Howard Lodge Care Centre

Beacon Hill Road, Kelvedon Common, Brentwood CM14 5FQ
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9.5 52 Reviews
  • Howard Lodge Care Centre, Brentwood
Howard Lodge Care Centre is located in the scenic countryside, where skilled and friendly staff provide personalised care for older people, as well as offering support for adults with dementia.

The accommodation benefits from significant investment into refurbishing and modernising of the interiors, making the most of its capabilities for care practice and daily living.

Pleasing additions that residents can enjoy include, a cinema room, pampering suite and hairdressing salon, while many activities are organised to suit personal interests and there is also a sun terrace.

Attending day care can help relieve the loneliness and isolation some people experience when living on their own, while also helping to maintain independence.

Howard Lodge Care Centre is able to offer day care facilities with varied stimulating activities, companionship and care, whilst remaining in a safe environment. This service is subject to availability.

The services at Howard Lodge Care Centre are suitable for older people with varying levels of care needs, including those who have dementia.

Day care services are also suitable for people who live with their relatives. This helps with enabling family members who may be the main carer for their loved one to have some respite for themselves, with the peace of mind that their relative is safe and being cared for.

Personalised care and activity plans are designed for day care members. This takes into account personal care needs, interests and hobbies. The activities on offer include arts and crafts, quizzes, reminiscence, bingo and trips out.
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Care Provided by Howard Lodge Care Centre

Primary Care Categories

  • Older Person Care
  • Dementia
  • Physical Disability
  • Visual / Hearing Impairment

Length of Stay

  • Permanent Care
  • Respite Care

Care Types Provided

  • Residential Care
  • Dementia Residential Care
  • For a maximum of 74 Service Users

Dementia Care Types

  • Mild Dementia
  • Moderate Dementia

Other Care Provided

  • Parkinson's Disease
  • Stroke
  • Palliative / End of Life Care
  • Bariatric Care/Obesity
  • Convalescent Care
  • Acquired Brain Injury (ABI)
  • Day Care

Facilities

  • Own Furniture if required
  • Pet Friendly (or by arrangement)
  • Close to Local shops
  • Minibus or other transport
  • Lift
  • Wheelchair Access
  • Gardens
  • Bar/Café
  • Phone Point in own room
  • Television point in own room
  • Residents Internet Access

Funding & Fees What's included?

Weekly Charges per Person

  • Self-Funded Residential Care: £1530 – £1885
  • Self-Funded Residential Dementia Care: £1545 – £1875
  • RESPITE Self-Funded Residential Care: £1545 – £1980
  • RESPITE Self-Funded Residential Dementia Care: £1622 – £1969
The price(s) shown are provided by the care home. Contact Howard Lodge Care Centre for full pricing details and T&Cs.

Contact Howard Lodge Care Centre to confirm what's included and get a personalised quote:

Funding Types Accepted

  • Self Funding (Private)
  • Local Authority with Top Up
  • Local Authority
  • NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC)

Contact Howard Lodge Care Centre to confirm what's included and get a personalised quote:

Good to Know

Group/Owner

Person in Charge

  • Linda Kirby (Manager)

Local Authority / Social Services

Admission Information

  • Ages 65+

Care Home Design/Build

  • Purpose Built: Yes
  • Year Purpose Built: 2014
  • Last Refurbishment: 2014
  • Number of floors: 3

Room Information

  • Single Rooms (72)
  • Couples/Companion Rooms (1)
  • Single Rooms with Ensuite Wet Room (72)

Howard Lodge Care Centre Reviews (52)

9.5

Howard Lodge Care Centre has a Review Score of 9.5 (9.547) out of 10, based on 12 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Howard Lodge Care Centre has 52 reviews.

