- Care home
Norton Lodge Care Home Ltd
Assessment report published 25 August 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
About the service
Norton Lodge is a residential care home. There were 17 people using the service at the time of the inspection.
Who the service is for
The service supports older adults with personal care and support.
Key findingsWe carried out this assessment on 23rd June. 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.
At this assessment we found people received kind and compassionate care from enough trained staff who knew them well. People told us they felt safe living at Norton Lodge. Safeguarding processes were robust and kept people safe from abuse and neglect. Staff and the management team were aware of their safeguarding responsibilities and reported any concerns in a timely manner. Staff we spoke with said, “Not all abuse is physical, we have a duty of care, I would approach [manager] straight away, we have really strict processes in place.”
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. Staff demonstrated good knowledge around the MCA, a staff member we spoke with said, “Consent is key, I always ask permission, everything is the persons choice.”
Medicines were managed well. People were supported by trained staff to receive their prescribed medicines safely and at the right time. Medicine audits identified areas for learning and improvement.
Risks were assessed and managed well. Risk reduction measures were in place to ensure people received safe care and support. People were supported to take positive risks to enable them to live as independently as possible and in their chosen way. The registered manager had systems in place to ensure the environment in which people lived was homely and safely maintained.
The service placed person-centred, dignified care at its core, with the registered manager leading by example and staff consistently showing compassion and kindness.
Staff worked well with other professionals to ensure people received responsive timely care. A professional we spoke with said staff referred people for treatment without delay to improve their health outcomes.
People were supported to maintain their interests and hobbies, develop friendships, maintain family relationships, and practise their religious beliefs. This ensured people had equitable experiences and outcomes.
The registered manager and deputy manager had effective oversight of the service. They displayed excellent knowledge of the people they supported. Staff told us the management team were approachable, kind and caring, this had a positive impact on staff wellbeing and the culture of the service. Governance systems were robust and identified areas for improvement ensuring lessons were learnt to drive service improvement.
People's experience of this service
During the assessment, we spoke with 11 people living at the service and 3 of their relatives. We observed staff interactions and reviewed how people received care and support.
All the people we spoke with told us they felt safe, happy and respected living at Norton Lodge, they said without exception staff support was excellent. A person we spoke with said, “The staff are just brilliant, I cannot fault them.”
People told us they were supported to move into the service with compassion and care, one person said, “It was big thing for me to move from my own home, but the second I walked in and met [staff name], I knew it was the place for me.” This was supported by relative feedback, “The registered manager went above and beyond when [relative] moved in, we were fully consulted in everything.”
People were supported to maintain their independence and supported to make their own choices. A person we spoke with said, “The staff respect my choices, they encourage but never force me.”
People were involved in care planning and subsequent reviews. A person we spoke with said, “The managers went through everything with me, what I like and what I don’t like, even down to timings.” People supported the feedback professionals gave us and told us staff supported them to seek healthcare advice when needed, a person said, “They always phone the Dr when I need them to and arrange for the chiropodist to come.”
People and their relatives were confident in both the management team and staff at Norton Lodge. A person said, “The managers, seniors and staff are very good, the care is second to none.” A relative supported this, “They are marvellous, I only wished I had found this home first for my [relative].”
Overall, we found people lived fulfilled lives, receiving quality care with dignity and respect at the heart of everything.