Birchwood Residential Care Home

406 Clayhall Avenue, Clayhall, Ilford, Essex, IG5 0TA

02085512400

Care Type

Residential Care

Inspection date

14 March 2023

Provider

Sanctuary Care Limited

Beds

44 beds

How this home compares nearby

Of 69 care homes for older people within 5 miles, 2 are rated higher by CQC, 57 are the same and 10 are lower.

32 of these nearby homes have been inspected more recently than this one.

Based on CQC ratings, updated 23 October 2026. How we compare homes | See the nearby homes

Rating history

GoodNov 2015
GoodMar 2017
Requires ImprovementNov 2019
GoodMar 2023

Improved from Requires Improvement to Good in 2023. CQC has rated this home 4 times since 2015.

Source: CQC inspection reports. Contains CQC data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Costs and who runs this home

Run by Sanctuary Care Limited, which runs 85 care homes in England: 3 rated Outstanding, 76 Good, 4 Requires Improvement and 2 not yet rated.

Average care home fees in London: £1,189 a week for residential care and £1,513 for nursing care (2024-25 averages). Self-funders usually pay more. See our care home costs guide.

This home lists dementia care, which usually costs more than standard residential care. See dementia care home costs. NHS Continuing Healthcare may apply where someone's needs are primarily health needs.
How to pay for a care home explains the council means test, what counts as capital and the funding you can ask to be assessed for.

About Birchwood Residential Care Home

Birchwood Residential Care Home is a residential care home in Redbridge providing personal care to older people, including those living with dementia. Further details on the service can be found in the CQC findings below.

Birchwood provides personal care to 44 older people and those living with dementia across a purpose-built facility on two levels with five separate units. Each unit has adapted facilities including dining areas, common spaces, and bathrooms designed to meet residents' needs.

The registered manager has strengthened staffing levels since the previous inspection, ensuring the service now has enough appropriately skilled staff to keep people safe and meet their needs effectively.

Source: CQC inspection report, 24 March 2023

Specialist Care

DementiaOlder peoplePhysical disabilitiesSensory impairments

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: 44 places — this is not a vacancy count
Registration checked: Registered · IG5 0TA

Registered care categories

Caring for adults over 65 yrs; Dementia; Physical disabilities; Sensory impairment.

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.

Rating report published 24 March 2023. Latest inspection date recorded: 14 March 2023.

Safe: Good
EffectivePublished 30 November 2019: Good
CaringPublished 30 November 2019: Good
ResponsivePublished 30 November 2019: Good
Well-led: Good

Read Birchwood Residential Care Home'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 Birchwood Residential Care Home, consider asking...

1.What specific dementia training do staff receive and how recently?
2.How do you support a resident who becomes distressed or confused?
3.How does the home keep a record of a resident's life history and personal preferences?
4.How do you involve families as dementia progresses and communication becomes harder?
5.What happens when a resident's dementia reaches an advanced stage?

5 Things to Look For on Your Visit

When you visit Birchwood Residential Care Home, look out for...

1.Is the environment calm, uncluttered and easy to navigate?
2.Do staff speak to residents with patience and dignity, even if they repeat themselves?
3.Are there memory cues around the home -- photos, familiar objects, clear signage?
4.Do residents seem settled and safe, or agitated and unsupervised?
5.Is there meaningful activity happening, or are residents just sitting quietly with nothing to do?

Could the NHS fund Birchwood Residential Care Home'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