The Conifers

Wormingford Road,, Fordham, Colchester, CO6 3NS

01206241366

Care Type

Residential Care

Inspection date

31 January 2023

Provider

Essex Care Consortium (Fordham) Limited

Beds

8 beds

About The Conifers

The Conifers is a residential care home in Essex, providing support for people with learning disabilities and autism. Further details on the CQC's most recent findings are set out below.

The Conifers is a residential care home supporting up to 6 people with learning disabilities and autism in a large family bungalow with extensive gardens. At inspection, all 6 residents were living there. People have choice about their living environment and can personalise their rooms.

One relative praised the service as "very welcoming, very accommodating, more like a home," describing it as the result of an extensive search to find suitable care.

Staff focus on residents' strengths and promote what they can do, enabling fulfilling everyday lives. People are supported to have maximum choice and control with staff using the least restrictive approaches in their best interests. Staff understand how each person prefers to take their medicines and support them to maintain their own health and wellbeing, including facilitating access to specialist health and social care support in the community.

Source: CQC inspection report, 9 March 2023

Specialist Care

DementiaLearning disabilitiesMental healthSensory 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 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: 8 places — this is not a vacancy count
Registration checked: Registered · CO6 3NS

Registered care categories

Caring for adults under 65 yrs; Dementia; Learning disabilities; Mental health conditions; 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 9 March 2023. Latest inspection date recorded: 31 January 2023.

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

Read The Conifers'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 Conifers, consider asking...

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

5 Things to Look For on Your Visit

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

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

Could the NHS fund The Conifers'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