The Firs Residential Care Home

Tower Farm, Tower Road, Little Downham, Ely CB6 2TD
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8.9 6 Reviews
  • The Firs Residential Care Home, Ely
The Firs Residential Care Home is situated in the east of Cambridgeshire, in a stunning historical Parish village of Little Downham (historic name of 'Downham-in-the-Isle'. In the Domesday Book of 1086, the village is called Duneham, and is located 3 miles (5 km) north of the city of Ely.

The Firs Residential Care Home hosts up to 29 residents across two floors. The team encourage residents to customise their rooms. The home offers quality personalised residential & dementia care for residents in a pleasant countryside environment.

The home has a devoted team who are committed to providing an unparalleled experience, ensuring residents feel at ease from their first moments at the home. Specialised training equips staff to support residents living with dementia, exemplifying their dedication to provide care in a person-centred way to make residents feel comfortable, safe and included. The friendly and professional care team pride themselves in providing expert care and a comfortable and friendly atmosphere for both residents and their families.

Facilities include two communal lounges where residents can enjoy and socialising with each other and a dining room area that provides residents with the ideal environment to enjoy their meals. There is also a conservatory/sun lounge where residents can relax with their families. It is an ideal environment for people who love countryside, horses and the charming sound of birds. The home offers a wide range of activities that create friendships and interaction with others. The home has 26 fully furnished and spacious single bedrooms as well as 3 ensuite bedrooms that have a view of the open countryside and horses, perfect for people to enjoy when they are in their room.

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Care Provided by The Firs Residential Care Home

  • Primary Care Categories
  • Dementia
  • Older Person Care
  • Physical Disability
  • Respite Care
  • Sensory Impairment
  • Care Types Provided
  • Dementia Residential Care
  • Residential Care
  • For a maximum of 29 Service Users
  • Privately Owned
  • Care Offered
  • Alzheimer's
  • COPD/Pulmonary Disease
  • Head/Brain Injury
  • Hearing Impairment
  • Parkinson's Disease
  • Schizophrenia
  • Speech Impairment
  • Stroke
  • Visual Impairment
  • Other Care Provided
  • End of Life Care
  • Own GP if required
  • Palliative Care

Good to Know

  • Owner
  • Barrels UK Care Ltd
  • Person in charge
  • Hasib Rahman (Manager)
  • Admission Criteria
    • Open
    • Ages 65+
  • Room Information
    • Single Rooms (29)
    • Couples/Companion Rooms (0)
    • Single Rooms with ensuite Wet Room (3)
  • Care Home Design/Build
    • Purpose Built: Yes
    • Year Purpose Built: 1984
    • Last Refurbishment: 2024
    • Number of floors: 2

Funding & Fees Guide for The Firs Residential Care Home

  • Funding Types Accepted
  • Self funding (Private)
  • Local Authority with Top-Up
  • Local Authority
  • NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) Funding
  • Weekly Charges per Person
    • Self-Funded Residential Care £950 – £1,500
    • Self-Funded Residential Dementia Care £950 – £1,500
    • RESPITE Self-Funded Residential Care £950 – £1,500
    • RESPITE Self-Funded Residential Dementia Care £950 – £1,500

  • All fees subject to individual level of needs.
  • (these prices are only a guideline, please contact The Firs Residential Care Home to find out the exact price for your requirements)

Facilities

  • Gardens
  • Lift
  • Own Furniture if required
  • Pet Friendly (or by arrangement)
  • Phone Point in own room
  • Residents Internet Access
  • Stairlift
  • Television point in own room
  • Wheelchair Access
  • Visiting

  • No visiting restriction for family members, but any visitor wants to visit thew home to see, they need to inform The Firs office first to ensure someone will be free to accompany visitor.


  • Parking

  • Parking available for all visitors.


The Firs Residential Care Home Reviews (6)

8.9

The Firs Residential Care Home has a Review Score of 8.9 (8.933) out of 10, based on 6 reviews in the last 2 years. Over all time The Firs Residential Care Home has 6 reviews.

Overall Experience

  • 3
  • 3
  • 0
  • 0
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Date Published

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Review from C K (Daughter of Resident) published on 21 March 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My mother has just become a resident of the Firs care home ..I have visited on occasion and find the staff to be very helpful and friendly..The care manager takes his time to inform you of any issues that may arise which sets your mind at ease..A fairly basic home but as long as Mother gets her needs
met what more can you ask for..I'm very happy and grateful so far ..Keep up the good work..Well done .

