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St MarysSuffolk

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Rated:GoodResidential

St Marys

Woodlands Road, Holbrook, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP9 2PS
01473328111
Care Type

Residential Care

Assessment date

23 August 2025

Provider

Anchor Hanover Group

Beds

60 beds

How this home compares nearby

Of 9 care homes for older people within 5 miles, 1 is rated higher by CQC, 6 are the same and 2 are lower.

2 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

  1. GoodJan 2018
  2. GoodDec 2023
  3. GoodFeb 2026

Rated Good at every inspection since 2018.

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

Costs and who runs this home

Run by Anchor Hanover Group, which runs 121 care homes in England: 3 rated Outstanding, 99 Good, 17 Requires Improvement and 2 not yet rated.

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 St Marys

St Marys is a residential care home located in Suffolk, East of England. Its registered care categories include dementia and older people. The home has 60 beds. CQC records an overall rating of Good, published in February 2026. The home is operated by Anchor Hanover Group.

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 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
60 places — this is not a vacancy count
Registration checked
Registered · IP9 2PS

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: Good.

Assessment published 13 February 2026. Assessment date recorded: 23 August 2025.

Read CQC's assessment overview

The following is CQC's published account of its assessment, published 13 February 2026. References to “we” mean CQC. It describes findings at that time.

Date of assessment: 11 November to 22 December 2025. We visited the service on 11 November 2025. This service is a care home providing care for adults over the age of 65, some who may be living with dementia. St Marys can accommodate up to 60 people, at the time of our assessment 52 people lived there.

An unannounced inspection took place to review the quality of care and compliance with legal regulations. We assessed the service in response to concerns received about the quality of care provided. At our last assessment, we rated the service ‘good’. At this assessment, the rating has remained ‘good’.

We spoke with the registered manager, deputy manager, provider’s regional manager and 10 staff including care, domestic and ancillary. We also received electronic feedback from 14 staff members.

The service was led by a dynamic and passionate registered manager. They and the staff team had established a positive and welcoming atmosphere at the service where people’s person-centred care was championed. We found that people were treated with kindness and compassion, their independence encouraged and their dignity respected.

People’s individual risks were regularly monitored and assessed with appropriate care plans in place to manage and mitigate identified risks. People’s medicines were managed and administered safely.

People and, where appropriate, those important to them were involved in decisions about ongoing care and treatment arrangements. Where people were unable to make their own decisions, they were supported in line with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

People were protected and kept safe from harm. Management and staff understood their safeguarding responsibilities. The facilities and equipment met people’s needs, were clean and any risks identified were managed.

There were enough staff with the right skills, qualifications and experience to care for people. The management team made sure staff received training and regular supervisions to maintain high-quality care.

The registered manager was visible, knowledgeable and supportive. They were receptive to new ideas and were passionate and committed to delivering high-quality care to people and led by example. There was a culture of continuous improvement underpinned by examples of positive changes that had been made to the service under their leadership. They and the staff team acted on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes. People and staff felt able to speak up and when concerns were raised these were investigated effectively by the registered manager and used to develop the service and support ongoing learning.

The registered manager and provider had good oversight and knowledge of the service. There were effective systems in place to monitor and manage safety and quality across the service.

The registered manager understood and carried out their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, so services worked seamlessly for people. They encouraged creative ways of delivering equality of experience, outcomes and quality of life for people including being an active presence in the local community. Feedback from staff, relatives and professionals involved with St Mary’s emphasised this was an exceptionally well-run and caring service.

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

Read St Marys'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 St Marys, 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 St Marys, 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 St Marys'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

Woodlands Road, Holbrook, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP9 2PS

CQC Logo

St Marys

CQC overall rating

Good

Assessment date: 23 August 2025

View full inspection report
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