Firstlings

7 The Street, Heybridge, Maldon, Essex, CM9 4NB

01621853747

Care Type

Residential Care

Inspection date

27 August 2020

Provider

Sohal Healthcare Limited

Beds

32 beds

About Firstlings

Firstlings is a residential care home in Essex, offering support to older people, including those living with dementia. Further details on the service can be found in the findings below.

Firstlings provides care for up to 32 older people, some living with dementia, in a three-storey building with an accessible garden. At inspection, all 32 places were occupied. The service demonstrated effective infection control measures during the pandemic, with no Covid-19 outbreak recorded.

The management team worked alongside staff to implement safety protocols, including maintaining adequate PPE supplies and establishing separate spaces for PPE changes to prevent cross-contamination. An efficient process was in place for staff entering and leaving the building. The service successfully admitted three new residents from the community during lockdown while maintaining safety standards for all those in its care.

Source: CQC inspection report, 10 September 2020

Specialist Care

DementiaOlder people

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: 32 places — this is not a vacancy count
Registration checked: Registered · CM9 4NB

Registered care categories

Caring for adults over 65 yrs; Dementia.

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: Outstanding.

Rating report published 2 October 2019. Latest inspection date recorded: 27 August 2020.

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

Read Firstlings'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 Firstlings, 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 Firstlings, 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 Firstlings'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