England

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Westbourne Care HomeHertfordshire

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Rated:GoodResidential

Westbourne Care Home

Westbourne, 9 Bedford Road, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, SG5 2TP

01462459954

Care Type

Residential Care

Inspection date

29 September 2022

Provider

Bainscare Limited

Beds

27 beds

Rating history

GoodNov 2015
GoodAug 2017
Requires ImprovementMar 2020
Requires ImprovementApr 2021
GoodOct 2022

Improved from Requires Improvement to Good in 2022. CQC has rated this home 5 times 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 Bainscare Limited runs in England.

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 Westbourne Care Home

Westbourne Care Home is a residential care home in Hertfordshire, offering personal care in a single adapted building. Details of the latest CQC findings appear below.

Westbourne Care Home provides personal care to up to 27 older people, including those living with dementia, in one adapted building. At inspection, 23 people were using the service. People felt safe and were supported safely, though more robust documentation of risk management was needed.

For example, repositioning timings should be clearly recorded in skin integrity plans, and incident follow-ups should be completed promptly. Medicines were managed safely with consistent recording systems and accurate quantities, though protocols for as-needed medicines were not always in place. Infection control practices were established and staff understood their responsibilities, though some staff were not wearing masks correctly.

The lounges required carpet cleaning or replacement.

Source: CQC inspection report, 26 October 2022

Specialist Care

DementiaLearning disabilitiesOlder peoplePhysical disabilitiesSensory impairmentsYounger adults

Facilities & Amenities

GardenHairdresserPhysiotherapyLaundry ServiceDining RoomParking

Practical details from the provider

The gardens include shrubberies, rose beds, raised beds for residents and places to sit outdoors.

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: 27 places — this is not a vacancy count
Registration checked: Registered · SG5 2TP

Registered care categories

Caring for adults over 65 yrs; Caring for adults under 65 yrs; Dementia; 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.

Rating report published 26 October 2022. Latest inspection date recorded: 29 September 2022.

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

Questions prompted by these ratings

Safe: What changes have been made to medicines, staffing and safeguarding since this rating?

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

Read Westbourne 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 Westbourne Care Home, 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 Westbourne Care Home, 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 Westbourne 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.

Find out if the NHS could fund these fees