England

Fern Brook LodgeDorset

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

Rated:GoodNursing

Fern Brook Lodge

Fern Brook Lane, Gillingham, SP8 4QD

01747834020

Care Type

Nursing Care

Inspection date

14 February 2022

Provider

Care South

Beds

75 beds

How this home compares nearby

Of 6 care homes for older people within 5 miles, none are rated higher by CQC, 6 are the same and none are lower.

4 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

GoodJan 2016
Requires ImprovementAug 2017
Requires ImprovementFeb 2018
Requires ImprovementFeb 2019
Requires ImprovementJul 2019
GoodMar 2020

Improved from Requires Improvement to Good in 2020. CQC has rated this home 6 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 Care South, which runs 14 care homes in England: 14 rated Good.

Average care home fees in the South West: £1,170 a week for residential care and £1,472 for nursing care (2024-25 averages). Self-funders usually pay more. See our care home costs guide.

NHS-funded Nursing Care pays £267.68 a week to the home towards registered nursing care for eligible residents (2026/27). A quoted fee may already exclude it.
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 Fern Brook Lodge

Fern Brook Lodge is a nursing home in Dorset, providing care for older people. Details of the most recent CQC inspection are set out below.

Fern Brook Lodge provides personal and nursing care for up to 75 people aged 65 and over, with 32 residents at the time of inspection. The home operates across two floors, accessible by stairs or lift.

The home had implemented robust processes to prevent COVID-19 transmission, including lateral flow tests and vaccination status confirmation for visitors. Residents felt confident in these measures, with comments including "I feel safe from the pandemic" and "COVID-19 is not one of my worries here. I feel safe.

" A relative affirmed, "They have everything covered.

Source: CQC inspection report, 26 February 2022

Specialist Care

DementiaOlder peopleYounger adults

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 with nursing
Registered capacity: 75 places — this is not a vacancy count
Registration checked: Registered · SP8 4QD

Registered care categories

Caring for adults over 65 yrs; Caring for adults under 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: Good.

Rating report published 4 March 2020. Latest inspection date recorded: 14 February 2022.

Safe: Good
Effective: Good
Caring: Good
Responsive: Good
Well-led: Good

Read Fern Brook Lodge'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 Fern Brook Lodge, 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 Fern Brook Lodge, 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 Fern Brook Lodge'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