Overall Experience
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Date Published
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Reviewer Connection to Howard Lodge Care Centre
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Total of 52, showing 41-52
Review from Janet M (Daughter of Resident) published on 12 August 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My 97-year-old mother has now been a resident for a year. It was a very difficult decision to place her in a residential home but she needed much more help than was possible to stay in her own home. She had been a day patient on a Wednesday for a year before the virus struck so it was great to see the
same staff and this helped her to settle in.
I visit twice a week and every time the staff are always so pleasant and kind and Mum also comments on this.
The management team refurbished a portable office to make two visitor pods to enable visits to go ahead with just a perspex screen between the visitor and resident. This was far more than most homes were able to provide and a credit to them.
It is now possible to visit in their lovely garden or in the tea room with a Lateral Flow Test but the pods are still available and are a good option if you want to be indoors but without a mask.
Reply from Lin Kirby, Manager at Howard Lodge Care CentreThank you so much for your wonderful feedback Janet. We are very lucky to have such supportive families who have been patient and accepting throughout the last 18 months, during this awful pandemic. It is lovely to hear that the love and care our staff provide is recognised. It has been lovely seeing visitors back into the home and we are so pleased you were able to use the pod to visit Mum.
One of the loveliest memories for me will be when I saw how happy you and Mum were when you were able to take her out again.
On behalf of our team, thank you so very much.
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Review from Tim D (Son of Resident) published on 6 August 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My mother has been in Howard Lodge for 3 years now and we are really pleased with the home and the care she has received. The staff are always attentive to her needs and let me know by email about any concerns they have with her health and deal with it in house or call the home GP Surgery and arrange
a visit to see Mum. The home is always spotlessly clean and during the last 18 months of the Covid crisis, the management and staff have done all they can to keep the residents safe. We would definitely recommend this home to friends and family.
Reply from Claire Watson, Director at Howard Lodge Care CentreThank you so much for your lovely review. We are proud of the team and we will be so happy to share with them all.
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Review from Lisa S (Daughter of Resident) published on 20 May 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I am so happy with Howard Lodge and the care they have shown my mum.
The staff are so friendly, caring and non-judgemental.
The home itself is cleaned regularly, the rooms are beautiful and some overlook the horses.
If I was a millionaire, I would still want my mum to be in this home.
Reply from Lin Kirby, Manager at Howard Lodge Care CentreHi Lisa,
Thank you so much for your lovely review. We are so pleased you are happy with the care mum receives. We are so proud of our staff team, who care from the heart and feel blessed to have the love and support from our family members, especially throughout this difficult time. We look forward to being able to see you all again as restrictions are lifted.
Thank you once again.
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Review from Debbie M (Daughter of Resident) published on 4 November 2020 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Both mum and dad were diagnosed with dementia and entered Howard Lodge in 2015. Dad passed 3 months later mum passed April 2020. We can never thank the wonderful team for their genuine love and care for mum and dad and their love and support to us and who became and remain our second family. Heartfelt
thanks to everyone at Howard Lodge the manager and all the wonderful carers (too many to mention but you know who you are). We will never forget all you did for mum and dad. We could never have coped without you all. Thank you.
Reply from Lin Kirby, Manager at Howard Lodge Care CentreHi Debbie, Thank you so much for your lovely words and great feedback. It is heartwarming to know that our residents and their families feel loved and welcomed. It was an honour to care for your mum and dad and to know you and your families. We do miss you all and hope you are all well. It really is an honour to be part of such a fantastic team and to work for such a great company. Sending love and kisses to you all, Lin and the Team at Howard Lodge.
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Review from Dawn J (Daughter of Resident) published on 25 March 2019 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My mum moved into Howard Lodge last year as she had dementia. From the first enquiry to moving her in the staff at Howard Lodge made the process so easy and were amazing at helping mum to settle in. What I thought was going to be a really difficult transition was actually incredibly smooth. I cannot
recommend this care home highly enough. All of the staff are really patient, caring and go above and beyond the call of duty.
Reply from Sean Watson, Director at Howard Lodge Care CentreMany thanks for the review Dawn, so glad you and mum are happy with our service. I will also print this off and put it up in the staff room if ok with you. Thanks again.
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Review from June P (Daughter-in-law of Resident) published on 23 March 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My mother in law has been a resident of Howard Lodge for 18 months now. During her time here, we as a family have found the staff caring and friendly, the home clean and all of my mother in law's needs are met to the best of their ability.
We have seen her slowly decline with dementia over the time
she has been here and the staff not only support her but the family as a whole during stressful times. Care plans are discussed with us on a regular basis to ensure that we are aware of everything that is changing towards Mum's care and if we have any concerns they are discussed immediately. We have access to Mum 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and have always been happy with the care that she receives at whatever time of day or night we have turned up. We feel that rather than lose our mum we have gained a Howard Lodge family.
Reply from Lin Kirby, Home Manager at Howard Lodge Care CentreThank you, June for such lovely feedback. All our residents and families are an extended family to us. We are very lucky to have such wonderful support from all our family members. This helps us greatly in working together in being able to provide person-centred care to our residents. We have a great staff team who genuinely care and want the best for our residents and their families.
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Review from Tom T (Son of Resident) published on 6 April 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our mother was taken in on Dec 29th, 2016 and to say that she would have tested the patience of saints would be an understatement but the care, attention and patience she received was second to none. She found it difficult to settle and was also obviously in failing health, both physically and mentally.
She was also particularly hard to please because she had herself owned and run care homes and knew exactly what she was doing. All the team, from senior management down to her individual carers and assistants on Honeysuckle were absolutely first class. We were enormously grateful for all their help, support and their understanding of our plight as a family. The place itself is a palace and spotlessly clean. The rooms are lovely and the setting is out of this world. We have no hesitation in recommending Howard Lodge Care Centre and would almost put our own names down but hopefully will not need to for a while yet.
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Review from Jane H (Daughter of Resident) published on 31 January 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My mother lived in her new home, and that is what she called Howard Lodge, for only a few months. The final chapter of her life was exceptionally happy. I cannot thank the team at Howard Lodge enough for their love and kindness to her. She settled in very quickly and felt safe and cared for. It is never
an easy decision to take but in hindsight, I would make the exact same decision and choose Howard Lodge. The place is bright, modern and clean. The reason, however, why it is such a great place is the staff. Without exception they were fabulous. I cannot think of a time they were sitting in the office -they were always sitting chatting or helping the residents. I unreservedly recommend Howard Lodge to anyone thinking of a care home.
Reply from Lin Kirby, Home Manager at Howard Lodge Care CentreThank you so much for such wonderful feedback. It was an absolute pleasure to know your mum for the time we did, she is greatly missed by us all. Thank you too for being such a great family.
We are very proud of our staff team and the care we provide. Our whole staff team care and receiving such positive feedback, makes our job more worthwhile. Thank you once again.
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Review from Pauline H (Daughter of Resident) published on 4 August 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The care that the staff provide is excellent, my mum has many problems which all the staff understand and care for her as if she were their mum or nan.


