England

Placeholder image for Howard Lodge Care Centre

Howard Lodge Care CentreEssex

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

Rated:OutstandingResidential

Howard Lodge Care Centre

Beacon Hill Road, Kelvedon Common, Brentwood, Essex, CM14 5FQ

01277373603

Care Type

Residential Care

Inspection date

28 October 2019

Provider

St. Michael's Homes Limited

Beds

74 beds

How this home compares nearby

Of 14 care homes for older people within 5 miles, none are rated higher by CQC, none are the same and 14 are lower.

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

Based on CQC ratings, updated 25 October 2026. How we compare homes | See the nearby homes

Rating history

GoodMay 2015
GoodApr 2017
OutstandingFeb 2020

Improved from Good to Outstanding in 2020.

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

Costs and who runs this home

Run by St. Michael's Homes Limited, which runs 2 care homes in England: 1 rated Outstanding and 1 Good.

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 Howard Lodge Care Centre

Howard Lodge Care Centre is a residential care home in Essex, providing personal and nursing care for older people, including those living with dementia. Details from the most recent CQC inspection are set out below.

Howard Lodge provides accommodation with personal and nursing care for 72 older people, some living with dementia, across four separate units known as hamlets, each with adapted facilities. At inspection, 71 people were using the service.

Feedback from residents and relatives was universally positive. One relative told inspectors, "I have nothing but praise for this home. The quality of leadership and togetherness of staff, their genuine caring nature, all of this stands out.

" This sentiment was echoed by everyone spoken with during the inspection.

Source: CQC inspection report, 21 February 2020

Specialist Care

DementiaOlder peoplePhysical disabilitiesSensory impairmentsYounger 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 without nursing
Registered capacity: 74 places — this is not a vacancy count
Registration checked: Registered · CM14 5FQ

Registered care categories

Caring for adults over 65 yrs; Caring for adults under 65 yrs; Dementia; Physical disabilities; Sensory impairment.

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: Outstanding.

Rating report published 21 February 2020. Latest inspection date recorded: 28 October 2019.

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

Read Howard Lodge Care Centre'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 Howard Lodge Care Centre, 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 Howard Lodge Care Centre, 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 Howard Lodge Care Centre'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