Reply from The Home Manager, Manager at The Firs Residential Care Home

Hi. Thank you for your nice comments. Your feedback will encourage us to go extra miles to support individuals in person-centred ways. We appreciate your kind words


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Review from Ruth E (Friend of Resident) published on 5 March 2025
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I have always found The Firs Care Home to be most satisfactory for my friend who has been in their care for about three years. Her room is always warm and clean, and I have found all the staff to be pleasant and helpful at all times. I have never heard any complaints about the food she is served, and
as far as I am concerned she is quite happily being cared for there.

Reply from The Home Manager, Manager at The Firs Residential Care Home

Hi, Thank you for your kind feedback. Much appreciate your valuable comments. Your comments help us to provide care and support to our loving residents in person-centred care.


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Review from Malcolm B (Son of Resident) published on 21 January 2025
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

My mother recently became a resident of the home. The care she has received so far has been very good. The care staff are very good and treat my mother with dignity, empathy and kindness. They are very attentive to her needs and in a short time have an understanding of her personality and are never
judgmental.

Reply from Hasib Rahman, Home Manager at The Firs Residential Care Home

Thank you for your kind feedback. We are the home to support individual person centered way with dignity and respect according to individual needs. Thank you.


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Review from Lesley T (Daughter of Resident) published on 30 December 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

My mother has not been at the home very long but we are very happy with her care so far. All the carers are very considerate to her needs and she has settled in very well and seems very content. Her room is excellent and the meals are good. We can visit at anytime, without notice, which suits us very
well.

Reply from Hasib Rahman, Home manager at The Firs Residential Care Home

Hi Lesley. Thank you for your kind review. We are working on providing the best care in a person-centred way for an individual including your mother to meet their needs. Thank you again.


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Review from A C (Daughter of Resident) published on 17 December 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

The Firs Residential Care Home are caring and understanding. They put my father's best interests first. They are always welcoming and happy and do the very best they can to ensure my father is comfortable and his needs are met. The staff always appear happy and make time to talk.

Reply from Hasib Rahman, Home Manager at The Firs Residential Care Home

Thank you for your review. This was a nice and reflecting review. you regular visit The Firs to see your dad and you know how we support and care our service users. We appreciate your support. Thank you so much.


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Review from Michael G (Brother of Resident) published on 18 January 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

My sister has been a resident since May 2023, she lives with dementia.
Since moving to The Firs she has lost her permanent sense of anxiety. She is still confused, but contented. She believes she is at home and having a lot of visitors.
The environment at The Firs suits her very well. She has been
a sheep farmer for 40 years and would feel very out of place in a five-star hotel. There is a very homely 'rough and ready' atmosphere at The Firs (in terms of furnishings not personnel) which suits her perfectly.
The staff monitor her general health with the help of a visiting GP very successfully. She is not very suggestible, but the staff have managed to work with her resistance very successfully.
There is a new manager and a person in charge of activities: hopefully these will provide a good sense of continuity of care.
The facilities are being updated and routine maintenance improved.
The Firs fills a much-needed niche in care home provision. One size does not fit all.

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Current Review Score: 8.9 (8.933)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 8.9 (8.933) out of 10 for The Firs Residential Care Home is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  • a) The Average Rating is 4.3 out of 5 from 6 Reviews in the last 24 months.

  • b) The score for the number of positive Reviews is 4.6 out of 5 from 6 positive Reviews in the last 24 months.

Detailed Breakdown of Review Score

The maximum Review Score for a Care Home is 10, which is made up from the Average Rating of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) and the Number of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) in the last 24 months:

  • a) 5 Points are available for the Average Rating from all Reviews in the last 24 months.

    The Average Rating of 4.333 for The Firs Residential Care Home is calculated as follows: ( (27 Excellents x 5) + (35 Goods x 4) + (3 Satisfactorys x 3) + (1 Poors x 2) ) ÷ 66 Ratings = 4.333

  • b) 5 Points are available for the number of Positive Reviews in the last 24 months. A Positive Review is defined as any Review with an 'Overall Experience' of '4' or '5' (out of a max rating '5').

