key findings
We carried out this assessment on 9 and 10 September 2026. This service was previously rated as good. We carried out this assessment to confirm whether the rating of good remains accurate. This report does not provide detailed information on areas where we found practice continues to meet a good standard. Instead, our findings focus on any areas where the service needs to improve or where we found exceptional practice.
People received care in a safe environment from staff who understood safeguarding and were confident to raise concerns. Risks were assessed, reviewed and managed in a way that reflected people's individual needs and preferences. There were enough staff to support people safely and recruitment processes helped ensure staff were suitable for their roles. One relative said, "Couldn't speak highly enough of the care. The staff are excellent and [my family member] feels safe because it is a stable team that know them really well and they appear comfortable with them."
Medicines were managed safely overall, with appropriate guidance, checks and monitoring in place. A small number of recording and monitoring issues were identified during the inspection; however, the registered manager took immediate action to address these.
The environment was generally clean and safe, with health and safety checks completed regularly. Some areas showed signs of wear and ongoing improvements and refurbishment works were underway. The registered manager and provider had plans and works were underway. A relative said, "The building needs a bit of 'TLC' but we can overlook this due to the high level of care."
People's needs were assessed before they moved into the service and detailed care plans supported staff to provide effective care. Staff received appropriate training, supervision and appraisal and understood people's health, dietary and communication needs. Recognised assessment tools were used to monitor health and identify changes at an early stage, with referrals made promptly to healthcare professionals when required. One relative told us, "The staff noticed [my family member] wasn't drinking but in conversation learnt they liked a shandy, they brought them one within about 30 minutes and [my family member] drank the lot. It is the little things that are so important and they always remember exactly how [my family member] likes to be cared for."
People can only be deprived of their liberty to receive care and treatment with appropriate legal authority. In care homes, this can be done through a procedure called the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), which is part of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). We checked whether the service was working within the principles of the MCA and how they managed DoLS within the service. We found that staff and management worked within the MCA. DoLS authorisations were appropriately applied for and overseen. People were not subject to unlawful or excessive restrictions they had choice, control and freedom over their lives. However, some mental capacity assessments and best interest records would benefit from more detail about how people were supported to understand decisions and express their views.
People and their relatives spoke positively about the caring approach of staff. People told us staff regularly checked on their wellbeing, took time to talk with them and understood their needs. They said staff, "Were nice" And "I love living here." Staff treated people with kindness, dignity and respect and supported them to maintain their independence. People were involved in decisions about their care and, where appropriate, relatives were kept informed and involved in planning and reviews. A relative told us, "Staff are very dedicated and always there to answer any questions."
Staff knew people well, including their life histories, preferences and interests, which helped them provide personalised care and support. People were encouraged to take part in activities that reflected their interests and were supported to make choices about their daily lives. Care plans were reviewed regularly with people and their relatives where appropriate. People's views were actively sought through reviews, meetings, surveys and discussions, and feedback was used to drive improvements. People knew how to raise concerns or complaints and felt confident they would be listened to. A relative told us, "[Staff] keep us informed if anything occurs that we need to know about." Another relative said, “If [staff] don’t know the answer to a question, they would find someone to answer my question."
The service was led by a registered manager who promoted an open, positive and learning culture. Incidents, accidents and near misses were reviewed to identify learning, improve practice and reduce future risks. Staff understood the provider's values, worked well together and spoke positively about the support they received from the registered manager. Relatives spoke well of the registered manager. One relative said, "The [registered] manager is also brilliant." Governance systems provided oversight of the quality and safety of the service. While some issues identified during the inspection had not always been identified through existing audits, the management team acted promptly to address concerns and demonstrated a commitment to continuous improvement.
People's experience of this service
We gathered people’s views by speaking to them in person. Where people were unable to tell us about their experiences verbally, we used the CQC Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI) to understand their experience of care. We also spoke with relatives both in person and remotely on the telephone.
People and their relatives consistently told us they felt safe living at the service and had confidence in the care and support provided. Comments included, “[My family member] is safe, they are very well cared for.”, “[My family member] is settled and safe living there.” and “There is someone around all the time, so I know that [my family member] is safe.” Relatives spoke positively about the security of the home and the way staff monitored people's wellbeing. One relative told us, “There is always someone going in and out of the room to check on [my family member].” Another said, “They are always on top of safety.” Many relatives also described the home as clean and well maintained, including comments such as, “It is always clean and tidy and no unpleasant odours.”
People's relatives felt staff had the skills and knowledge needed to provide effective care and support. They told us staff understood people's needs and responded appropriately when their health changed. One relative said, “[My family member] was very unwell, staff spotted it thought it might be sepsis, their prompt response is why [my family member] is still here today.” Another told us, “As soon as [my family member] felt unwell the nurses and GP were on it.” Relatives also spoke positively about food, healthcare support and activities. Comments included, “[My family member] has choices of food and offered drinks often”; “The food looks super, and they have choices”; and “The activities co-ordinator sits and reads with [my family member], and they have music in their room, staff sing old songs with them.”
Feedback about staff was overwhelmingly positive. Relatives described a caring culture where people were treated with kindness, dignity and respect. Comments included, “The staff are caring; I wouldn’t want [my family member] to be anywhere else”; “Staff are very caring and kind towards people”; and “They seem to genuinely care for you and your family.” Relatives told us people were supported with their personal care in a respectful way and were consistently well presented. One relative said, “[My family member] is always clean and well-presented when I visit and seems quite happy.” People and relatives also valued the relationships staff developed with residents. One relative told us, “The staff are always talking to [my family member] and joking with them.”
People and their relatives told us staff knew them well and understood their preferences, interests and routines. Relatives said, “They know [my family member's] likes and dislikes”; and “I think they know what they are doing when they look after [my family member].” Feedback showed people were involved in decisions about their care and relatives felt informed about important matters. Many people reported having no concerns about the service. Comments included, “We have no concerns or complaints”; “No concerns, not once have we had to complain”; and “We have no concerns, we are confident that [my family member] is well looked after.” Relatives also described good communication from the service, including being contacted promptly if any concerns arose.
People's relatives were positive about the culture and leadership of the service. They described staff as approachable, friendly and welcoming, and many said they would recommend the home to others. Comments included, “The communication is good with the [registered] manager”; “Wonderful, friendly staff. They are always pleasant”; and “The staff are all approachable, they are very friendly, kind and genuine.” Relatives frequently described a positive atmosphere within the home. One told us, “The atmosphere in the home is super, it’s like going home.” Another said, “It is not the poshest home, but you can feel the care.” Many relatives expressed satisfaction with the service overall, with comments such as, “I would recommend this home; [my family member] is happy there.” And, “[My family member] likes it there and I am happy they are there.”