Southborough Care Home
- Care home
- 12 beds
- No nursing
- Dementia care
- Registered since 2011
- Chelmsford, Essex, East of England
Requires improvement
Rated on
Rating from the Care Quality Commission.
At a glance
3 ratings
Its last inspection moved it down from Good to Requires improvement.
19 months
since the latest rating was published.
56 of 361
rated care homes in Essex are rated Requires improvement, like this one.
Southborough Care Home: inspection record
Rated Requires improvement in March 2025, down from Good.
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | ||||||||||||
| Safe | ||||||||||||
| Effective | ||||||||||||
| Caring | ||||||||||||
| Responsive | ||||||||||||
| Well-led |
Ratings published by the Care Quality Commission.
Compare nearby
Nearest rated Good or Outstanding: Cherry Wood Grange Care Home (Good, 0.1 miles away) and Admirals Reach Care Home (Good, 1.1 miles away).
Nearest care homes:
- RI Moulsham Home Requires improvement, 0.1 miles away
- G Cherry Wood Grange Care Home Good, 0.1 miles away
- – Daniel Kirby House Not yet rated, 0.3 miles away
- – Manor Lodge Not yet rated, 0.5 miles away
- G Admirals Reach Care Home Good, 1.1 miles away
What inspectors found
From the Care Quality Commission's assessment published 10 March 2025 (assessment visit 6 September 2024). Quoted under the Open Government Licence.
Date of Assessment: 28 January 2025 to 31 January 2025. The service is a care home providing support to older people including those living with dementia. The service is also registered to provide care for people with a learning disability and or autistic people, although at the time of assessment people’s primary need was that of an older person. There were 12 people using the service at the time of the assessment. We found 2 breaches of regulations relating to medicines and governance.
- Safe No rating
- Effective Good
- Caring Good
- Responsive Good
- Well-led No rating
Read the rest of CQC's summary
People were not always receiving their medicines safely. Governance processes required improvement as medicine audits had not picked up the concerns we found.
Safeguarding processes were now in place to keep people safe from avoidable harm and abuse. Risk assessments had been completed Some concerns were identified with the environment, however the registered manager took immediate action to rectify them.
Staffing numbers were being maintained to keep people safe and people’s physical needs were met. However, we found staffing levels did not always provide opportunity for people to be involved in activities and interaction unrelated to tasks was minimal.
Staff received an induction and on-going training to ensure they could provide care based on current best practice when supporting people. Supervision records did not assure us meetings with staff followed best practice.
People received care from staff who were kind and caring. People had developed positive relationships with staff who had a good understanding of their needs and preferences.
Care plans contained information about people’s individual needs and how staff should support them. However, there was limited opportunities for people to be involved in activities.
The registered manager was responsive to concerns raised and acted promptly to address these.
-
Safe
No rating
Safe – this means we looked for evidence that people were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. At our last assessment we rated this key question Good. At this assessment the rating has changed to requires improvement.
This meant some aspects of the service were not always safe and there was limited assurance about safety. There was an increased risk that people could be harmed.
The service was in breach of the legal regulation in relation to the way people’s medicines were managed.
The service was previously in breach of the legal regulation in relation to safeguarding. Improvements were found at this assessment and the service was no longer in breach of this regulation.
-
Effective
Good
Effective – this means we looked for evidence that people’s care, treatment and support achieved good outcomes and promoted a good quality of life, based on best available evidence.
At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good. This meant people’s outcomes were consistently good, and people’s feedback confirmed this.
-
Caring
Good
Caring – this means we looked for evidence that the provider involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.
At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.
-
Responsive
Good
Responsive – this means we looked for evidence that the provider met people’s needs.
At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good. This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.
-
Well-led
No rating
Well-led – this means we looked for evidence that service leadership, management and governance assured high-quality, person-centred care; supported learning and innovation; and promoted an open, fair culture.
At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has changed to requires improvement. This meant the management and leadership was inconsistent. Leaders and the culture they created did not always support the delivery of high-quality, person-centred care.
The service was in breach of legal regulation in relation governance at the service. Medicine audits were not identifying concerns found in relation to safe practice
Questions to ask when you visit
- Safe was rated Requires improvement on 10 March 2025. Ask how medicines are managed, how staffing levels are decided and how incidents are reviewed.
- Well-led was rated Requires improvement on 10 March 2025. Ask about changes in management and what has changed since the report.
- Ask to see the most recent Care Quality Commission (CQC) report and what the home did about any points in it.
Registration details
- Registered manager
- Nicola Gardener
- Registered with the CQC since
- What it provides
- Care home service without nursing
- Who it supports
- Dementia, Learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder, Older People, Younger Adults
Inspection report
Read the full inspection report (opens the Care Quality Commission website)6 inspection reports, latest 10 March 2022. Latest assessment published 10 March 2025; the Care Quality Commission's newer assessments are published on its website rather than as reports.
The rating is the Care Quality Commission's. We show it as published and do not change it.
Who runs it
- Provider
- Southborough Care Home Limited
- Ownership type
- Organisation
- Companies House number
- 07244204 (opens Companies House)
Getting help from Essex County Council
The council can assess what care someone needs and tell them what help with the cost they may get.
- Adult social care at Essex County Council
- Ask for a care needs assessment
- Phone: 0345 603 7630, Monday to Thursday 8.45am to 5pm, Friday 8.45am to 4.30pm
- Contact adult social care online
- Support for carers
- Paying for care: Essex County Council
Checked on the council's website, November 2026.
Common questions
- Does Southborough Care Home provide nursing care?
- No. The Care Quality Commission lists Southborough Care Home as a care home without nursing.
- How many beds does Southborough Care Home have?
- The Care Quality Commission's register lists 12 beds at Southborough Care Home.
- When was Southborough Care Home last inspected?
- The Care Quality Commission's latest rating for Southborough Care Home was published on 10 March 2025.
- Who runs Southborough Care Home?
- Southborough Care Home is run by Southborough Care Home Limited.
- What is Southborough Care Home's CQC rating?
- Its overall rating from the Care Quality Commission is Requires improvement, published on 10 March 2025.
Contact
- Phone
- 01245 357748
- Address
- 9-11 Southborough Road, Chelmsford, CM2 0AG Map (opens Google Maps)
Compare nearby
Nearest rated Good or Outstanding: Cherry Wood Grange Care Home (Good, 0.1 miles away) and Admirals Reach Care Home (Good, 1.1 miles away).
Nearest care homes:
- RI Moulsham Home Requires improvement, 0.1 miles away
- G Cherry Wood Grange Care Home Good, 0.1 miles away
- – Daniel Kirby House Not yet rated, 0.3 miles away
- – Manor Lodge Not yet rated, 0.5 miles away
- G Admirals Reach Care Home Good, 1.1 miles away