Skip to main content
Placeholder image for The Willows Care Home
The Willows Care HomeMilton Keynes

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

Rated:GoodNursing

The Willows Care Home

Heathercroft, Great Linford, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK14 5EG
01908679505
Care Type

Nursing Care

Assessment date

30 December 2024

Provider

Willows Care Centre Limited

Beds

130 beds

How this home compares nearby

Of 17 care homes for older people within 5 miles, none are rated higher by CQC, 13 are the same and 4 are lower.

3 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

Rating history

  1. GoodMay 2015
  2. GoodMay 2017
  3. GoodJun 2019
  4. GoodApr 2023
  5. GoodApr 2025

Rated Good at every inspection since 2015.

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

Costs and who runs this home

This is the only care home Willows Care Centre Limited runs in England.

Average care home fees in the South East: £1,243 a week for residential care and £1,579 for nursing care (2024-25 averages). Self-funders usually pay more. See our care home costs guide.

  • NHS-funded Nursing Care pays £267.68 a week to the home towards registered nursing care for eligible residents (2026/27). A quoted fee may already exclude it.
  • 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 The Willows Care Home

The Willows Care Home is a nursing care home in Milton Keynes, supporting older people, people living with dementia, and those with physical disabilities or nursing needs. Details of the most recent CQC findings are set out below.

The Willows Care Home is a residential care home with nursing provision, supporting older people, those living with dementia, and people with physical disabilities or nursing needs. The CQC found the home was rated Good overall. Medicines were managed safely, staff understood how to protect people from harm, and leaders were visible and supportive.

People described staff as kind and caring, and felt safe.

However, inspectors found care plans were not always person centred, and those spending long periods in bed had limited opportunities for engagement. Feedback on staffing levels and food was mixed. Caring was rated Requires Improvement, though other areas were rated Good.

Source: CQC assessment, 9 April 2025

Specialist Care

DementiaOlder peopleYounger 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 with nursing
Registered capacity
130 places — this is not a vacancy count
Registration checked
Registered · MK14 5EG

Registered care categories

Caring for adults over 65 yrs; Caring for adults under 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 9 April 2025. Assessment date recorded: 30 December 2024.

Read CQC's assessment overview

The following is CQC's published account of its assessment, published 9 April 2025. References to “we” mean CQC. It describes findings at that time.

Date of assessment 04 February 2025 to 11 February 2025. The Willows is a residential care home with nursing provision. The service supports older people, those living with dementia, physical disabilities and nursing needs. This inspection was prompted following us receiving information of concern. We carried out this inspection to follow up on these concerns. Staff provided care that was safe, and people’s needs were assessed appropriately. However, we found care plans were not always person centred. There were several planned activities in communal spaces which people told us they enjoyed, however where people were in bed for significant periods of time due to their needs, there were limited opportunities for engagement. Medicines were managed safely. The provider had a positive and proactive culture of safety. Staff were aware of how to keep people safe from the risk of harm and abuse. People were supported to maintain good physical health and staff worked with people to live healthier lives. Staff treated people with kindness and compassion. The provider had systems in place to gather and act upon feedback. Leaders were visible and understood their responsibilities. Staff told us they felt valued and supported.

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

Questions prompted by these ratings

  • Caring: How do staff protect privacy, dignity and each person’s choices?

These are questions for your visit, not a claim about conditions today.

Read The Willows 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 The Willows 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 The Willows 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 The Willows 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

Heathercroft, Great Linford, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK14 5EG

CQC Logo

The Willows Care Home

CQC overall rating

Good

Assessment date: 30 December 2024

View full inspection report
New

Have a question about this care home?

Ask in our Community Forum and get a real answer from someone who's been through it.

Share what's on your mind
01908679505