Care homes · Essex
Care homes in Kirby Cross
CQC lists 7 care homes in Kirby Cross, with 184 beds between them. CQC has rated 7 of them, and 57% are Good or Outstanding (versus 84% across Essex and 83% across England). We estimate typical fees in Kirby Cross at about £1,480 a week for residential careestimated. 3 care homes were last rated more than four years ago. Most recently, The Firs was rated Good on 1 September 2026.
Source: CQC register · Updated 27 October 2026 · Open Government Licence
The short version
- Dementia is a registered specialism for 4, and 1 provide nursing.
- We check for new CQC ratings in Essex daily: see the latest changes.
- You can ask Essex council for a free care needs assessment; savings make no difference.
- Among the 7 rated care homes, 4 hold a Good or Outstanding rating, 3 are rated Requires improvement or Inadequate.
To cite: "Care homes in Kirby Cross", The Care Panel, Oct 2026, from CQC register analysis.
- 7care homes registered with CQC
- 57%rated Good or Outstanding (of those rated)
- 1provides nursing care
- 4with a rating or inspection since October 2024
| Care | Kirby Cross | East of England | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential care, a week | £1,480 | £1,460 | £1,400 |
Every registered care home in Kirby Cross
Sorted on CQC rating and its date, with distance used last. How we rank
Care home vacancies in Kirby Cross → Respite and short stays →
- All 7
- Elderly care · 7
- Residential care · 6
- Physical disability care · 5
- Dementia care · 4
- Learning disability care · 4
- Care for adults under 65 · 4
- Mental health care · 3
The Firs
What inspectors found: This service was previously rated as good in February 2018.
Est. £1.35k–£1.65k/wk
Mid Meadows
What inspectors found: This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes.
Est. £1.31k–£1.6k/wk
Ernest Luff Homes
What inspectors found: The service specialises in providing care for older people, some of whom were living with dementia.
Est. £1.35k–£1.65k/wk
Ducks Halt
What inspectors found: People were positive about their experiences at the service and told us they were happy living there.
Est. £1.31k–£1.6k/wk
Winchester House
What inspectors found: This assessment was triggered by concerns we had received about the service.
Est. £1.35k–£1.65k/wk
Beaumont Manor
What inspectors found: We found 1 breach of regulation relating to the safety of medicines management and risk assessments.
Est. £1.52k–£1.85k/wk
Peter House
What inspectors found: We found the provider was not delivering care in line with these principles.
Est. £1.31k–£1.6k/wk
Dementia care homes in Kirby Cross
4 of the 7 care homes in Kirby Cross are registered with CQC to support people living with dementia, and 2 of those are rated Good or Outstanding. Compare the 4 registered for dementia.
Typical care home fees in Kirby Cross
| Residential care home | £1,455 a week |
|---|---|
| Nursing home | £1,685 a week |
What the council pays (Essex County Council): £28.04 an hour for home care (2025/26 average paid to agencies); £849.45 a week for residential care (2025/26 average, over-65s); £1,102.68 a week for nursing care (2025/26 average, over-65s) (source). Where a provider charges more, the extra is usually met by a top-up.
These are averages over a wide spread of prices, which move with the type of room, how much help is needed and any nursing. Councils tend to pay less than private payers for an identical room. Source: The Care Panel regional fee benchmarks, October 2026 (how we estimate). Work out your weekly cost or ask local providers for their prices.
Council support
Essex
Essex council assesses care needs free of charge regardless of savings, and may contribute when savings are below £23,250.
What the numbers say about Kirby Cross
The oldest current rating dates from June 2018 (Ducks Halt). At 57% Good or Outstanding, Kirby Cross sits below the Essex figure of 83% (from 370 care homes). The average home here has 26 beds; the typical home across Essex has 22. Ratings are more recent than average here: 57% of care homes have one less than two years old, compared with 23% across Essex. Counting all listed care homes, not only rated ones, Kirby Cross (57% Good or Outstanding) is 7th out of 7 local towns, led by Frinton-on-Sea (100%). The nursing share is 14% here (1 of 7 homes) and 22% across Essex. The newest registration is Peter House, registered with CQC in February 2020. No Outstanding ratings in Kirby Cross yet, against 7 across Essex. Looking at specialisms, 5 of 7 list physical disabilities, 4 of 7 list learning disabilities and 3 of 7 list mental health conditions.
