Ellacombe

Ella Road, Thorpe Hamlet, Norwich NR1 4BP
Review Us
9.2 38 Reviews
  • Ellacombe, Norwich
Ellacombe is a delightful care home in the Thorpe Hamlet area of Norwich with stunning cathedral views. There is easy access to the A47 and the Norwich railway station.

The home provides specialist care for up to 45 people and supports people living with dementia, high physical dependency needs and residential care. Ellacombe can also offer short-term respite care.

Ellacombe is able to offer a variety of different rooms, a number of which provide en-suite facilities. Residents are welcome to bring small items of furniture, pictures and ornaments to add an individual touch to their room.

Catering staff provide a variety of home-cooked meals and the home welcomes visits from families and friends together with well-behaved pets.

Highly trained staff aim to provide individualised care in a warm and friendly environment where help is always on hand.

In addition there are dining rooms, spacious sitting and garden areas. Wi-Fi is available throughout the home.
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Care Provided by Ellacombe

Primary Care Categories

  • Older Person Care
  • Dementia

Length of Stay

  • Permanent Care
  • Respite Care

Care Types Provided

  • Residential Care
  • Dementia Residential Care
  • For a maximum of 45 Service Users

Dementia Care Types

  • Mild Dementia
  • Moderate Dementia
  • Advanced/Complex Dementia

Other Care Provided

  • Parkinson's Disease
  • Palliative / End of Life Care
  • Day Care

Facilities

  • Own Furniture if required
  • Smoking not permitted
  • Near Public Transport
  • Lift
  • Wheelchair Access
  • Gardens
  • Residents Kitchenette
  • Phone Point in own room
  • Television point in own room
  • Residents Internet Access

Funding & Fees

Weekly Charges per Person

  • Self-Funded Residential Care: £1079 – £1646
  • Self-Funded Residential Dementia Care: £1079 – £1646
  • RESPITE Self-Funded Residential Care: £1079 – £1646
  • RESPITE Self-Funded Residential Dementia Care: £1079 – £1646

Fees are calculated on the type of room and individual care needs of each applicant. Any external services will warrant additional charges.

These prices are only a guideline, please contact Ellacombe to find out the exact price for your requirements.

Funding Types Accepted

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

Good to Know

Person in charge

  • Alison Roberts (Manager)

Local Authority / Social Services

Admission Criteria

  • Ages 65+

Care Home Design/Build

  • Purpose Built: Yes

Room Information

  • Single Rooms (43)
  • Couples/Companion Rooms (1)
  • Single Rooms with Ensuite Wet Room (23)

Ellacombe Reviews (38)

9.2

Ellacombe has a Review Score of 9.2 (9.151) out of 10, based on 9 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Ellacombe has 38 reviews.

Overall Experience
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Reviewer Connection to Ellacombe
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Total of 38, showing 1-20
Review from F H (Respite Resident) published on 11 August 2025 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 2.0 out of 5
I felt I was left alone with nothing to do much of the time. There was no one to talk to, as most of the other residents were unable to communicate clearly. There were only 2 staff most of the time & they were kept busy with hoisting people in and out of places or chasing after the wanderers, or calming
others down, breaking up disputes, etc. An extra person would give out the medications.
Nights were scary with people shouting, moving around corridors, trying to open doors. My bed was linked to an alarm, so I was afraid to get off my bed. I went home traumatised.
Reply from Martin Mayega, Manager at Ellacombe

I am deeply saddened by your experience during your stay at Ellacombe and can only extend my sincere apologies for how you felt. This being a residential dementia home, there is bound to be some occasions where some residents are unable to communicate clearly, and where others take longer to settle at night. All respite rooms have got bed side alarms as an extra layer of safety. We have recruited new members of staff to ensure the right staffing levels and where we experience emergency absences, we have trusted partners who we currently work with to ensure that we are adequately staffed at all times. I can assure you that with new Management and structures in place, we have made significant strides in the right direction during the last few months. We will use this feedback to ensure that this situation does not happen again.

