The Lodge

Dykes Chase, Maldon, CM9 6HW

01621858286

Care Type

Residential Care

Assessment date

16 April 2026

Provider

SDM Care Homes LTD

Beds

25 beds

About The Lodge

The Lodge is a residential care home in Essex providing accommodation and personal care for up to 25 older people, with 24 living there at the time of assessment. The CQC rated the home Good overall, though it identified a breach of regulations relating to safe care and treatment, including gaps in some care plans, risk assessments and checks on shared equipment.

Inspectors found a settled, well-supported staff team who spoke positively about their work and worked well with healthcare professionals. People and relatives gave positive feedback about the care provided and felt able to raise concerns. The provider responded promptly to the issues raised and has been asked for an action plan.

Source: CQC assessment, 11 June 2026

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 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: 25 places — this is not a vacancy count
Registration checked: Registered · CM9 6HW

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.

Assessment published 11 June 2026. Assessment date recorded: 16 April 2026.

Read CQC's assessment overview

The following is CQC's published account of its assessment, published 11 June 2026. References to “we” mean CQC. It describes findings at that time.

Date of assessment: 21 April 2026 to 21 May 2026.
The Lodge is a residential care home providing accommodation for persons who require nursing or personal care with capacity for up to 25 people.There were 24 people living at The Lodge at the time of our assessment. The service provides care to older people. Since the last inspection, the provider has changed. This was a fully comprehensive assessment and we looked at all 5 key questions.
We identified 1 breach of the legal regulations in relation to safe care and treatment.
We found that some care plans and risk assessments had not been completed or did not always contain sufficient information with regards to people’s needs and the potential risks associated to their medical conditions. We identified some concerns around the risk assessments for shared equipment in the home.
Staff told us they were supported by management and felt comfortable with raising any concerns or complaints. Staff told us they liked working at The Lodge and spoke positively about supporting people with their care needs. People were supported by a consistent staff team. People’s communication needs were assessed. Staff worked well with healthcare professionals.
The provider and the registered manager were responsive to our feedback and actioned concerns immediately.
We have asked the provider for an action plan in response to the concerns found at this assessment.

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

Questions prompted by these ratings

Safe: What changes have been made to medicines, staffing and safeguarding since this rating?

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

Read The 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 The 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 The 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 The 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