Sumners Farm Close
- Home care
- Dementia care
- Registered since 2020
- Essex, East of England
Requires improvement
Rated on
Rating from the Care Quality Commission.
At a glance
2 ratings
Its last inspection moved it down from Good to Requires improvement.
4 years
since the latest rating was published. A rating this old may not show how the service is today.
27 of 298
rated home care services in Essex are rated Requires improvement, like this one.
Sumners Farm Close: inspection record
Rated Requires improvement in October 2022, 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: TLS Care Ltd (Good, 0.4 miles away) and Essex Cares West (Good, 1.1 miles away).
Nearest home care services:
- RI Careinmyhome West Essex Requires improvement, 0.2 miles away
- G TLS Care Ltd Good, 0.4 miles away
- – Delightcare Homes Ltd Not yet rated, 0.4 miles away
- G Essex Cares West Good, 1.1 miles away
- – Care Genius Not yet rated, 1.2 miles away
About the service
From the Care Quality Commission's inspection report published 7 October 2022. Quoted under the Open Government Licence.
Sumners Farm Close provides care to people living in specialist 'extra care' housing. Extra care housing is purpose-built or adapted single household accommodation in a shared site or building.
Read the rest of CQC's summary
The accommodation is the occupant's own home and people's care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate the premises used for extra care housing. This inspection looked at people's personal care service. At the time of the inspection 24 people were receiving support with their personal care.
Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also consider any wider social care provided.
What inspectors found
The provider had not always ensured there were enough staff available to provide people with personalised care which reflected their needs and preferences. Staff told us they did not have enough time to support people effectively and this impacted on the quality of care provided. Relatives confirmed people's care visits were sometimes delayed or rushed.
Read the rest of CQC's summary
Not all staff had up to date training to support them in understanding people's needs. Staff did not always feel supported in their roles. Recruitment processes for new staff were not always completed robustly. We have made a recommendation about the provider's employment checks.
People and relatives knew how to raise concerns but did not always feel their concerns were responded to effectively. We have made recommendation about the provider's complaints processes. Staff did not always feel listened to or valued and did not feel able to raise concerns with the provider.
Staff were aware of how to keep people safe from harm. However, the provider had not ensured safeguarding records were kept accurately and not all staff had updated safeguarding training in place.
People were not supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff did not always support them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service did not support this practice.
The provider had not used their auditing systems effectively to monitor the quality and safety of the service. The processes in place had not highlighted the concerns we found during the inspection and we could not be assured the provider had clear oversight of the service.
We received mixed feedback about whether staff used personal protective equipment [PPE] appropriately
and how the provider communicated with people and relatives about the risks associated with the control and spread of infection. We have made a recommendation about the provider's infection prevention and control measures.
People had care plans and risk assessments in place which detailed how they liked to be supported and guidance was available for staff to support people safely with their medicines. People were encouraged to maintain as much independence as possible and the provider worked alongside other healthcare professionals to support people's care needs and improve their care.
People and relatives told us staff were generally kind and respectful of people's privacy. People and relatives told us they felt involved in the service and found the registered manager and staff approachable and friendly. The provider responded promptly to the feedback we gave during our inspection, supplying additional information to address the concerns raised.
Questions to ask the service
- Safe was rated Requires improvement on 7 October 2022. Ask how medicines are managed, how staffing levels are decided and how incidents are reviewed.
- Effective was rated Requires improvement on 7 October 2022. Ask about staff training and how health appointments are arranged.
- Caring was rated Requires improvement on 7 October 2022. Ask how staff protect dignity and how people are involved in decisions about their care.
- Responsive was rated Requires improvement on 7 October 2022. Ask to see how care plans are kept up to date, how complaints are handled.
Registration details
- Registered manager
- Lesley James
- Registered with the CQC since
- What it provides
- Domiciliary care service, Extra Care housing services
- Who it supports
- Dementia, Mental Health, Older People, Physical Disability, Sensory Impairment, Younger Adults
Inspection report
Read the full inspection report (opens the Care Quality Commission website)1 inspection report, latest 7 October 2022. The reports are on the Care Quality Commission website.
The rating is the Care Quality Commission's. We show it as published and do not change it.
Who runs it
- Provider
- Agincare UK LimitedBrand: Agincare
- Ownership type
- Organisation
- Companies House number
- 06099679 (opens Companies House)
Agincare UK Limited runs 31 services in England, 4 of them in the East of England. 20 are rated Good or Outstanding, 4 are rated Requires improvement or Inadequate and 7 have no rating yet.
Other services run by Agincare UK Limited
- O Agincare UK Edward Jenner Court Outstanding. Home care, South Gloucestershire, South West
- G Agincare Oxford Good. Home care, Oxfordshire, South East
- G Agincare UK Andover Good. Home care, Hampshire, South East
- G Agincare UK Bridport Good. Home care, Dorset, South West
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 Sumners Farm Close provide nursing care?
- The Care Quality Commission's register does not list nursing care for Sumners Farm Close.
- When was Sumners Farm Close last inspected?
- The Care Quality Commission's latest rating for Sumners Farm Close was published on 7 October 2022.
- Who runs Sumners Farm Close?
- Sumners Farm Close is run by Agincare UK Limited. It runs 31 services in England, 4 of them in the East of England.
- What is Sumners Farm Close's CQC rating?
- Its overall rating from the Care Quality Commission is Requires improvement, published on 7 October 2022.
Contact
- Phone
- 01279 213995
- Address
- Phelips Road, Harlow, CM19 5SL Map (opens Google Maps)
Compare nearby
Nearest rated Good or Outstanding: TLS Care Ltd (Good, 0.4 miles away) and Essex Cares West (Good, 1.1 miles away).
Nearest home care services:
- RI Careinmyhome West Essex Requires improvement, 0.2 miles away
- G TLS Care Ltd Good, 0.4 miles away
- – Delightcare Homes Ltd Not yet rated, 0.4 miles away
- G Essex Cares West Good, 1.1 miles away
- – Care Genius Not yet rated, 1.2 miles away