Creative Support - Dove Lane

7 Dove Lane, Harrold, Bedford, MK43 7DF

01612360829

Care Type

Residential Care

Inspection date

8 December 2021

Provider

Creative Support Limited

Beds

6 beds

Rating history

GoodFeb 2016
GoodFeb 2019
Requires ImprovementJan 2022

Rating dropped from Good to Requires Improvement in 2022.

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

Costs and who runs this home

Run by Creative Support Limited, which runs 11 care homes in England: 8 rated Good and 3 Requires Improvement.

Average care home fees in the East of England: £1,034 a week for residential care and £1,411 for nursing care (2024-25 averages). Self-funders usually pay more. See our care home costs guide.

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 Creative Support - Dove Lane

Creative Support - Dove Lane is a residential care home based in Bedford, offering a familiar and homely setting for those who need support. The team there aims to create a comfortable environment where residents can feel settled and at ease. For families exploring care options in the Bedford area, it can be reassuring to find a service that strives to provide a sense of community and belonging for the people it supports.

This residential care home provides personal care to autistic people and those living with a learning disability, supporting up to six residents. Each person has their own personalised bedroom, with shared communal spaces including a kitchen, bathrooms, living room and garden.

However, staffing levels were not adequate to provide a consistently safe and effective service. People requiring support with conditions such as epilepsy were left unsupported for short periods during the day, creating potential risks of harm. This meant that some risk assessments could not be properly followed, particularly for people living with epilepsy.

The provider was aware of these issues.

Source: CQC inspection report, 25 January 2022

Specialist Care

Learning disabilitiesOlder peoplePhysical disabilitiesSensory impairmentsYounger 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: 6 places — this is not a vacancy count
Registration checked: Registered · MK43 7DF

Registered care categories

Caring for adults over 65 yrs; Caring for adults under 65 yrs; Learning disabilities; 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: Requires improvement.

Rating report published 25 January 2022. Latest inspection date recorded: 8 December 2021.

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

Questions prompted by these ratings

Safe: What changes have been made to medicines, staffing and safeguarding since this rating?
Effective: How are staff training, nutrition and health outcomes checked now?
Responsive: How are care plans, activities and complaints adapted to each resident?
Well-led: What has changed in management, checks and oversight since this rating?

These are questions for your visit, not a claim about conditions today.

Read Creative Support - Dove Lane'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 Creative Support - Dove Lane, 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 Creative Support - Dove Lane, 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 Creative Support - Dove Lane'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