Providers behind the care homes in Kirby Cross
- Black Swan International Limited 1 in this list
- Pilgrims' Friend Society 1 in this list
- Cygnet Health Care 1 in this list
- Welltower 1 in this list
- Peter House Care Ltd 1 in this list
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Latest CQC ratings
Ratings CQC published most recently, for care homes in Kirby Cross.
Kirby Cross and the towns around it
| Nearby town | Distance | Total | Good or Outstanding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kirby Cross | – | 7 | 4 |
| Frinton-on-Sea | 0.6 mi | 3 | 3 |
| Walton-on-the-Naze | 1.3 mi | 7 | 5 |
| Clacton-on-Sea | 4.7 mi | 44 | 33 |
| Harwich | 6.3 mi | 10 | 8 |
| Brightlingsea | 9.4 mi | 12 | 9 |
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Free care cost report for Kirby Cross
- Typical local prices for care homes and nursing homes
- What the council and the NHS may pay, with the 2026/27 savings limits
- The best-rated services near you, from the CQC register
Common questions about care homes in Kirby Cross
Which care homes can I choose from in Kirby Cross?
The CQC register for Oct 2026 lists 7 care homes in Kirby Cross. Of these, 1 provides nursing care and 4 support people living with dementia. Highly rated options include The Firs, Mid Meadows and Ernest Luff Homes.
What CQC ratings do care homes in Kirby Cross have?
Of the 7 that have been rated, 4 (57%) are rated Good or Outstanding, and 3 are rated Requires improvement or Inadequate.
What are typical care home prices in Kirby Cross?
Average fees paid by self-funders in East of England in 2026: residential care home £1,455 a week; nursing home £1,685 a week. These are averages over a wide spread of prices, which move with the type of room, how much help is needed and any nursing. Councils tend to pay less than private payers for an identical room. Source: The Care Panel regional fee benchmarks, October 2026 (how we estimate). See our full cost guide.
Will Essex council pay for a care home?
For residents who qualify, the NHS pays towards nursing through NHS-funded nursing care, and the council may help with fees. Under the Care Act 2014, Essex council has to offer a needs assessment at no cost. For the means test, a home is usually counted for care home fees unless it is still home to a partner or certain relatives (and not in the first 12 weeks of a permanent stay); in England the threshold is £23,250. How to reach Essex council.
What should I look for when choosing care homes in Kirby Cross?
Three questions matter most once you have read the latest CQC report: will the staff be consistent, what is the plan for missed care, and what is the total cost before signing? On dates, 4 of the 7 listed had an inspection or rating within the last two years, and 3 have an older report. See the checklist.
How does Kirby Cross compare with nearby towns for care homes?
Nearest towns we cover: Frinton-on-Sea (0.6 miles): 3, 3 rated Good or Outstanding; Walton-on-the-Naze (1.3 miles): 7, 5 rated Good or Outstanding; Clacton-on-Sea (4.7 miles): 44, 33 rated Good or Outstanding. Kirby Cross itself has 7, 4 of them Good or Outstanding.
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Nearby: care homes around Kirby Cross
- Care homes in Frinton-on-Sea 0.6 mi
- Care homes in Walton-on-the-Naze 1.3 mi
- Care homes in Clacton-on-Sea 4.7 mi
- Care homes in Harwich 6.3 mi
- Care homes in Brightlingsea 9.4 mi
- Care homes in Felixstowe 9.6 mi
- Care homes in Lawford 10.5 mi
- Care homes in Wivenhoe 11.9 mi
More for Kirby Cross, plus guides
- How to pay for care in Essex
- Best rated care homes in Essex
- Nursing homes in Essex
- Care home costs in England 2026: averages by region and council
- Essex's Outstanding-rated services (2026)
- How NHS-funded nursing care works
- How to read a CQC rating
- Home care versus a care home
- Knowing when a care home is the right step
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Built from the Care Quality Commission's register (Oct 2026) under Open Government Licence v3.0. The Care Panel lists and compares services but runs none.