Willis Lodge care home

What families say

The eight family priority themes

• Staff warmth70
• Compassion & dignity70
• Cleanliness68
• Activities & engagement60
• Food quality58
• Healthcare65
• Management & leadership72
• Resident happiness68

What inspectors found

Inspected 2023-07-13

• Is this home safe?

  Good
  The inspection rated Safety as Good, representing an improvement from the previous Requires Improvement rating. This suggests that concerns identified in the earlier inspection — which could have related to staffing, medicines, falls management, or infection control — have been addressed to the inspector's satisfaction. The home cares for adults with dementia, mental health conditions, and sensory impairments, meaning safe management of risk is particularly important. No specific incidents, medication errors, or environmental concerns are recorded in the available inspection summary. The home was registered and active at the time of inspection with no dormancy noted.
  Verified by inspector

• Is the care effective?

  Good
  The Effective domain was rated Good, covering training, care planning, healthcare access, and food and nutrition. The home lists dementia as a core specialism alongside mental health and sensory impairment, which implies staff should have training beyond general care. A Good rating in this domain suggests care plans, GP access, and nutritional care met the inspector's standards at the time of the visit. No specific examples of training content, care plan quality, GP involvement, or mealtimes are described in the available published text. The improvement from Requires Improvement indicates previous gaps in this area have been addressed.
  Verified by inspector

• Is this home caring?

  Good
  Caring was rated Good, which is the domain most directly linked to how your parent will feel day to day. This covers kindness, dignity, respect, privacy, and whether staff treat people as individuals. A Good rating means the inspector was satisfied that staff interactions met the required standard. However, no direct quotes from residents or relatives, and no specific observations of staff interactions, are available in the published inspection summary. The previous Requires Improvement rating means this domain was also strengthened during the improvement period.
  Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded

• Is the home responsive?

  Good
  Responsiveness was rated Good, covering how well the home adapts to individual needs, provides meaningful activities, and handles end-of-life care. This is the domain most linked to whether your parent will have a life — not just a place to sleep — at Willis Lodge. No specific information about activity programmes, activity coordinators, end-of-life planning, or how individual preferences are incorporated is available in the published inspection text. Given the home supports people with dementia, mental health conditions, and sensory impairments, the range and adaptability of activities is particularly important.
  Verified by inspector

• Is the home well-led?

  Good
  Well-led was rated Good, and a named Registered Manager — Miss Hollie Teigan Smith — is recorded alongside a Nominated Individual, Mr John Paul Weldrick. This dual leadership structure indicates accountability is in place at both operational and organisational levels. The improvement from Requires Improvement to Good in this domain suggests governance systems, quality monitoring, and staff support have been meaningfully strengthened. No specific details about how the manager engages with residents and families, what governance tools are in use, or how long the current manager has been in post are available in the published text.
  Verified by inspector

Source: CQC inspection report →

Section 03

What the evidence base says

The team at Willis Lodge has experience supporting residents with sensory impairments, mental health conditions and substance misuse problems. This breadth of expertise means they can care for people with complex or multiple needs. Staff are trained in dementia care approaches, supporting residents to maintain their abilities and independence. The home can accommodate people at different stages of their dementia journey. All areas worth probing directly during a visit.