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The BungalowEssex

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Rated:GoodResidential

The Bungalow

Plains Farm Close, Ardleigh, Colchester, Essex, CO7 7QU
01206843661
Care Type

Residential Care

Assessment date

25 April 2025

Provider

Maison Care Ltd

Beds

6 beds

Rating history

  1. GoodFeb 2016
  2. GoodAug 2018
  3. GoodJun 2025

Rated Good at every inspection since 2016.

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

Costs and who runs this home

Run by Maison Care Ltd, which runs 4 care homes in England: 4 rated Good.

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.

  • 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 The Bungalow

The Bungalow is a residential care home in Essex, providing support to people with a learning disability and autistic people. The findings below set out what CQC inspectors found on their most recent visit.

The Bungalow is a residential care home providing support to a small number of people with a learning disability and autistic people. The CQC rated the service Good overall. Inspectors found staff knew people well, kept them safe and supported their choices, independence and community access.

Families spoke warmly of the kindness shown and the range of activities on offer.

Some weaknesses were identified: recording of incidents and safeguarding information needed further development, medicines checks were not always detailed enough, and governance processes, while in place, were not always effectively implemented. Despite this, people and relatives were confident concerns would be listened to and acted upon, and staff were described as kind and responsive.

Source: CQC assessment, 10 June 2025

Specialist Care

Learning disabilitiesOlder peoplePhysical disabilitiesSensory impairmentsYounger adults

Practical details from the provider

  • The bungalow has six single bedrooms, a communal lounge and a garden.

Published on the provider's website, checked 2 October 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
6 places — this is not a vacancy count
Registration checked
Registered · CO7 7QU

Registered care categories

Caring for adults over 65 yrs; Caring for adults under 65 yrs; Learning disabilities; 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 10 June 2025. Assessment date recorded: 25 April 2025.

Read CQC's assessment overview

The following is CQC's published account of its assessment, published 10 June 2025. References to “we” mean CQC. It describes findings at that time.

Date of Assessment: 1 May to 13 May 2025.

This service is a residential care home providing support to people with a learning disability and autistic people. At the time of the inspection, 6 people were living in the service.

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.

People were protected and kept safe. Staff understood and managed risks to people’s health and safety. However, the provider’s processes for recording incidents and safeguarding information required further development to demonstrate how concerns were investigated and managed.

There were enough staff available to meet people’s needs. Staff knew people well and understood how they like to be supported. Staff ensured people’s medicines were safe and met their needs. However, the provider’s medicines administration checks were not always sufficiently detailed and this meant relevant information was not always recorded.

People were involved in assessments of their needs. Staff reviewed assessments taking account of people’s communication, personal and health needs.

Staff worked with all agencies involved in people’s care for the best outcomes and smooth transitions when moving services. They monitored people’s health to support healthy living. Staff made sure people understood their care to enable them to give informed consent. Staff involved those important to people and took decisions in people’s best interests where they did not have capacity.

People were treated with kindness and compassion. Staff protected their privacy and dignity. They treated them as individuals and supported their preferences. People had choice in their care and were encouraged to maintain relationships with family and friends. Staff responded to people in a timely way. The provider supported staff wellbeing.

People were involved in decisions about their care. Staff provided information people could understand. People knew how to give feedback and were confident the provider took it seriously and acted on it. People received fair and equal care and staff worked to reduce health and care inequalities.

Leaders and staff had a shared vision and culture based on listening, learning and trust. Leaders were visible, knowledgeable and supportive. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities and were given the time and resources to try new ideas. Governance processes were in place to monitor the safety and quality of the service. However, these were not always implemented effectively. Managers were responsive to feedback and there was a culture of continuous improvement within the service.

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

Read The Bungalow'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 The Bungalow, consider asking...

  1. 1.What happens if my relative's care needs increase significantly -- will they have to move?
  2. 2.How do you handle concerns or complaints from families?
  3. 3.What does the monthly fee cover and what will cost extra?
  4. 4.How do you keep families informed about their relative's day-to-day wellbeing?
  5. 5.What happens if my relative is unhappy here?

5 Things to Look For on Your Visit

When you visit The Bungalow, look out for...

  1. 1.Do staff greet residents by name and stop to chat?
  2. 2.Are residents dressed, up and occupied, or sitting alone in front of a TV?
  3. 3.Does the home smell fresh and feel clean without being clinical?
  4. 4.Do residents look comfortable and at ease, or anxious and withdrawn?
  5. 5.Does the manager answer your questions openly or deflect?

Could the NHS fund The Bungalow'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

Plains Farm Close, Ardleigh, Colchester, Essex, CO7 7QU

CQC Logo

The Bungalow

CQC overall rating

Good

Assessment date: 25 April 2025

View full inspection report
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