England

Mulberry HouseBedford

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

Rated:Requires ImprovementResidential

Mulberry House

20 Martham Close, Bedford, MK40 4ND

01525873313

Care Type

Residential Care

Assessment date

19 November 2024

Provider

Really Flexible Care Ltd

Beds

5 beds

Rating history

Requires ImprovementFeb 2025

First inspected by CQC in 2025, rated Requires Improvement.

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

Costs and who runs this home

Run by Really Flexible Care Ltd, which runs 11 care homes in England: 6 rated Good, 1 Requires Improvement, 1 Inadequate and 3 not yet rated.

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 Mulberry House

Mulberry House is a small residential care home in Bedford providing care for up to five residents. It specializes in supporting younger adults with learning disabilities. The home is located on Martham Close in the MK40 postcode area.

The home is operated by Really Flexible Care Ltd. Its most recent CQC inspection took place on 19 February 2025, resulting in a rating of Requires Improvement. This means the home did not meet all the standards expected across all key lines of enquiry at that time.

As a five-bed facility, Mulberry House offers a smaller-scale residential setting compared to larger care homes. Its focus on younger adults with learning disabilities shapes its approach to support and daily activities. Prospective residents and their families should review the full CQC inspection report for detailed findings and any specific areas flagged for improvement.

Specialist Care

Learning disabilitiesYounger adults

Practical details from the provider

Mulberry House has en-suite bedrooms, a shared lounge, kitchen and dining area, and a fully enclosed garden. It is next to Bedford Park.

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: 5 places — this is not a vacancy count
Registration checked: Registered · MK40 4ND

Registered care categories

Caring for adults under 65 yrs; Learning 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.

Assessment published 19 February 2025. Assessment date recorded: 19 November 2024.

Read CQC's assessment overview

The following is CQC's published account of its assessment, published 19 February 2025. References to “we” mean CQC. It describes findings at that time.

Date of assessment 19 November 2024 to 05 December 2024. Mulberry House is a care home. This is a specialist respite service that is used by autistic people or people with a learning disability. This service can support up to 5 people at a time. We assessed the service against 'Right support, right care, right culture' guidance to make judgements about whether the provider guaranteed people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. We found 4 breaches of the legal regulations concerning safeguarding, safe care and treatment, staffing and governance. Safeguarding concerns had not always been identified or reported. Risks to people's health and safety were not always well assessed and managed. Accident and incident reports had not always been completed to inform learning and reduce risks. Medicines were not always managed safely. Staff were not always well supported. The environment and infection control practices were not always safe. However, staff understood the risks people could experience. Staff were recruited safely. People were able to access the community and pursue their interests. Staff promoted people's privacy and dignity. Staff felt able to raise concerns with leaders. A staff member said, "Management are supportive to staff, we can go to them and share any ideas, and they are helpful. Any problems I am happy to go to them." In instances where CQC have decided to take civil or criminal enforcement action against a provider, we will publish this information on our website after any representations and/ or appeals have been concluded.

Safe: Inadequate
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 Mulberry House'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 Mulberry House, 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 Mulberry House, 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 Mulberry House'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