    The 4.6 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for The Firs Residential Care Home is based on 6 positive Reviews in the last 24 months and is calculated as per below:

    The 5 points available are broken down as follows:

    • i) 4 points are available for the first 10 Positive Reviews in the last 24 months; 3 points for the first Positive Review, and then 0.125 Points for each of the next four Positive Reviews and then 0.1 Points for the next five Positive Reviews. (1st = 3.000, 2nd = 0.125, 3rd = 0.125, 4th = 0.125, 5th = 0.125, 6th = 0.100, 7th = 0.100, 8th = 0.100, 9th = 0.100, 10th = 0.100) 3 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.1 = 3.6

    • ii) 1 point is available for the number of Positive Reviews reaching 20% of the registered maximum number of service users in the last 24 months. If this number is partially reached, then that proportion of 1 point is given. eg a Care Home registered for a maximum of 50 service users has to reach 10 Positive Reviews to receive 1 point, if it has 7 reviews it will receive 0.7 points. 20% of the 29 registered maximum number of service users is 5.8, which has been reached with 6 Positive reviews. Points = 1

  • When a Review is submitted by someone who has previously submitted a Review, only the latest Review will count towards the Review Score.

  • If a Care Home does not have a review in the last 24 months, then it will not have a Review Score.

Performance

Care Quality Commission (CQC) Rating

Date: 7 Nov 2024

Overall
Good

  • Caring

    Good

  • Effective

    Good

  • Responsive

    Good

  • Safe

    Good

  • Well-led

    Good

Care Quality Commission is responsible for the registration and inspection of social care services in England.

View Latest Report

Bed Vacancies

14 Bed Vacancies

posted 27 Feb 2025

We are now open to admission for private funding. We have three en-suite (wet) bed room and Three En-suite (wet room) of the single room where commode and washing basin available. We are providing residential dementia care including palliative, end of life care.


Awards / Recognitions (0)

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Meet the Team (3)

Hasib

Hasib Rahman

Job Title: Registered Home Manager

Joined: 2023

I am the Home Manager and I oversee the running of the home, ensuring the residents’ needs are met in person centred way and maintained to the highest standard.
I have been a successful home manage for last five and half years. I started my career in health and social care in 2010 as a housekeeper. After a month later I started as a care worker. Gradually I become a successful home manager.


I have over 15 years of experience in care. I am a very approachable individual and always go extra miles for our service users. I received twice extra miles awards as well one Lead manager awards. I am dedicated, friendly and understanding.


I completed my Level five health and social care and Level three dementia care. I completed Accredited Medication, I completed TTT on Administrate Medication Competency, I also completed Registered Manager Development Program organized by Skills for Care.


I enjoy my job and enjoy being with our service users. My moto to make every individual happy, comfortable and safe.


Rajbeer

Rajbeer Singh

Job Title: Deputy Manager

Joined: 2023

The Deputy Home Manager shares responsibility with the Home Manager for running the home. Deputy managers will each bring their own skill set to the home, some offering more assistance with the business side of things while others focus largely on care. However, whether they look at it from a business or care perspective, the focus of the Deputy is always to ensure that their home is offering the very best quality of life for our residents. Experienced and either holding or working towards their qualifications, Deputy Home Managers are capable and driven to provide the best of everything for their residents.


JUne

JUne Elliott

Job Title: Chef

Joined: 2023

The Chef Manager organises every aspect of the catering operation and provides a safe, nutritious, quality service to our residents using freshly produced food. With a hands-on role, leading a team, they provide a quality catering service and help create a warm and friendly atmosphere for our residents. Working with our residents they help to create menus to meet their needs and suit their tastes.


Frequently Asked Questions about The Firs Residential Care Home

What types of Care is The Firs Residential Care Home registered for?

Older Person Care, Dementia, Respite Care, Physical Disability & Sensory Impairment are the registered (by the Care Quality Commission) categories of Care.

What additional types of Care does The Firs Residential Care Home provide?

Palliative Care, Own GP if required & End of Life Care are other types of care provided.

How many Rooms does The Firs Residential Care Home have?

There are 29 Single Rooms.

What are the Facilities & Services at The Firs Residential Care Home?

Own Furniture if required, Pet Friendly (or by arrangement), Lift, Stairlift, Wheelchair Access, Gardens, Phone Point in own room, Television point in own room & Residents Internet Access are some of the Facilities & Services.

How far is The Firs Residential Care Home to the centre of Ely?

2.6 mile(s) as the crow flies, distance by road may be significantly further.