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The LawnsDorset

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Rated:GoodResidential

The Lawns

Fernhill Avenue, Weymouth, Dorset, DT4 7QU
01305760881
Care Type

Residential Care

Assessment date

22 June 2026

Provider

Care Dorset Limited

Beds

41 beds

How this home compares nearby

Of 19 care homes for older people within 5 miles, 16 are rated higher by CQC, 2 are the same and 1 is lower.

9 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

Costs and who runs this home

Run by Care Dorset Limited, which runs 6 care homes in England: 4 rated Good, 1 Requires Improvement and 1 not yet rated.

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.

  • 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 The Lawns

The Lawns is a 41-bed residential care home located on Fernhill Avenue in Weymouth, Dorset. Operated by Care Dorset Limited, it provides care for older people, younger adults, and individuals with dementia, mental health conditions, physical disabilities, and sensory impairments.

The home was last inspected by the CQC on 13 March 2025, when it received a rating of Requires Improvement. This means the service did not meet all regulatory standards at that time, though specific details about areas for development are available in the full inspection report.

The mixed-needs approach allows the home to support people with varying care requirements under one roof. Its Weymouth location provides access to local services and amenities typical of this coastal South West area. The number of beds indicates a medium-sized home rather than a small or large-scale operation.

Specialist Care

DementiaMental healthOlder 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 21 September 2026. This is a check of published information, not a visit to the home.

Registered service
Care home service without nursing
Registered capacity
41 places — this is not a vacancy count
Registration checked
Registered · DT4 7QU

Registered care categories

Caring for adults over 65 yrs; Caring for adults under 65 yrs; Dementia; Mental health conditions; 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: Good.

Assessment published 18 August 2026. Assessment date recorded: 22 June 2026.

Read CQC's assessment overview

The following is CQC's published account of its assessment, published 18 August 2026. References to “we” mean CQC. It describes findings at that time.

Date of assessment: 9 July 2026 to 21 July 2026

The Lawns is a care home, providing accommodation for up to 41 people. The service provides support to older people and people living with dementia. At the time of our assessment there were 24 people using the service.

We conducted this assessment to review 4 warning notices issued in September 2024 for failing to meet the regulations concerning safe care and treatment, dignity and respect, safeguarding service users from abuse and improper treatment and good governance at The Lawns.

At this assessment we found the provider had made significant improvements and developed a positive and supportive culture that needed to be embedded and sustained further. Breaches in all 4 warning notices had been met. The provider was no longer in breach of these regulations.

People received safe care provided by appropriately trained staff. Staff knew how to recognise and report safeguarding concerns internally and externally. Staff told us they felt able to speak up and were confident concerns would be addressed.

Systems to assess, plan and review care were established and generally effective. People’s needs were assessed before they moved into the service. Staff worked well with healthcare professionals and other external organisations to monitor and improve people’s health. Staff understood their responsibilities in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

Risk assessments and care plans contained sufficient information for staff to keep people safe. Information was available in formats that suited people’s preferences. The registered manager understood how barriers in relation to people’s care affected them and they were aware of the challenges faced by people. They told us they encouraged an open culture, and feedback from people, their relatives, staff and healthcare professionals reflected this.

Significant improvements were made to the way people’s medicines were managed and to ensure people’s involvement since our previous assessment. However, evidence still showed shortfalls and further improvements were needed. When people were prescribed high-risk medicines, appropriate risk assessments were not always in place. For example, not all people prescribed anticoagulants had a corresponding risk assessment. People’s care plans did not always include enough guidance for staff about peoples’ ‘when required’ medicines.

Staff were recruited safely and there were enough staff to meet people’s needs. There was a clear line management structure which staff understood. There was a registered manager in post. Governance systems were effective and identified areas for improvement. All actions from quality checks were added to the provider electronic system for monitoring. This ensured all actions were addressed in a timely way.

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

Read The Lawns'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 The Lawns, consider asking...

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

5 Things to Look For on Your Visit

When you visit The Lawns, look out for...

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

Could the NHS fund The Lawns'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.

Location

Fernhill Avenue, Weymouth, Dorset, DT4 7QU

CQC Logo

The Lawns

CQC overall rating

Good

Assessment date: 22 June 2026

View full inspection report
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