England

EllacombeNorfolk

Illustrative image. Photographs of this home have not yet been added.

Rated:Requires ImprovementResidential

Ellacombe

Ella Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR1 4BP

01603519730

Care Type

Residential Care

Inspection date

3 August 2023

Provider

Norse Care (Services) Limited

Beds

45 beds

How this home compares nearby

Of 31 care homes for older people within 5 miles, 21 are rated higher by CQC, 9 are the same and 1 is lower.

7 of these nearby homes have been inspected more recently than this one.

Based on CQC ratings, updated 22 October 2026. How we compare homes | See the nearby homes

Rating history

Requires ImprovementJun 2016
GoodApr 2017
Requires ImprovementFeb 2020
Requires ImprovementOct 2023

Rating dropped from Good to Requires Improvement in 2020. CQC has rated this home 4 times since 2016.

Source: CQC inspection reports. Contains CQC data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Costs and who runs this home

Run by Norse Care (Services) Limited, which runs 17 care homes in England: 2 rated Outstanding, 12 Good and 3 Requires Improvement.

Average care home fees in the East of England: £1,034 a week for residential care and £1,411 for nursing care (2024-25 averages). Self-funders usually pay more. See our care home costs guide.

This home lists dementia care, which usually costs more than standard residential care. See dementia care home costs. NHS Continuing Healthcare may apply where someone's needs are primarily health needs.
How to pay for a care home explains the council means test, what counts as capital and the funding you can ask to be assessed for.

About Ellacombe

Ellacombe is a residential care home in Norfolk, offering a familiar and homely setting for those who need a little extra support in later life. The team there understands how much it means to families to find somewhere that feels genuinely caring, not just functional, and that sense of warmth comes through in the day-to-day life of the home. If you are exploring options for a loved one, Ellacombe welcomes you to get in touch and find out more about what they offer.

This residential care home provides accommodation and support for up to 45 people living with dementia, with 34 residents at the time of inspection. Inspectors identified several areas requiring improvement. Skin care checks were not consistently recorded, and there were concerns about pressure sore prevention.

Where residents needed additional calories for weight management, records did not demonstrate this was being provided consistently, particularly concerning for those with poor overall food intake. For residents who smoked and used flammable creams, safety management plans were not being consistently followed.

Inspectors also found safety risks inadequately managed. Some residents with dementia were known to access other people's bedrooms and drawers unsupervised. Drawers throughout the home contained unsecured items including cigarette lighters, tobacco, alcohol, and food, creating potential hazards.

Risk assessments needed strengthening to maintain individual safety, especially for people living with dementia. Additionally, improvements were required in the consistent application of medicines, particularly creams.

Source: CQC inspection report, 20 October 2023

Specialist Care

DementiaOlder people

Fees and availability

We have not verified a current weekly fee for this home. Ask for a written quote based on the room and care needed, including any extra charges.

Check current vacancies, the admission assessment and visiting arrangements directly with the home.

Care and inspection details

Checked against the CQC register on 20 September 2026. This is a check of published information, not a visit to the home.

Registered service: Care home service without nursing
Registered capacity: 45 places — this is not a vacancy count
Registration checked: Registered · NR1 4BP

Registered care categories

Caring for adults over 65 yrs; Dementia.

These describe the registration. The home must assess whether it can meet the individual person's needs and whether a place is available.

CQC ratings in more detail

Overall rating shown by CQC: Requires improvement.

Rating report published 20 October 2023. Latest inspection date recorded: 3 August 2023.

Safe: Requires improvement
EffectivePublished 1 February 2020: Requires improvement
CaringPublished 1 February 2020: Good
ResponsivePublished 1 February 2020: Requires improvement
Well-led: Requires improvement

Questions prompted by these ratings

Safe: What changes have been made to medicines, staffing and safeguarding since this rating?
Effective: How are staff training, nutrition and health outcomes checked now?
Responsive: How are care plans, activities and complaints adapted to each resident?
Well-led: What has changed in management, checks and oversight since this rating?

These are questions for your visit, not a claim about conditions today.

Read Ellacombe's CQC record and reports.

Contains Care Quality Commission information under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Ratings and registration details can change after the date checked.

5 Questions to Ask on Your Visit

When visiting Ellacombe, consider asking...

1.What specific dementia training do staff receive and how recently?
2.How do you support a resident who becomes distressed or confused?
3.How does the home keep a record of a resident's life history and personal preferences?
4.How do you involve families as dementia progresses and communication becomes harder?
5.What happens when a resident's dementia reaches an advanced stage?

5 Things to Look For on Your Visit

When you visit Ellacombe, look out for...

1.Is the environment calm, uncluttered and easy to navigate?
2.Do staff speak to residents with patience and dignity, even if they repeat themselves?
3.Are there memory cues around the home -- photos, familiar objects, clear signage?
4.Do residents seem settled and safe, or agitated and unsupervised?
5.Is there meaningful activity happening, or are residents just sitting quietly with nothing to do?

Could the NHS fund Ellacombe's fees?

The average nursing home costs £1,535 per week. That's £79,820 a year. NHS Continuing Healthcare could cover all of it. No means test, no contribution from you.

Find out if the NHS could fund these fees