• Residential substance misuse service

Passmores House

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Third Avenue, Harlow, Essex, CM18 6YL (01279) 634200

Provided and run by:
Via Residential Ltd

Latest inspection summary

On this page

Overall

Good

Updated 9 September 2025

Passmores House is a residential substance misuse service, provided and run by VIA Residential Ltd, which can support up to 23 people over the age of 18 requiring a medical detoxification and rehabilitation programme for alcohol or drug addiction. At the time of the inspection, the service had registered an additional 6 beds on the site which were due to be available imminently.  The service offers a residential care package to men and women which includes stabilisation, detoxification and a rehabilitation programme that runs for either 12 or 24 weeks. The service specialises in offering treatment to people with complex needs where there may be co-existing mental health or physical health issues.  People were referred for treatment at Passmores House from all over the country. At the time of the inspection there were 18 people in the service. 

The service is registered for the following CQC regulated activities:

  • Accommodation for persons who require treatment for substance misuse.
  • Treatment of disease, disorder, or injury.
  • Diagnostic and screening procedures.

We last inspected this service on 15 January 2019. At that inspection, the service was rated good in all domains, and we found no breaches of the Health and Social Care Act regulations (2008).

Our View of the Service

We rated Passmores House as good because: 

The service provided safe care. The environment was safe and clean. The service had enough staff, and the service had the full range of specialists to meet the needs of people. Staff followed good practice with respect to safeguarding. Staff developed holistic, recovery-oriented care plans informed by a comprehensive assessment and provided a range of treatments suitable to the needs of the people and in line with national guidance about best practice. Staff completed individualised risk assessments with people and updated these regularly and/ or when risk presentation changed. Managers ensured that staff received training, supervision and appraisal and had developed strategies to boost staff wellbeing and recognise staff achievements. Feedback from people about the service was very positive. All the people we spoke with told us they felt safe, they were getting effective support and treatment, and staff were caring and treated them with kindness and respect.

Residential substance misuse services

Good

Updated 27 August 2025

We rated Passmores House as good because:

The service provided safe care. The environment was safe and clean. The service had enough staff, and the service had the full range of specialists to meet the needs of people. Staff followed good practice with respect to safeguarding. Staff developed holistic, recovery-oriented care plans informed by a comprehensive assessment and provided a range of treatments suitable to the needs of the people and in line with national guidance about best practice. Staff completed individualised risk assessments with people and updated these regularly and/ or when risk presentation changed. Managers ensured that staff received training, supervision and appraisal and had developed strategies to boost staff wellbeing and recognise staff achievements. Feedback from people about the service was very positive. All the people we spoke with told us they felt safe, they were getting effective support and treatment, and staff were caring and treated them with kindness and respect.

Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act Compliance

Mental Health Act

The service did not admit people detained under the Mental Health Act.

Mental Capacity Act

Staff received and kept up to date with training in the Mental Capacity Act and had a good understanding of the five principles. Training on the Mental Capacity Act was mandatory for staff, and the compliance rate was 100% at the time of inspection.

Staff completed an assessment of each person’s capacity to consent to admission and treatment on admission, ensuring they were not intoxicated. We looked at the care records for 6 people and could see there was evidence of assessment for mental capacity in all the records we looked at.