The Care Quality Commission
  • Mental Health
  • Independent mental health service

Cygnet Sherwood Lodge

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Rufford Colliery Lane, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, NG21 0HR (01623) 499980

Provided and run by:
Cygnet Behavioural Health Limited

All Inspections

During an assessment of Wards for people with learning disabilities or autism

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.

During an assessment of the hospital overall

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.

11 and 12 March 2019

During a routine inspection

We rated this service overall as outstanding because:

  • The service provided safe care. The ward environments were safe, thoroughly clean and recently redecorated. The number of nurses and doctors working at the hospital was well above the bare minimum required for safe care. Staff took a proactive approach to anticipating and managing risk to patients. They rarely used restrictive practices. The service contributed to research and development of national guidance on medicines and led the way in developing good practice in care.
  • There were comprehensive systems to keep people safe, which took account of current best practice. The whole team was engaged in reviewing and improving safety and safeguarding systems. Patients were at the centre of safeguarding and protection from discrimination. There was a genuinely open culture in which all safety concerns raised by staff and patients were highly valued as being integral to learning and improvement.
  • Staff had a truly holistic approach to assessing, planning and delivering care and treatment to patients. They developed holistic, recovery-orientated care plans informed by a comprehensive assessment. They provided a range of treatments suitable to the needs of the patients cared for in a learning disability rehabilitation ward and in line with national best practice guidance.
  • Managers actively encouraged the safe use of innovative and pioneering approaches to care and how staff delivered it.
  • The ward teams included or had access to the full range of specialists required to meet the needs of patients on the wards. Managers ensured these staff received training, supervision and appraisal. The ward staff worked well together as a multi-disciplinary team and with those outside the ward who would have a role in providing aftercare.
  • The management team recognised the continuing development of the staff’s skills, competence and knowledge was integral to ensuring high-quality care. They proactively supported and encouraged staff to acquire new skills, use their transferable skills, and share best practice.
  • Staff ensured that patients who were detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 (MHA) understood and were empowered to exercise their rights under the Act. The provider supported staff to understand and meet the requirements of the Mental Health Act Code of Practice, working effectively with others to promote the best outcomes with a focus on recovery for people subject to the Mental Health Act.
  • Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity and understood the individual needs of patients. Staff actively involved patients and families and carers in care decisions where able.
  • Staff empowered patients to have a voice and to realise their potential. They showed determination and creativity to overcome obstacles to delivering care. Staff ensured that patients’ individual preferences and needs were always reflected in how care was delivered.
  • Staff, teams and services were committed to working collaboratively and had found innovative and efficient ways to deliver more joined-up care to patients.
  • There was a holistic approach to planning people’s discharge, transfer or transition to other services, which staff started on admission. Staff planned and managed discharge well and liaised well with services that would provide aftercare. As a result, discharge was rarely delayed for other than a clinical reason.
  • Staff were consistent in supporting patients to live healthier lives which included identifying those who needed extra support. There was a targeted and proactive approach to health promotion and prevention of ill-health.
  • The service took patients that had already spent a long time in care and enabled them to move into lesser dependant services in a reasonable time frame. This is the aim of Transforming Care.
  • There was a compassionate, inclusive and effective leadership at all levels. Leaders demonstrated the high levels of experience, capacity and capability needed to deliver excellent and sustainable care.  Leaders had a deep understanding of issues, challenges and priorities in their service, and beyond.

2 - 3 November 2015

During a routine inspection

We rated Sherwood Lodge as outstanding because:

  • Enough suitably qualified staff were available to meet patients' needs.
  • Patients told that us that staff treated them well and were kind.
  • There was a strong person-centred culture in which individual patients' needs were prioritised. We saw that staff identified and met patients' emotional and social needs.
  • Relationships between patients and staff were strong, caring, and supportive. Patients were active partners in their care and were involved in day-to-day decision-making.
  • The hospital was pioneering the use of visual discharge planning, which includes the patient from the point of admission. Using visual aids ensured that patients could take part in the process. Visual discharge planning centres on the patient being an active driver in their treatment. Emphasis is on patients identifying and meeting their own goals and progressing to the point of discharge.
  • Sherwood Lodge took a whole team approach to meeting the needs of patients. We saw that catering, administration, maintenance, and housekeeping staff were active team members. The enhanced communication made possible through this approach meant that patients received a good service, with timely responses to any change.
  • Services were flexible and used innovative approaches to support patients.
  • Sherwood Lodge invested in the training and development of its staff.

However:

  • CQC had not received all safeguarding notifications in a timely manner. The manager had submitted safeguarding alerts to the local safeguarding board and then waited to see if they constituted a safeguarding concern before notifying CQC. We were satisfied that staff safeguarded patients by raising alerts.
  • In five out of nine records, nurses' physical health assessments of patients were not thorough or complete. This could have meant important information was not easily available to all staff.

24 July 2013

During a routine inspection

We used a number of different methods to help us understand the quality of service provision. We had discussions with the management team, members of the support staff, visiting professionals and patients who used the service.

We found that a comprehensive guide was made available to patients, or their representatives, to ensure they had sufficient information about the hospital to determine if their individual needs could be met.

Support staff encouraged patients to express their views and make decisions about their care regime.

Staff supported patients to access treatment from health care specialists such as psychologists, psychiatrists, specialist nurses, speech and language therapists and occupational therapists.

Patients told us they received their care and support in a safe manner and felt safe within the hospital environment. Patients also told us that they felt the staff had the right qualifications, skills and knowledge to perform their duties in a safe and competent manner.