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Review from Mandy M (Daughter of Resident) published on 8 May 2025 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The staff go above and beyond they really do care about their residents they took really good care of my mum when I visited my mum it was amazing to see her looking how she used to look clean and happy they managed her personal care extremely good managed to bath and shower her that made a big difference.
Reply from Martin Mayega, Manager at Ellacombe

Thanks for your review Mandy. It is our joy to make a positive difference to our residents and I am pleased that your mom received a good experience.

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Review from B A (Son of Resident) published on 8 April 2025 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My parents have been residents at Ellacombe for 3 plus years now. during that time they have been very well looked after and there needs are met both in a professional and humane manner. I am kept informed of any issues that arrive very promptly. Also as a regular visitor I am made to feel most welcome,
staff and management are both kind, friendly and informative.
Reply from Krystian Nawrocki, deputy manager at Ellacombe

Thank you very much for taking the time to complete the review for us. We really appreciate your comments, and we will pass this on to our staff.

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Review from C H (Son of Resident) published on 8 April 2025 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our family have found Ellacombe to provide a very safe and relaxed environment in which we are able to visit our mother/grandmother.
Reply from Krystian Nawrocki, deputy manager at Ellacombe

Thank you very much for your comments. We really appreciate your kind feedback.

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Review from Kenneth L (Husband of Resident) published on 10 May 2024 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
The staff were professional and helpful and looked after my wife very well.
Reply from Georgina Kelly, BA at Ellacombe

Thank you for your kind words. We will pass your feedback on to the staff.

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Review from A L (Son of Resident) published on 8 May 2024 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My mother was a resident from November 22 until her death there in December 23. During her time there she was treated with complete dignity and kindness. She was happy and was involved in all activities. During her last week there before she died she was treated professionally and with compassion. She
passed away there on December 25th 2023. The staff were excellent and helpful during this time. They could not be faulted.
Reply from Georgina Kelly, BA at Ellacombe

Thank you for your kind words. We will pass this on to the rest of the team.

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Review from Paula W (Daughter of Resident) published on 18 April 2024 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Mum received excellent care from the staff, carers, cleaners, etc at Ellacombe. Her room was always clean and fresh. Meals always looked delicious and drinks were being provided throughout the day. Loved the communal areas, where all the residents ate and enjoyed various activities. Mum was always encouraged
out of her room, unless unwell.
The staff always kept me well informed on any concerns, whether a fall, infection or appointments.
A truly wonderful home.
Highly recommend.
Reply from Georgina Kelly, BA at Ellacombe

Thank you so much for your kind words; I will pass this feedback on to the staff.

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Review from J A (Daughter of Resident) published on 3 April 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
Ellacombe is a friendly and caring care home. Staff are always cheerful, approachable and helpful. Nothing is too much trouble. Ellacombe is kept clean. The residents' rooms are nice and all communal areas are bright and spacious. The activities and events organised for residents are excellent, but
in my opinion, more day to day activities would be beneficial and good stimulation for residents to help with boredom.
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Review from Josephine Q (Daughter of Resident) published on 27 March 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Ellacombe have cared for my mother for the last 4 years, with great patience, integrity, sensitivity, compassion and good humour, including through the pandemic. It is great to see now them making use of the greater freedoms once more to enrich the lives of the people they care for. As well as looking
after my Mum, they are absolutely tremendous in their empathy, understanding and kindness to my Dad (who must be their most regular visitor!) and us as a family generally as we all try to support Mum.
Reply from Georgina Kelly, BA at Ellacombe

Thank you so much for your kind words. We love the visits we get from your family too!

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Review from L G (Brother of Resident) published on 15 September 2023 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I have visited at least twelve care homes over the years for family and friends. Ellacombe is the best one I have visited. I would be very happy, if my sister has to be in a care home, which I do think, this would be best for her, that she would spend the rest of her life in Ellacombe Ella Road Norwich.
Reply from Georgina Kelly, BA at Ellacombe

Thank you very much for your lovely review, we appreciate you taking the time to review us.

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Review from C B (Daughter of Resident) published on 13 September 2023 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Mum is very well looked after. The staff are friendly and professional. Ellacombe is a bright and cheerful environment. We are very pleased that we chose Ellacombe and Mum has settled in very quickly. They have met her medical needs promptly and with care. Thank you.
Reply from Georgina Kelly, BA at Ellacombe

Thank you so much for your kind words, we really appreciate your feedback.

