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?75%Good
See the breakdownHide the breakdownAll 7 good
Capable, compassionate and inclusive leadersGood
Freedom to speak upGood
Governance, management and sustainabilityGood
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: 32 good, 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. ?
Linkage Community Trust runs The Sycamores, a residential care home in Alford, Lincolnshire with room for 8 residents. Its CQC registration covers people with a learning disability or autism. The typical home in Lincolnshire has 30 beds, so this one is on the small side.
CQC rated it Good overall and in all five key questions in October 2026. It was also rated Good at the inspection before, in February 2019. The typical rating in Lincolnshire is about 4 years old, so this one is fairly recent. CQC found some shortfalls in “safe environments”, one of 1 standards out of 33 scored below good.
Its kitchen was rated 5 for food hygiene in July 2025. That is true of 95% of homes in Lincolnshire. 147 other homes in Lincolnshire share its tier, “Good”. Linkage Community Trust runs 20 care homes, and all 19 rated are Good or Outstanding. None of the 6 nearest rated homes has a higher rating.
