Autism Care UK (Bedford)

16 St Andrews Road, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK40 2LJ

01234349798

Care Type

Residential Care

Assessment date

11 April 2025

Provider

Autism Care (Bedford) Limited

Beds

8 beds

About Autism Care UK (Bedford)

Autism Care UK (Bedford), also known as Larchwood House, is a residential care home in Bedford providing personal care for autistic people and people with a learning disability. Details of the most recent CQC findings are set out below.

Autism Care UK (Bedford), also known as Larchwood House, provides personal care for up to 8 autistic people or people with a learning disability. Seven people were living there when inspectors carried out their assessment. The home is now rated Good overall, having improved from Requires Improvement after previously being in breach of regulations around safe care, person-centred care, staff training and governance.

The CQC found staff were kind, well trained and knew how to keep people safe, with risks properly assessed and good infection control in place. People were supported to make choices, pursue their interests and work towards personal goals. Management had good oversight, and people and relatives spoke positively about the quality of care and staff attitude.

Source: CQC assessment, 23 May 2025

Specialist Care

Learning disabilitiesYounger adults

Fees and availability

We have not verified a current weekly fee for this home. Ask for a written quote based on the room and care needed, including any extra charges.

Check current vacancies, the admission assessment and visiting arrangements directly with the home.

Care and inspection details

Checked against the CQC register on 20 September 2026. This is a check of published information, not a visit to the home.

Registered service: Care home service without nursing
Registered capacity: 8 places — this is not a vacancy count
Registration checked: Registered · MK40 2LJ

Registered care categories

Caring for adults under 65 yrs; Learning disabilities.

These describe the registration. The home must assess whether it can meet the individual person's needs and whether a place is available.

CQC ratings in more detail

Overall rating shown by CQC: Good.

Assessment published 23 May 2025. Assessment date recorded: 11 April 2025.

Read CQC's assessment overview

The following is CQC's published account of its assessment, published 23 May 2025. References to “we” mean CQC. It describes findings at that time.

Date of assessment: 29 April 2025 to 09 May 2025
Autism Care UK (Bedford) also known as Larchwood House is a care home supporting people who may be autistic or living with a learning disability with personal care. The service can support up to 8 people and 7 people were living at the service at the time of our inspection.
At our last inspection the service was in breach of 4 regulations of the Health and Social Care Act (2014) in relation to safe care and treatment, person-centred care, staff being sufficiently trained and competent and good governance. At this inspection the service had improved and is no longer in breach of any regulations. The service has improved from Requires improvement to Good at this inspection.
People were safe being supported by the staff team. Staff were trained and knew how to report safeguarding concerns. Risks to people had been assessed including in relation to medicines. Staff supported people to take positive risks. There were enough trained and competent staff to support people safely. The environment of the service was safe, and staff followed good infection and prevention control (IPC) procedures. People’s needs were assessed when they started using the service and reassessed regularly. Staff supported people to stay healthy and see health professionals if necessary. People were supported in line with the Mental Capacity Act (MCA). People were positive about the staff who supported them and described them as kind and caring. People were kept at the centre of their care and were supported to make choices and be independent if they chose to do this. People were supported in line with their preferences and were supported to follow their interests both at the service and in the local community. People’s care plans were clear and detailed, and staff supported people to set and achieve goals that were important to them. The management team had a good oversight of the service and audits were effective in identifying, making and sustaining improvements. There was a positive culture at the service, people were happy with their support and staff enjoyed their job roles.

Safe: Good
Effective: Good
Caring: Good
Responsive: Good
Well-led: Good

Read Autism Care UK (Bedford)'s CQC record and reports.

Contains Care Quality Commission information under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Ratings and registration details can change after the date checked.

5 Questions to Ask on Your Visit

When visiting Autism Care UK (Bedford), consider asking...

1.What happens if my relative's care needs increase significantly -- will they have to move?
2.How do you handle concerns or complaints from families?
3.What does the monthly fee cover and what will cost extra?
4.How do you keep families informed about their relative's day-to-day wellbeing?
5.What happens if my relative is unhappy here?

5 Things to Look For on Your Visit

When you visit Autism Care UK (Bedford), look out for...

1.Do staff greet residents by name and stop to chat?
2.Are residents dressed, up and occupied, or sitting alone in front of a TV?
3.Does the home smell fresh and feel clean without being clinical?
4.Do residents look comfortable and at ease, or anxious and withdrawn?
5.Does the manager answer your questions openly or deflect?

Could the NHS fund Autism Care UK (Bedford)'s fees?

The average nursing home costs £1,535 per week. That's £79,820 a year. NHS Continuing Healthcare could cover all of it. No means test, no contribution from you.

Find out if the NHS could fund these fees