SafeAre people protected from abuse and avoidable harm?72%Good
See the breakdownHide the breakdown1 of 8 below good
Involving people to manage risksSome shortfalls
Infection prevention and controlGood
Learning cultureGood
Medicines optimisationGood
Safe and effective staffingGood
Safe environmentsGood
Safe systems, pathways and transitionsGood
SafeguardingGood
EffectiveDoes care achieve good outcomes and a good quality of life?75%Good
See the breakdownHide the breakdownAll 6 good
Assessing needsGood
Consent to care and treatmentGood
Delivering evidence-based care and treatmentGood
How staff, teams and services work togetherGood
Monitoring and improving outcomesGood
Supporting people to live healthier livesGood
CaringAre staff kind, compassionate and respectful?75%Good
See the breakdownHide the breakdownAll 5 good
Independence, choice and controlGood
Kindness, compassion and dignityGood
Responding to people's immediate needsGood
Treating people as individualsGood
Workforce wellbeing and enablementGood
ResponsiveAre services organised to meet people's needs?82%Good
See the breakdownHide the breakdown2 of 7 exceptional
Care provision, integration and continuityGood
Equity in accessGood
Equity in experiences and outcomesGood
Listening to and involving peopleGood
Providing InformationGood
Person-centred careExceptional
Planning for the futureExceptional
Well-ledIs the home well managed, with a culture of high-quality care?79%Good
See the breakdownHide the breakdown1 of 7 exceptional
Freedom to speak upGood
Governance, management and sustainabilityGood
Learning, improvement and innovationGood
Partnerships and communitiesGood
Shared direction and cultureGood
Workforce equality, diversity and inclusionGood
Capable, compassionate and inclusive leadersExceptional
Percentages are CQC scores from its newer way of assessing homes. ?
CQC scored 33 standards: 29 good, 3 exceptional, 1 below good. Use “See the breakdown” on each key question for its standards. ?
CQC hasn't inspected this home for more than 5 years. It re-inspects based on risk, so an old rating doesn't count against a home on this site, but it may not reflect the home today. ?
Melford Court Care Home is one of 182 care homes in Suffolk: a 52-bed nursing home in Sudbury, run by Stow Healthcare Group Limited. Its CQC registration covers older people and people with dementia.
7 of Stow Healthcare Group Limited’s 8 rated homes are Good or Outstanding (compare care home groups). Of the 6 closest rated homes, none is rated above it. Across Suffolk, 81% of rated homes are Good or Outstanding, against 82% for England. Food hygiene inspectors scored the kitchen 5 out of 5 in January 2026. 92% of homes in Suffolk also score 5.
In May 2026, CQC gave it Good overall, and Good for each of the five key questions too. That matches its previous rating, from August 2018. Ratings in Suffolk are typically about 4 years old, which makes this one newer than most. Of the 33 standards CQC scored, 1 fell below good. The lowest was “involving people to manage risks” (some shortfalls).
