Working at Ash Lodge Care Home with Nursing
Londonderry Lane, Smethwick, B67 7EL
Operated by Care First (Smethwick) Ltd
70 bedsNursing homesRehabilitation (illness/injury)
Workplace Score
6.0/10
AI analysis of latest data
Our AI workplace review
PlainSight AI Review
Last updated: 9 February 2026
Score: 6.0/10
Key Finding
"Staff feel well supported, valued and like one big family with strong safety and good training, but adequate staffing and basic activities hold it back."
Safety & Risk
7/10
✓
People were protected from potential abuse by staff who had regular safeguarding training. Risk to people had been appropriately managed. There were robust risk assessments in place.
Staff Culture
7/10
✓
Staff spoke positively about working for the provider. They felt well supported, valued and happy in their role. One staff member told us, "This is their home, we are one big family."
Staffing Levels
5/10
!
Our observations during the day, indicated there were enough staff on duty to support people with their care needs. People and their relatives told us there was enough staff to meet people's needs.
Training & Dev
6/10
✓
Staff were positive about the provider's training programme. A member of staff told us, "The training is good. I believe it gives me all the knowledge and skills to do my job."
Management
6/10
✓
Staff spoke positively about working for the provider. They felt well supported and that they could talk to the management team at any time, feeling confident any concerns would be acted on promptly.
Programmes
4/10
!
People had opportunities to engage in meaningful activities. We saw some people chose to participate in gardening activities. They are arranging a special birthday for [name of person] with a tribute band.
Points to consider
Staff numbers are enough to meet basic needs but nothing special, so workloads might feel stretched sometimes.
Our observations during the day, indicated there were enough staff on duty to support people with their care needs. People and their relatives told us there was enough staff to meet people's needs.
Just basic activities like gardening and occasional themed events, no full programme or coordinator to make the job varied and fun.
People had opportunities to engage in meaningful activities. We saw some people chose to participate in gardening activities. They are arranging a special birthday for [name of person] with a tribute band which they love.
AI Generated
CQC Inspection Overview
CQC Inspection
Last inspected: July 2023
Requires improvement
Safe
✓
Good
Effective
!
Requires improvement
Caring
✓
Good
Responsive
✓
Good
Management Quality
Well-led: Requires improvement
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- Care Quality Commission (CQC) Inspection Data
- PlainSight staff reviews