This home gives me peace of mind everyday that my mum is loved and cared for at all times.


I am always informed of any changes and feel very comfortable

with all the staff and management whom are all extremely approachable.


Rooms are very spacious and having their own bathroom is great.


Everyone is encouraged to make their rooms feel like home with personal belongings so they feel at home.


The care this home shows is 100% person centered care and that is the most important thing I believe for families knowing your loved ones are cared for.


Well done to all Howard Lodge staff you should all be proud of the job you do.

Reply from Lin Kirby, Home Manager at Howard Lodge Care CentreThank you Pauline for such a wonderful review. It is always lovely to receive thanks for all the hard work the staff team at Howard Lodge do. We are also so very lucky to have such supportive families and friends who work with us to achieve our aim of ensuring the health and wellbeing of all our residents. Thank you, once again.
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Review from Liz J (Daughter of Resident) published on 9 June 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We have viewed over 30 care homes in Essex and have stayed in two others (both bad experiences), prior to this our loved one was at home with us for four years until the progression of the disease became too much, so this has been a long process to find somewhere that we are okay with. This is by far
the BEST care home there is. The design of the home with separate units for the various stages of dementia is perfect. The staff always know exactly what is going on with my loved one and are pro-active and on the ball to alert us to any issues. They want to work with you to find the best solution. It is not about profits it is about real care looking after people who are very ill. Every leader who I have met whether it is unit manager, manager of home, housekeeping manager is dedicated to doing the best for the residents. My loved one has severe Alzheimer’s at a young age and so can be very challenging, the carers are always patient and caring. Thank you to all.
Reply from Lin Kirby, Home Manager at Howard Lodge Care CentreThank you so much for the positive feedback. it is always very refreshing to hear relatives feedback.
I have passed your review onto the Team caring for your loved one.
Thank you once again.
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Review from Bill B (Son of Resident) published on 31 May 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
Home is good and clean - the staff are excellent - my only criticism is the activities which are very limited - not enough opportunities for residents to attend activities outside the home (only 1 organised trip out since Christmas)
Food is okay but very basic.
Reply from Lin Kirby, Home Manager at Howard Lodge Care CentreWe are always seeking feedback from relatives and visitors to the home as well as from the residents who live here.
We send satisfaction surveys to residents, relatives, staff and professionals to ensure we continue to provide a quality service to all our residents.
After reading Bills feedback I contacted him and invited him to meet with me to discuss his feedback and how we could improve. Bill did not feel we needed to meet and said that 90% of the service we provide is excellent.
We discussed activities and the choices on offer. We do provide a varied choice and have begun to use the garden to play bowls etc.
We have also started a D.I.Y. club and gardening club.
This will be held in the afternoons, times will be advertised and residents informed.
We also discussed the food choices, Bill stated that at times his Dad has said the food can be bland and he likes curries etc.
We do provide curries and spicy foods as part of our lunch menu. As Bill usually visits around tea time he may not have seen these choices provided.
I have assured Bill we will in future keep him informed more about the activities offered and what ones his dad has taken part in.
We will also inform him about the meal choices and what dad has chosen.
Thank you Bill for your feedback.
I hope our discussion was helpful.
Lin,
Home Manager
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Review from Amanda H (Niece of Resident) published on 28 May 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Lovely care home, the staff are always pleasant and do a great job as sometimes very testing (as my aunt has severe Alzheimers) but are always kind and caring, nothing is to much trouble. Thankyou.
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Current Review Score: 9.5 (9.547)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.5 (9.547) out of 10 for Howard Lodge Care Centre is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  1. The Average Rating is 4.9 out of 5 from 12 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 4.6 out of 5 from 12 positive Reviews in the last 24 months.

