What We Do

Larkfield Hall Ltd is a Private Company, Limited by Guarantee (Reg. No. 536993) and a Registered Charity (No.307894). Larkfield Hall Ltd owns and manages ‘Pepenbury’, an independent residential care home for 70 adults with a learning disability. The home is registered with Kent County Council. It was founded in 1927 by one of the pioneers in this country of the Rudolf Steiner system of curative education for the mentally handicapped.

The first home was located at a village called   Larkfield on the west side of Maidstone, hence the name ‘Larkfield Hall’ and was for mentally handicapped children under 16 years of age, but the construction of a motorway necessitated the home of Larkfield being closed. The Company, Larkfield Hall Ltd, was incorporated in 1954 and the move from Larkfield, near Maidstone, to Cornford Farm, Pembury, the present address, took place in 1961. In 1999, the name of the residential care home was officially changed from Larkfield Hall to ‘Larkfield’ and then in 2003 to ‘Pepenbury’. Pepenbury has seen  many changes over the years. However, it holds firmly to its belief to provide quality care in a happy, relaxed and homelike atmosphere, where residents are treated with respect and dignity.

The purpose of Pepenbury is to enable each resident to achieve his or her physical, intellectual, emotional and social potential. The aims of the organisation include the welfare and development of residents as individuals, helping each person along the way to maturity and a sense of personal dignity and independence. The main site of Larkfield Hall Ltd is located in Cornford Lane, Pembury and offers both residential services for 70 adults and day services for a variety of users.

In addition to this current site Larkfield Hall Ltd offer several other services which include Day Services, MOST (Milestones Outreach Support Team), Wychwood (Respite), Poppies (Residential) and various training programmes (Forward 2 Work, Training 4 Work and the Primrose Project). Pepenbury has ten houses on its main site. We cater for a diverse range of people, including those with particularly complex needs and challenging behaviour who might need on-site care for the longer term. We are also able to help others to progress to independent living. All have round the clock support and person-centred care.

Residents live together in small units (houses or bungalows) where they are encouraged to make their own decisions – for example what day service they want or what their daily menus should be. They also go shopping, cook their own meals and enjoy a variety of leisure activities, where necessary supported by staff.
Houses are staffed according to care needs and dependency levels. All houses are managed by a house manager ensuring all care standards are met. All our care staff are fully trained to deal with residents’ day-to-day and personal care on a 24-hour basis. We supply a wide range of disability aids for those with more complex needs, and a number of our houses have been adapted for people with problems of mobility or who require the use of wheelchairs.

Milestones Outreach Support Team

This year was year one for M.O.S.T, having been set up to fulfil demand for domiciliary care services tailor made for the needs of each person with learning disabilities.

We are now fully registered and are responsible for support in two houses in the Tunbridge Wells area. We also provide domiciliary care throughout the area for people living alone or with their families.

Our aims in the coming year are to help people, who want it, to get on to the housing list with a view to their living in independent accommodation and to help to find work for those who have the desire and the training to do so. We also see it as part of our job to help people to be confident in managing their own household accounts, banking, budgeting, menu planning and cooking etc.

In the coming year MOST will be expanding. A recruitment drive should enable us to offer support to clients with a number of different needs, including mental health. An individualised training programme will supplement the training already received by staff.

The next inspection by the Commission for Social Care Inspection is due in September so we look forward to improving on our last good report.

The Houses

Briars: Is a bungalow for 9 people with physical disabilities and severe to moderate learning disabilities. It is staffed each day by 2 support workers and 1 senior support worker. Waking night staff are in place in the evening including sleep in staff. Additional staff support service users where identified.

Cornford / Hawthorns: Is a house which accommodates 8 people with mild learning disabilities. Living here prepares and encourages service users towards independent living and provides tailored support for service users wanting to develop their independent living skills. It is staffed by 1 support worker with 1 sleep in member of staff.

Fern: Is a house that provides a service for 6 people on the autistic spectrum and severe to moderate learning disabilities. Residents are supported by 2 support workers each day with additional staff in order to support where identified, and 1 sleep in member of staff.

Finch: Is a bungalow for 7 people with challenging behaviour, physical disabilities and severe to moderate learning disabilities. It is staffed by 2 support workers and 1 senior support worker. Waking night staff are in place including sleep in staff, and additional staff support service users where identified.

Linnets: Is a bungalow for 8 people with high dependency needs and severe to moderate learning disabilities. Each room has ensuite facilities and the house is staffed each day by 2 support workers and 1 senior support worker. Waking night staff are in place including sleep in staff in the evening, and additional staff support service users where identified.

Pines: Is a house for 6 people with mild learning disabilities which prepares them for living in the community. It is staffed by 1 support worker with 1 sleep in member of staff in the evening.

Robins: Provides support for medium dependency needs and is a bungalow for 7 people with moderate learning disabilities. They are supported by 2 support workers, a senior support worker with 1 sleep in member of staff.

Rose: Is a house for 6 people with moderate learning disabilities. It is staffed by 1 support worker, 1 senior support worker and 2 sleep in member of staff.

Swallows: Is a bungalow for 7 people with moderate to mild learning disabilities. It is staffed by 1 support worker, a senior support worker and additional staff support service users where identified, with 1 sleep in member of staff.

Willows: Is a bungalow for 5 people with moderate learning disabilities. It is staffed by 1 support worker, 1 senior support worker and 1 sleep in member of staff.