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Review from S B (Son of Resident) published on 13 September 2023 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The carers seem to like Mum quite a lot and she thinks highly of them also she does have difficulty in understanding some of the accents though. Our earlier concerns regarding the menus offered appear to have been addressed, Mum has not complained about spicy food for some time now.
Reply from Georgina Kelly, BA at Ellacombe

Thank you for the feedback, our menu is updated to reflect the seasons and the kitchen will make different dishes on request. We appreciate you taking the time to review us.

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Review from S F (Daughter of Resident) published on 19 July 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
Overall, the care home is good. Although, some of the newer staff perhaps need a little further training in understanding the individual needs of residents, as they are individuals and cannot be treated all the same. Saying that, the staff levels have improved recently, which is good.
Reply from Georgina Kelly, BA at Ellacombe

Thank you for the feedback - staff training is currently taking place to enhance person-centred care at Ellacombe due to a recent recruitment drive. We thank you for your time in completing this review.

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Review from N M (Daughter-in-law of Resident) published on 11 July 2023 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 3.0 out of 5
When my mother-in-law first came to Ellacombe, we were happy with how they helped her to settle at the time, which was extremely difficult for her as well as us. We were, unfortunately, not given all the necessary information on how things were run at the home and that took several months to work out.
Management is a very poor point of the home. Although my mother-in-law seemed happy, I have to say as she declined with her Alzheimer's, help with things like dressing appropriately to go out and washing regularly lacked. Not to mention the constant phone calls from carers' personal mobiles, with her in tears wanting us to come and see her or them saying 'are you coming to visit she wants to see you'. This was extremely upsetting, for us as well as her, and even after we had repeatedly requested no phone calls, due to the distress it caused. This along with the making us feel guilty if we did not take her out on visits to the home for both family and friends and telling her she was going out without consulting the visitor, once again upsetting both parties. The constant sight of staff on their mobiles was also not a welcome sight. I have to say though that thankfully a handful of staff were extremely attentive and I am sorry to leave them, as I am sure she is. But, a handful is not enough to run a home.
Reply from Denise Allington, Manager at Ellacombe

Thank you for your review. We are sorry to hear that you feel that your mother-in-law’s needs were not met. We welcome feedback as the best interest of the residents is at the heart of everything we do.
Our aim is always to make residents feel welcome. We have recently created a resident’s welcome pack which explains how the home is managed. We actively facilitate communication with family members and friends, and this is supported by the home, especially where regular visits aren’t taking place. All residents have a person-centred care plan outlining their specific care and support needs, which are regularly reviewed and updated.
We have a new digital care planning system, which requires the use of the handset, to update care records. We wish to acknowledge and apologise that the use of a handset could give the misconception of staff using mobiles. We have placed posters around the home to explain the use of the handsets.
Please contact us if you wish to further discuss.

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Review from Steve P (Son of Resident) published on 23 June 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My mum came to Ellacombe on the 7th of March on discharge from hospital. Since then, her physical and mental wellbeing have improved greatly. The home is very clean and bright. She has a comfortable room and there are lots of areas where residents can find peace or activities as befit their mood. The
staff are great, very caring and accommodating. Mum has enjoyed joining in with the organised activities such as baking cakes, bingo, trips out to church or the park, celebrations (e.g. the coronation celebration), coffee mornings and pamper days. We agonised about Mum's move into a care home, but she has settled very well at Ellacombe. We, her family, are warmly welcomed. Communication is good and if we mention any health or other concerns they are quickly acted upon. Mum enjoys the food. The home appears to be well staffed and the staff are very attentive to her needs. Her family is happy in the knowledge that she is safe and well cared for.
Reply from Georgina Kelly, BA at Ellacombe

Thank you so much for your kind words. We are so happy to hear Mum enjoys it here with us. Thank you for your continued support.