Detailed Breakdown of Review Score

The maximum Review Score for a Care Home is 10, which is made up from the Average Rating of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) and the Number of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) in the last 24 months:

  1. 5 Points are available for the Average Rating from all Reviews in the last 24 months. The Average Rating of 4.936 for Howard Lodge Care Centre is calculated as follows: ( (132 Excellents x 5) + (9 Goods x 4) ) ÷ 141 Ratings = 4.936
  2. 5 Points are available for the number of Positive Reviews in the last 24 months. A Positive Review is defined as any Review with an 'Overall Experience' of '4' or '5' (out of a max rating '5'). The 4.611 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Howard Lodge Care Centre is based on 12 positive Reviews in the last 24 months and is calculated as per below:

    The 5 points available are broken down as follows:

    1. 4 points are available for the first 20 Positive Reviews in the last 24 months; 3 points for the first Positive Review, 0.125 Points for each of the next four Positive Reviews, 0.05 Points for the next five Positive Reviews, and finally 0.025 Points for the next ten Positive Reviews. (1st = 3.000, 2nd = 0.125, 3rd = 0.125, 4th = 0.125, 5th = 0.125, 6th = 0.050, 7th = 0.050, 8th = 0.050, 9th = 0.050, 10th = 0.050, 11th = 0.025, 12th = 0.025, 13th = 0.025, 14th = 0.025, 15th = 0.025, 16th = 0.025, 17th = 0.025, 18th = 0.025, 19th = 0.025, 20th = 0.025) 3 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.025 + 0.025 = 3.8
    2. 1 point is available for the number of Positive Reviews reaching 20% of the registered maximum number of service users in the last 24 months. If this number is partially reached, then that proportion of 1 point is given. eg a Care Home registered for a maximum of 50 service users has to reach 10 Positive Reviews to receive 1 point, if it has 7 reviews it will receive 0.7 points. 20% of the 74 registered maximum number of service users is 14.8. 12 Positive Reviews ÷ 14.8 = 0.811
  3. When a Review is submitted by someone who has previously submitted a Review, only the latest Review will count towards the Review Score.
  4. If a Care Home does not have a review in the last 24 months, then it will not have a Review Score.

Regulatory Rating

Care Quality Commission (CQC) Rating

Date: 21 Feb 2020

Overall Outstanding

  • Caring Good
  • Effective Good
  • Responsive Outstanding
  • Safe Good
  • Well-led Outstanding
Care Quality Commission is responsible for the registration and inspection of social care services in England. View Latest Report

Bed Vacancies

Please contact us for latest vacancies.

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Awards / Recognitions (1)

Meet the Team (1)

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Lin Kirby

Job Title: Manager Joined: 1986

My name is Lin Kirby and I have over 30 years experience in the health care sector. I started as a care worker, progressed to Deputy & Home Manager. I have also been an Operations Manager and a Dementia Trainer accredited with the Alzheimer's Society. I have been a Manual Handling Trainer and part of a specialist dementia team undertaking specialised assessments & supporting homes with residents living with dementia. I worked as a Regional Manager, Care Director and then as a Peripatetic Home Manager before starting with Howard Lodge.
I am passionate about the care of our residents, staff and visitors and am very proud to be the Home Manager of Howard Lodge.
My qualifications are as follows;
RMA, Manual Handling Key Trainer 2015,
Dementia Care Leadership Programme-National Open Network College 2009,
NEBOSH Certificate Level 3 in Occupational Health & Safety 2008,
Accredited Train the Trainer qualification 2005,
Alzheimer's Society Accredited Trainer 2005,
NVQ Level 4 in Management 2004,
University of Bradford Dementia Care Mapping 2001,
Registered Managers Award 2001,
NVQ Internal Assessor 1993.

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