- Care home
Heath Lodge
Assessment report published 30 March 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of Inspection:10 February2026 to3March2026.This inspection was unannounced.
Heath Lodgeis aconvertedbuilding providing accommodation and personal care to60older people at the time of the inspection. The service is registered to support up to 67people.
At our last inspection, published20July 2018, we rated this service as good.
Since our last inspection, there was a new manager in post.Theregisteredmanager hadbeen in post since2024.There was positive feedback about them and how they had improved the service. There were systems in place to improve people’s lives and experiences, and they were motivated to ensure people were happy and well cared for. They were well supported by adeputy managerand staff team.
Medicines management systems were in place and managed well. Records were clear andaccurate.
Staff knew how to recognise and report any concerns relating to abuse. Information was displayed and safeguarding concerns were reported appropriately.
Infection prevention control was practiced. The environment was clean and wellmaintained.
The management team spent time around the home providing support and guidance. People,relativesand staff were positive about their presence,guidanceand approach.
People,relativesand staff had opportunities for meetings and sharing their views.People’s choices weresought, and they were supportedin accordance withtheir wishes and needs. Relatives were involved with people’s care planning and reviews.
Mealtime experiences were pleasant, staff checked on people to help ensure people ate well and enjoyed their food. People felt they had enough to dowith their time, and they hadappropriate accessto support services.
There were enough staff to meet people’s needs.Staff were positive about the service they provided, the management team and liked working there.
People's experience of this service
We spoke to 6 people and 5 relatives.
People were happy living at the service and told us staff supported them well. They told us staff and management were kind and helpful. People said they felt safe.
People and relatives told us staff knew people well. Care plans had been developed with people involved and these included all relevant information to ensure care was safe and person centred. People’s care needs were met, and they had plenty to do to occupy themselves.Care was person centred and done in a way that promoted independence and wellbeing. Some people had given testimonies describing support as changing and improving their lives which included improved mobility and being able to live in their own home again.
We used a number of different methods to help us understand the experiences of people using the service, because they had complex needs which meant they were not able to tell us their experiences.We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a specific way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.