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Review from G R (Husband of Resident) published on 24 May 2023 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
There have been occasions when her bed has not been made, and even her laundry has not come back, this isn't right but these instances are rare. The home is well run and the staff are friendly. My wife never complains she has the knack of getting on with everyone and as a result the staff are kind to
her and she is well-liked by them all. My wife is happy at Ellacombe and this is so important.
Reply from Georgina Kelly, BA at Ellacombe

Thank you for your feedback, these areas will be looked into. We really appreciate your kind words.

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Review from J F (Daughter of Resident) published on 8 November 2022 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
My mum enjoyed her short break with you, 4 days. The staff made her very welcome. She enjoyed the food. It was nice for me to get a call from management to say that she had settled in well.
Reply from Georgina Kelly, BA at Ellacombe

Thank you for your kind review, we hope you will consider using us again in the future. We really appreciate the 5 star review for staff!

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Review from S R (Respite Resident) assisted by family/friend published on 7 November 2022 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Lovely bedroom, home and staff. The food was nice and I was offered drinks regularly. I made friends with some of the residents. I enjoyed my shower.
Reply from Georgina Kelly, BA at Ellacombe

Thank you for your kind review we hope you consider using us again in the future should you need to.

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Review from Julie W (Daughter of Resident) published on 17 January 2022 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My mother spent six weeks in Ellacombe for respite care. I cannot speak highly enough of the staff and care she received. We felt constantly reassured she was safe and well cared for whilst we had some respite. We will definitely use Ellacombe again.
Reply from Caroline Beale, Customer Relationship Manager at Ellacombe

Really thrilled that we were lauded so highly. Thank you very much, your Mum was an absolute treasure.

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Review from S W (Daughter of Resident) published on 7 October 2021 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My dad went into Ellacombe for two weeks respite, and we were extremely happy with the care he received. All staff were very caring and friendly. It was a pleasure to visit him there and see for ourselves how kind and efficient the staff were.
Reply from Caroline Beale, Customer relationship manager at Ellacombe

Thank you for your kind words; it was our pleasure.

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Current Review Score: 9.2 (9.151)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.2 (9.151) out of 10 for Ellacombe is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  1. The Average Rating is 4.5 out of 5 from 9 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 4.7 out of 5 from 8 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 4.462 for Ellacombe is calculated as follows: ( (64 Excellents x 5) + (32 Goods x 4) + (5 Satisfactorys x 3) + (5 Poors x 2) ) ÷ 106 Ratings = 4.462
  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 4.689 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Ellacombe is based on 8 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 10 Positive Reviews in the last 24 months; 3 points for the first Positive Review, and then 0.125 Points for each of the next four Positive Reviews and then 0.1 Points for the next five Positive Reviews. (1st = 3.000, 2nd = 0.125, 3rd = 0.125, 4th = 0.125, 5th = 0.125, 6th = 0.100, 7th = 0.100, 8th = 0.100, 9th = 0.100, 10th = 0.100) 3 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 = 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 45 registered maximum number of service users is 9. 8 Positive Reviews ÷ 9 = 0.889
  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: 20 Oct 2023

Overall Requires improvement

  • Caring Good
  • Effective Requires improvement
  • Responsive Requires improvement
  • Safe Requires improvement
  • Well-led Requires improvement
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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Denise Allington

Job Title: Manager

The current manager at Ellacombe is Denise Allington.

Frequently Asked Questions about Ellacombe

What types of Care is Ellacombe registered for?

Older Person Care & Dementia are the registered (by the Care Quality Commission) categories of Care.

How many Rooms does Ellacombe have?

There are 43 Single Rooms and 1 Couple/Companion Room.

What are the Facilities & Services at Ellacombe?

Own Furniture if required, Smoking not permitted, Near Public Transport, Lift, Wheelchair Access, Gardens, Residents Kitchenette, Phone Point in own room, Television point in own room & Residents Internet Access are some of the Facilities & Services.

How far is Ellacombe to the centre of Norwich?

0.5 mile(s) as the crow flies, distance by road may be significantly further.

Information on this page is displayed without responsibility for its accuracy on the part of carehome.co.uk. Please contact Ellacombe to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Ellacombe has an Enhanced Service - more info.