Woodthorpe Lodge

The following is CQC's published account of its assessment, published 1 September 2025. References to “we” mean CQC. It describes findings at that time.

Date of Assessment: 18 June – 3 July 2025. Woodthorpe Lodge is a residential care home that provides personal care and support to older and younger adults, people with mental health needs, people with sensory impairment and people living with dementia. The service is purpose built and can accommodate up to 66 people over 2 floors. At the time of this inspection, 51 people resided at the care home.At the time of our inspection there was not a registered manager in post. A new manager had been appointed and was in post; they intended to apply to register with us. The provider’s representative was providing additional support with governance and oversight.

People who lived at the care home were kept safe. The provider had taken remedial action in response to an increase in the number of falls and incidents in the service over the last 12 months. They had successfully used a screening tool to analyse why injuries from falls and incidents were occurring and taken appropriate steps to reduce the risk. There was a marked decrease of falls and incidents in the service as a result. Staff treated people with kindness and compassion. Staff understood and managed risks well, though further work was needed to ensure sufficient guidance and information around specific risks was included in care plans. The facilities and equipment met the needs of people, were clean and well-maintained and any risks mitigated. There were enough staff with the right skills, qualifications and experience. However, staff deployment required further review to ensure enough staff were deployed to meet people’s needs at peak times. Staff recruitment practices were safe. Staff were valued, supported, and received all the relevant training they needed to perform their roles and responsibilities well. Infection risks were safely managed. People received their medicines safely and as prescribed, though improvements were needed in some areas of medicines records. People felt staff consulted with them and respected their choices and decisions; some mental capacity assessments required review and development.

Managers and staff had a shared vision and culture based on listening, learning and trust. Managers had worked to establish a positive culture within the service and were supportive of staff, helping them develop in their roles. Staff felt supported to give feedback and were treated equally and fairly. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities. The service had established quality and safety monitoring systems, though these were not fully embedded or fully effective at the time of our inspection. People and relatives felt able to raise concerns and complaints and these were listened to and acted on. People did not feel forums to make suggestions or share ideas were fully effective. Managers and staff worked in close partnership with external community health and social care professionals and bodies to deliver the best possible care and support to people living in the care home.