The Limes Retirement Home
- Care home
- 26 beds
- No nursing
- Dementia care
- Registered since 2012
- Suffolk, East of England
Good
Rated on
Rating from the Care Quality Commission.
At a glance
6 ratings
Its last inspection improved it from Inadequate to Good.
4 months
since the latest rating was published.
109 of 156
rated care homes in Suffolk are rated Good, like this one.
The Limes Retirement Home: inspection record
Rated Good in June 2026, up from Inadequate.
| 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
- G Yaxley House Good, 1.4 miles away
- – Hartismere Place Not yet rated, 2.6 miles away
- G Oak House Good, 3.6 miles away
- RI The Croft Requires improvement, 3.6 miles away
- G De Lucy House Good, 3.6 miles away
What inspectors found
From the Care Quality Commission's assessment published 22 June 2026 (assessment visit 15 May 2026). Quoted under the Open Government Licence.
Date of Assessment: 4 and 5 June 2026. The Limes Retirement Home is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to 26 older people, including people living with dementia. The service is made up of the main building and 2 single accommodation cottages within the grounds. There are other cottages onsite, but people do not receive the regulated activity under the provider’s registration. At the time of our visits there were 20 people using the service.
- Safe Good
- Effective Good
- Caring Good
- Responsive Good
- Well-led Good
Read the rest of CQC's summary
This assessment was carried out to check if improvements had been made to the service following our warning notice regarding governance of the service following our last assessment published in July 2025. At the last assessment we found the provider was in breach of regulation relating to person centred care, consent, safe care and treatment and staff training, the rating was requires improvement. At this assessment we found the service had met the requirements of the warning notice and was no longer in breach of regulation. The rating had improved to good.
Improvements had been made since our last assessment. This included in the governance and monitoring systems. Audits assisted the registered manager to identify and address shortfalls. Incidents and accidents were analysed and monitored and actions taken to learn lessons and mitigate future risks. Care plans and risk assessments had improved and included the current person centred needs of people using the service and how risks were reduced. Staff were supported and had received training relevant to their role and competency checks were being undertaken. The service was clean and hygienic.
There were systems in place to reduce the risks of avoidable harm and abuse. The systems to calculate the numbers of staff needed to meet people’s needs were kept under review. Staff were recruited safely. Medicines were managed in a safe way, and people received their medicines when needed.
People’s needs were assessed and these were used to inform care plans and risk assessments, and these were kept under review. People had access to external professionals where required and received support to maintain good health. Staff worked well with other professionals involved in people’s care which supported consistent care. People were provided with enough to eat and drink and their weights monitored. People’s capacity to consent to care was assessed and people’s decisions were respected.
Staff treated people as individuals, with care and compassion and people’s independence, privacy, choice and dignity promoted and respected. Staff responded to people’s requests for assistance. Systems were in place to provide person centred care and social interaction and activity.
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Safe
Good
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 requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to good. This meant people were safe and protected from avoidable harm.
At our last assessment the service was in breach of legal regulation in relation to people’s safe care and treatment. At this assessment the service was no longer in breach of regulation.
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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 requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to good. This meant people’s outcomes were consistently good, and people’s feedback confirmed this.
At our last assessment the service was in breach of legal regulation in relation to consent. At this assessment the service was no longer in breach of regulation.
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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 requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to good. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.
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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 requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to good. This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.
At our last assessment the service was in breach of person centred care. At this assessment the service was no longer in breach of regulation.
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Well-led
Good
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 requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to good. This meant the service was consistently managed and well-led. Leaders and the culture they created promoted high-quality, person-centred care.
At our last assessment the service was in breach of legal regulation in relation to governance. At this assessment the service is no longer in breach of regulation.
Questions to ask when you visit
- Ask to see the most recent Care Quality Commission (CQC) report and what the home did about any points in it.
- Visit at different times of day, including a mealtime.
Registration details
- Registered manager
- Kay Freeman
- Registered with the CQC since
- What it provides
- Care home service without nursing
- Who it supports
- Dementia, Older People
Inspection report
Read the full inspection report (opens the Care Quality Commission website)7 inspection reports, latest 7 May 2022. Latest assessment published 22 June 2026; 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
- The Limes Retirement Home Ltd
- Ownership type
- Organisation
- Companies House number
- 08077281 (opens Companies House)
Getting help from Suffolk 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 Suffolk County Council
- Ask for a care needs assessment
- Phone: 0800 917 1109, Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm (excluding bank holidays)
- Support for carers
- Paying for care: Suffolk County Council
Checked on the council's website, November 2026.
Common questions
- Does The Limes Retirement Home provide nursing care?
- No. The Care Quality Commission lists The Limes Retirement Home as a care home without nursing.
- How many beds does The Limes Retirement Home have?
- The Care Quality Commission's register lists 26 beds at The Limes Retirement Home.
- When was The Limes Retirement Home last inspected?
- The Care Quality Commission's latest rating for The Limes Retirement Home was published on 22 June 2026.
- Who runs The Limes Retirement Home?
- The Limes Retirement Home is run by The Limes Retirement Home Ltd.
- What is The Limes Retirement Home's CQC rating?
- Its overall rating from the Care Quality Commission is Good, published on 22 June 2026.
Contact
- Phone
- 01379 788114
- Address
- Earlsford Road, Mellis, Eye, IP23 8DY Map (opens Google Maps)
Compare nearby
- G Yaxley House Good, 1.4 miles away
- – Hartismere Place Not yet rated, 2.6 miles away
- G Oak House Good, 3.6 miles away
- RI The Croft Requires improvement, 3.6 miles away
- G De Lucy House Good, 3.6 miles away