Residential care home · Essex

The Firs

Thorpe Road, Kirby Cross, Frinton On Sea, CO13 0NJ

Good Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good Rated 2 months ago

CQC rating

Good
Published 1 September 2026 Rated 2 months ago ?
  • SafeAre people protected from abuse and avoidable harm?72%Good
    See the breakdownHide the breakdown1 of 8 below good
    • Safe environmentsSome shortfalls
    • Infection prevention and controlGood
    • Involving people to manage risksGood
    • Learning cultureGood
    • Medicines optimisationGood
    • Safe and effective staffingGood
    • 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?75%Good
    See the breakdownHide the breakdownAll 7 good
    • Care provision, integration and continuityGood
    • Equity in accessGood
    • Equity in experiences and outcomesGood
    • Listening to and involving peopleGood
    • Person-centred careGood
    • Planning for the futureGood
    • Providing InformationGood
  • Well-ledIs the home well managed, with a culture of high-quality care?71%Good
    See the breakdownHide the breakdown1 of 7 below good
    • Governance, management and sustainabilitySome shortfalls
    • Capable, compassionate and inclusive leadersGood
    • Freedom to speak upGood
    • Learning, improvement and innovationGood
    • Partnerships and communitiesGood
    • Shared direction and cultureGood
    • Workforce equality, diversity and inclusionGood

Percentages are CQC scores from its newer way of assessing homes. ?

CQC scored 33 standards: 31 good, 2 below good. Use “See the breakdown” on each key question for its standards. ?

Earlier ratings ?

  • February 2018GoodSECRW
  • October 2015GoodSECRW

Read the full report on the CQC website ↗

How it compares in Essex

The Firs is in the Good tier ?, with 237 other homes in Essex. 84% of rated homes here are Good or Outstanding (England: 82%).

  • Outstanding 7 (2%)
  • Good, with Outstanding areas 17 (4%)
  • Good 238 (60%)
  • Good, with an area to improve 48 (12%)
  • Requires improvement 57 (14%)
  • Inadequate 4 (1%)
  • Not yet rated 24 (6%)

See all 395 care homes in Essex →

Care homes nearby

  • Peter House
    Frinton-On-Sea, Essex · CO13 0EW · Residential care home · 6 beds1.0 km
    Requires improvement S: Requires improvementE: Requires improvementC: Requires improvementR: Requires improvementW: Requires improvement Rated 6 months ago
  • Beaumont Manor
    Frinton On Sea, Essex · CO13 0FB · Nursing home · 103 beds1.7 km
    Requires improvement S: Requires improvementE: GoodC: GoodR: GoodW: Requires improvement Rated 1 year ago
  • Ducks Halt
    Kirby-Le-Soken, Essex · CO13 0DU · Residential care home · 5 beds2.1 km
    Good S: GoodE: GoodC: GoodR: GoodW: Good Rated 8 years ago
  • Winchester House
    Frinton On Sea, Essex · CO13 0HJ · Residential care home · 9 beds2.1 km
    Requires improvement S: Requires improvementE: GoodC: GoodR: GoodW: Requires improvement Rated 1 year ago
  • Mid Meadows
    Frinton On Sea, Essex · CO13 0AS · Residential care home · 22 beds3.4 km
    Good S: OutstandingE: GoodC: GoodR: GoodW: Good Rated 7 years ago
  • Ernest Luff Homes
    Walton On The Naze, Essex · CO14 8SW · Residential care home · 28 beds3.6 km
    Good S: GoodE: GoodC: GoodR: GoodW: Good Rated 7 years ago

More care homes near CO13 0NJ →

The Firs at a glance

The Firs is a 11-bed residential care home in Frinton On Sea, Essex. The home is its own registered provider. CQC registers it to look after older people, people with dementia, younger adults, people with a physical disability, people with a learning disability or autism and people with a sensory impairment. The typical home in Essex has 22 beds, so this one is on the small side.

In September 2026, CQC gave it Good overall, and Good for each of the five key questions too. Its rating before that, in February 2018, was the same. The typical rating in Essex is about 5 years old, so this one is fairly recent. Of the 33 standards CQC scored, 2 fell below good. The lowest was “safe environments” (some shortfalls).

None of the 6 nearest rated homes has a higher rating. Food hygiene inspectors scored the kitchen 2 out of 5 in March 2026. 89% of homes in Essex score the top mark of 5. In Essex, 84% of rated care homes are Good or Outstanding (England 82%).