England

HighfieldBedford

Illustrative image. Photographs of this home have not yet been added.

Rated:Requires ImprovementResidential

Highfield

Avon Drive, Brickhill, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK41 7AH

01234346482

Care Type

Residential Care

Inspection date

14 November 2023

Provider

Bedford Borough Council

Beds

34 beds

How this home compares nearby

Of 28 care homes for older people within 5 miles, 25 are rated higher by CQC, 2 are the same and 1 is lower.

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

Based on CQC ratings, updated 22 October 2026. How we compare homes | See the nearby homes

Rating history

GoodFeb 2015
Requires ImprovementMar 2017
Requires ImprovementMar 2017
GoodMay 2018
Requires ImprovementNov 2023

Rating dropped from Good to Requires Improvement in 2023. CQC has rated this home 5 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 Bedford Borough Council, which runs 7 care homes in England: 4 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.

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 Highfield

Highfield is a residential care home in Bedford, offering a familiar and homely setting for older people and their families. Bedford itself is a welcoming town with good transport links, making it straightforward for loved ones to visit regularly and stay closely involved in day-to-day life. The team at Highfield understands how important this time of transition can be, and aims to make both residents and their families feel supported every step of the way.

This residential care home accommodates up to 34 people who may be living with physical disabilities or dementia. The two-storey building features personalised bedrooms and shared communal spaces including lounges, bathrooms, dining areas and a garden. At the time of inspection, the service was operating at full capacity with 34 residents.

However, inspectors found that people were not always as safe as they could be. Some identified risks had not been addressed promptly, and records did not clearly show whether people had received support in line with their individual needs. Additionally, staffing levels posed a risk that some residents would not have adequate staff available to support them when required.

Source: CQC inspection report, 29 November 2023

Specialist Care

DementiaOlder peoplePhysical disabilities

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: 34 places — this is not a vacancy count
Registration checked: Registered · MK41 7AH

Registered care categories

Caring for adults over 65 yrs; Dementia; Physical 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: Requires improvement.

Rating report published 29 November 2023. Latest inspection date recorded: 14 November 2023.

Safe: Requires improvement
Effective: Requires improvement
Caring: Requires improvement
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?
Caring: How do staff protect privacy, dignity and each person’s choices?
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 Highfield'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 Highfield, 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 Highfield, 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 Highfield'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