Cygnet Sherwood Lodge

Updated 3 August 2026

Cygnet Behavioural Health Limited is the registered provider for Cygnet Sherwood Lodge, a 26-bed hospital delivering inpatient services for individuals with a learning disability and/or autism, including those who present with offending or complex mental health needs and express distress or agitation. Cygnet Sherwood House was registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in 2013 to deliver the following regulated activities:

• Assessment or medical treatment for persons detained under the Mental Health Act 1983
• Treatment of disease, disorder or injury.

The service had a controlled drugs accountable officer and a Registered Manager.

We visited the following service as part of the assessment:

Cygnet Sherwood Lodge – 26 beds.

At this assessment we assessed 1 assessment service group: Wards for people with learning disabilities or autism.

At the time of our assessment the service was supporting 21 people who may be informal or detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 (MHA).

We assessed all 33 quality statements across the five key questions: safe, effective, caring, responsive, and well-led. The service was last inspected in March 2019 and was rated outstanding. This was an unannounced assessment, which means the provider was not told an assessment was going to be taking place beforehand. During this assessment, we looked at all quality statements across all 5 key questions. As we assessed all quality statements at this visit, the current rating reflects the findings from this assessment. We rated this service as good.

Staff delivered care and treatment consistently in line with national guidance and best practice, supporting the achievement of positive and sustainable outcomes for people. Individuals had access to a broad range of specialist interventions, tailored to meet their specific needs. Staff were appropriately trained and received regular supervision and appraisals, enabling them to provide high-quality, innovative care. The multidisciplinary team worked collaboratively and maintained effective partnerships with external professionals, ensuring continuity of care and consistent outcomes.

People were treated with kindness, dignity, and respect. Staff actively promoted independence and choice, ensuring individuals remained at the centre of their care and were fully involved in decision-making processes. People felt supported to understand their rights and to maintain control over their care, treatment and wellbeing.

Leadership within the service was effective. Leaders were visible and accessible, offering consistent support and fostering a positive culture focused on learning, collaboration, and continuous improvement across the service.

We assessed the service against ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ guidance to make judgements about whether the provider guaranteed people with a learning disability and/or autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices, independence and had good access to local communities that most people take for granted.

Updated 18 May 2026

We completed an assessment of Cygnet Sherwood Lodge with a site visit on 17 and 18 June 2026.

We undertook the assessment as the service had not been assessed since March 2019.

Cygnet Sherwood Lodge, a 26-bed hospital delivering inpatient services for individuals with a learning disability and/or autism, including those who may present with offending behaviours or complex mental health needs and express distress or agitation.

The hospital is a modern, purpose-built facility comprising of a single ward arranged over two floors. Seventeen beds were located on the ground floor and provided specialist high-dependency complex care services for men with learning disabilities and additional complex needs. The remaining nine beds were situated on the first floor within an enabling environment designed to promote greater independence.

The service was located within the local community, with easy access to amenities such as leisure centres, social clubs, shops and restaurants. People were supported by a full multidisciplinary team (MDT), including nurses, psychologists, psychiatrists, art psychotherapists speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and support workers all working within a learning disability model of care. Staff delivered therapy-led programmes that promoted education, vocational development, and social integration.

The service provided a range of social and therapeutic environments, including a garden with an allotment area, a forest school and sensory garden, a café, lounges, and a dining area. Additional facilities included a therapy kitchen, laundry services, a computer room, a gymnasium, an arts and crafts room, and a games room,

Each person had access to a private en-suite bedroom, with additional access to shared bathroom facilities, including a bath. A multi-purpose room was available for employment workshops, group therapy, and leisure activities, and the service benefited from several spacious outdoor garden areas.

We assessed all 33 quality statements across the five key questions: safe, effective, caring, responsive, and well-led. The service was last inspected in March 2019, when it was rated outstanding. Following this assessment, the rating has changed to good.

Cygnet Sherwood Lodge provided a safe, therapeutic, and person-centred environment focused on recovery, rehabilitation and community reintegration. The environment was clean, well-maintained, and effectively met people’s needs.

Care and treatment were delivered to a high standard. Staff demonstrated skill and innovation in delivering a wide range of interventions, including psychological therapies, vocational and educational support, and structured activity programmes. People made consistent progress towards greater independence and personal goals, supported by proactive risk assessment processes and effective management arrangements.

People felt empowered and fully involved in decisions about their care. Where appropriate, families were involved, and staff supported people to maintain meaningful relationships and connections to their communities. Leaders were visible and promoted a culture of innovation, continuous improvement, and staff wellbeing. Staff felt valued, supported, and empowered to deliver high-quality care.

Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act Compliance

During our assessment, we evaluated the service’s compliance with both the Mental Health Act (MHA) and the Mental Capacity Act (MCA). Staff demonstrated a strong understanding of the MHA and its Code of Practice, applying it confidently when admitting and managing detained people to ensure care remained lawful and their rights were respected. Governance and oversight of the MHA and its use were robust, with clear escalation pathways, regular reviews, and effective monitoring arrangements. People detained under the MHA were supported to engage in decisions about their treatment, with access to independent advocacy and second opinion appointed doctors where required, providing safeguards for those who lacked capacity or were subject to treatment under legal frameworks. There was no evidence of systemic overuse or misuse of restrictive powers or practices, and leaders emphasised patient-centred decision-making when restrictions were necessary.

Staff consistently assessed patients’ capacity under the MCA to make specific decisions using the two-stage test and documented the assessments thoroughly. When patients lacked capacity, staff made decisions in their best interests after consulting the multidisciplinary team, families and advocates. Staff clearly recorded the rationale, who was consulted, and what options had been considered. Reasonable adjustments were made to support people in understanding and involvement in decision-making, including easy-read materials, interpreters, and adapted communication methods. Governance of MCA practices were effective, with regular audits of capacity assessments and best-interest decisions. Staff received ongoing training in the MCA, human rights, and equality to ensure decisions upheld people’s rights and dignity.