Hill Farm

15 Keycol Hill, Bobbing, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 8LZ

01795841220

Care Type

Residential Care

Inspection date

6 October 2021

Provider

Optimal Living (Kent) Limited

Beds

9 beds

Rating history

Requires ImprovementNov 2018
Requires ImprovementFeb 2020
GoodApr 2022

Improved from Requires Improvement to Good 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 Optimal Living (Kent) Limited, which runs 2 care homes in England: 2 rated Good.

Average care home fees in the South East: £1,243 a week for residential care and £1,579 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 Hill Farm

Hill Farm is a residential care home in Kent, providing support for people with learning disabilities. Further detail on the service and its recent inspection findings is set out below.

This small residential care home supports five people with learning disabilities, including those with sensory impairments and autism, with capacity for up to nine residents. The service operates from a larger house than typical domestic properties, but the building design effectively mitigates any negative impacts. One bedroom has been converted into a sensory room, and the provider plans further modifications to align with best practice guidance.

Staff are discouraged from wearing uniforms when accompanying people in the community, promoting integration and reducing stigma.

The home demonstrates commitment to maximising residents' choice, control and independence. The service is working to ensure autistic people and those with learning disabilities have access to the dignity, independence and community integration that others take for granted.

Source: CQC inspection report, 27 April 2022

Specialist Care

Learning disabilitiesMental healthOlder 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: 9 places — this is not a vacancy count
Registration checked: Registered · ME9 8LZ

Registered care categories

Caring for adults over 65 yrs; Caring for adults under 65 yrs; Learning disabilities; Mental health conditions; 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 27 April 2022. Latest inspection date recorded: 6 October 2021.

Safe: Good
Effective: Good
CaringPublished 6 February 2020: Good
ResponsivePublished 6 February 2020: Requires improvement
Well-led: Good

Questions prompted by these ratings

Responsive: How are care plans, activities and complaints adapted to each resident?

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

Read Hill Farm'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 Hill Farm, 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 Hill Farm, 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 Hill Farm'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