SafeAre people protected from abuse and avoidable harm?72%Good
See the breakdownHide the breakdown1 of 8 below good
Safe and effective staffingSome shortfalls
Infection prevention and controlGood
Involving people to manage risksGood
Learning cultureGood
Medicines optimisationGood
Safe environmentsGood
Safe systems, pathways and transitionsGood
SafeguardingGood
EffectiveDoes care achieve good outcomes and a good quality of life?71%Good
See the breakdownHide the breakdown1 of 6 below good
Delivering evidence-based care and treatmentSome shortfalls
Assessing needsGood
Consent to care and treatmentGood
How staff, teams and services work togetherGood
Monitoring and improving outcomesGood
Supporting people to live healthier livesGood
CaringAre staff kind, compassionate and respectful?65%Good
See the breakdownHide the breakdown2 of 5 below good
Kindness, compassion and dignitySome shortfalls
Responding to people's immediate needsSome shortfalls
Independence, choice and controlGood
Treating people as individualsGood
Workforce wellbeing and enablementGood
ResponsiveAre services organised to meet people's needs?75%Good
See the breakdownHide the breakdownAll 7 good
Care provision, integration and continuityGood
Equity in accessGood
Equity in experiences and outcomesGood
Listening to and involving peopleGood
Person-centred careGood
Planning for the futureGood
Providing InformationGood
Well-ledIs the home well managed, with a culture of high-quality care?75%Good
See the breakdownHide the breakdownAll 7 good
Capable, compassionate and inclusive leadersGood
Freedom to speak upGood
Governance, management and sustainabilityGood
Learning, improvement and innovationGood
Partnerships and communitiesGood
Shared direction and cultureGood
Workforce equality, diversity and inclusionGood
Percentages are CQC scores from its newer way of assessing homes. ?
CQC scored 33 standards: 29 good, 4 below good. Use “See the breakdown” on each key question for its standards. ?
CQC hasn't inspected this home for more than 5 years. It re-inspects based on risk, so an old rating doesn't count against a home on this site, but it may not reflect the home today. ?
Elmside is a 69-bed residential care home in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, run by Methodist Homes. It is registered to care for older people and people with dementia. That is larger than most homes in Hertfordshire, where the typical home has 30 beds.
Across Hertfordshire, 76% of rated homes are Good or Outstanding, against 82% for England. Food hygiene inspectors scored the kitchen 4 out of 5 in September 2024. In Hertfordshire, 92% of homes score 5. Of the 6 closest rated homes, none is rated above it. It is one of 69 homes run by Methodist Homes. 60 of those with a rating are Good or Outstanding.
In March 2026, CQC gave it Good overall, and Good for each of the five key questions too. That matches its previous rating, from July 2018. Ratings in Hertfordshire are typically about 5 years old, which makes this one newer than most. Of the 33 standards CQC scored, 4 fell below good. The lowest was “kindness, compassion and dignity” (some shortfalls).
