Highfield
Care home in Bedford
Operated by Bedford Borough Council
What do these badges mean?
- Green Surroundings — Excellent access to parks, playing fields and other green space nearby (OpenStreetMap).
- Well Served — Excellent everyday amenities nearby — shops, supermarkets, pharmacies, banks, post offices, cafés and places to eat (OpenStreetMap).
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About
Highfield is a 34-bed care home in Bedford, Bedfordshire. It provides residential care for older adults. The home was rated Requires Improvement by the Care Quality Commission in 2023, with all key-question areas—Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led—assessed at Requires Improvement.
Families considering Highfield should review the full CQC inspection report to understand the specific concerns identified and any action the home has taken since the inspection.
What inspectors found
CQC: Requires improvementReport published 28 November 2023 · Last inspected 14 November 2023
Inspectors rated Highfield, a residential home for up to 34 people with physical disabilities or dementia, as requires improvement, down from good at its last inspection. Staff were described as kind and compassionate, people appeared happy with their support, and the home had a trained safeguarding team, enough staff, safe medicines handling and good eating and drinking support. The report also found safety gaps, including slow action on some risks, unclear support records, some unclean areas, limited person-centred activity and social contact, and governance and audits that were not always effective.
- Staff were described as kind, caring and attentive, and people appeared visibly happy with them
- Staff were trained in safeguarding and knew how to report concerns, and medicines were managed safely
- Enough staff were in post and recruited safely, and staff had training to perform their roles
- Complaints were handled thoroughly and promptly, and people received kind, dignified end-of-life care
- Some risks to people were not addressed promptly, and support records did not always show people were supported fully in line with their needs
- Some areas of the home were not clean, posing an infection prevention and control risk, and staff lacked formal training for some support needs
- People were not always supported to follow their interests, and long periods without staff interaction increased the risk of isolation and boredom
Written by AI from the report text and checked against it. Not an official CQC statement. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Read the full report on CQC.
Food hygiene rating
Good
Food Standards Agency · inspected October 2025
What's nearby
- Set back from main road noise
Straight-line distances. Road and rail noise from government strategic noise mapping (modelled, not measured). A&E departments from the NHS website. Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors.
What’s in the area
Outdoor Spaces
- AllotmentsSparse
- Play SpaceAmple
- Golf CourseAdequate
- Public ParkSparse
- Tennis CourtPlentiful
- Bowling GreenAdequate
- Playing FieldPlentiful
Local Amenities
- Pubs & BarsAdequate
- Restaurants & CafesSparse
- Retail ShoppingLimited
- SupermarketsAdequate
- TakeawaysSparse
Local crime statistics
674 recorded crimes in the local area (April 2026)
Top categories:
Source: data.police.uk · within 1 mile
Fees and funding
| Care type | Weekly fee | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Residential care | Fees on request | — |
- Funding accepted
- Not stated
Fees depend on the room and the care needed, so ask the home for a written quote. Check who pays with the funding calculator, or see what Bedford council pays.
Care fee trajectory
| Year | Council rate (per week) |
|---|---|
| 2024 | £1,044 |
| 2025 | £1,077 |
What Bedford council pays care homes, and whether it will help with fees
Weighing up the options? Compare a care home with care at home, or check who pays with the means-test calculator.
Local health safety net
Highfield is backed by a local NHS health network. The nearest A&E is Bedford Hospital, 2.2 miles away. The local GP practice is GOLDINGTON AVENUE SURGERY, 1.1 miles away, rated ‘Good’ by the CQC.
Nearest services from NHS ODS + postcodes.io + CQC, by straight-line distance.
Community & connection in Bedford
Local clubs, charities and support groups that help older residents stay active and connected.
Tibbs Dementia Foundation
Tibbs Dementia Foundation provides services which promote the improved health of people affected by dementia and which provide relief, including care and support, to people with dementia and those…
Age Concern Bedfordshire
We provide services to adults over the age of 50 years and their family or carers to make informed choices on benefits and enabling services. Our services include information & advice, befriending…
Carers in Bedfordshire
The charity aims to prevent today's carers of any age living in Bedfordshire from becoming tomorrow's cared for by providing practical help, advice, assistance, advocacy, information, group and…
Blunham Good Neighbour Scheme
To relieve, either generally or individually, persons resident in the Area of Benefit within the county of Bedfordshire, who are in conditions of need, hardship or distress. To provide practical…
Part of Bedford Borough Council
Highfield is one of 8 homes run by Bedford Borough Council on AskBart. See how the group's homes are rated and where it operates.
More care homes near Bedford
Information last reviewed October 2026.
Reviews from families
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