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Exterior at Merlin Court Care Home
Photo: Avery Healthcare. Used with permission.
Rated:GoodResidential

Merlin Court Care Home

The Common, Marlborough, Wiltshire, SN8 1JR
01672512454
Care Type

Residential Care

Assessment date

13 May 2026

Provider

Avery Homes (Nelson) Limited

Beds

62 beds

How this home compares nearby

Of 18 care homes for older people within 10 miles, 16 are rated higher by CQC, 2 are the same and none are lower.

17 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

Costs and who runs this home

Run by Avery Homes (Nelson) Limited, which runs 17 care homes in England: 13 rated Good and 4 Requires Improvement.

Average care home fees in the South West: £1,170 a week for residential care and £1,472 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 Merlin Court Care Home

Merlin Court Care Home is a residential care home located in Wiltshire, South West. Its registered care categories include dementia, older people, physical disabilities, sensory impairments, and younger adults. The home has 62 beds. CQC records an overall rating of Good, published in July 2026. The home is operated by Avery Homes (Nelson) Limited.

Specialist Care

DementiaOlder peoplePhysical disabilitiesSensory impairmentsYounger adults

Photographs of the home

Exterior at Merlin Court Care Home
Exterior at Merlin Court Care Home. Photograph from the provider’s website.Photo: Avery Healthcare. Used with permission.

Practical details from the provider

  • Beside Marlborough Common, the home has a landscaped garden, a galleried reception, a cafe area and an entertainment suite.

Published on the provider's website, checked 21 September 2026. Confirm arrangements with the home before deciding.

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 21 September 2026. This is a check of published information, not a visit to the home.

Registered service
Care home service without nursing
Registered capacity
62 places — this is not a vacancy count
Registration checked
Registered · SN8 1JR

Registered care categories

Caring for adults over 65 yrs; Caring for adults under 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.

Assessment published 28 July 2026. Assessment date recorded: 13 May 2026.

Read CQC's assessment overview

The following is CQC's published account of its assessment, published 28 July 2026. References to “we” mean CQC. It describes findings at that time.

Date of assessment: 26 to 30 June 2026. Merlin Court Care Home provides accommodation with personal care for up to 62 people. It provides care to adults of all ages, people with physical disabilities, sensory impairment and dementia. At the time of this assessment there were 57 people using this service.

People’s needs were assessed which helped staff produce personalised care plans. These provided staff with details on how to provide person-centred care and support. If people needed additional monitoring this was completed and staff liaised regularly with healthcare professionals. Staff communicated with each other about people’s needs and had timely updates when things changed. Staff understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the importance of obtaining consent.

Risks to people’s safety had been identified and assessed but we found some conflicting information in people’s risk management plans. However, we also found detailed information for staff to follow if people experienced distress. People had personal emergency evacuation plans which recorded what support they needed in the event of an emergency.

The service was clean and well maintained. Regular health and safety checks were being completed, and equipment was serviced by external contractors. Staff followed good infection prevention and control procedures and used personal protective equipment safely.

Staff were recruited safely and there were enough staff to meet people’s needs. There was a clear line management structure which staff understood. New staff had an induction when starting work and ongoing training and support. The provider had systems to support staff wellbeing and promote equality, diversity and inclusion amongst the workforce. Staff told us they felt well supported and enjoyed their work.

Medicines were safely managed. Staff had training and checks of their competence to safely administer medicines. Regular medicines audits were being completed.

There was a registered manager in post. Governance systems were effective and identified areas for improvement. All actions from quality checks were added to the provider electronic system for monitoring. This ensured all actions were addressed in a timely way.

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

Read Merlin Court 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 Merlin Court Care Home, consider asking...

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

5 Things to Look For on Your Visit

When you visit Merlin Court Care Home, look out for...

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

Could the NHS fund Merlin Court 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.

Location

The Common, Marlborough, Wiltshire, SN8 1JR

CQC Logo

Merlin Court Care Home

CQC overall rating

Good

Assessment date: 13 May 2026

View full inspection report
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