Essex care home where residents 'just sit facing the TV all day' placed into special measures
One resident at Swan Care Home was seen to remain alone in their room all day, before being supported to bed before 7pm
A care home in Essex has been placed in special measures after a damning inspection found numerous breaches of care.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) carried out the assessment at Swan Care Home in Tillingham in response to concerns it had received about the service.
During the inspection in 2025, the care watchdog found nine breaches of regulations relating to person-centred care, dignity and respect, consent, risk management, safeguarding, premises, governance, staffing and recruitment.
The health watchdog said it had identified significant and widespread concerns, including that people did “not receive holistic, person-centred care, and were not always treated with dignity and respect”.
During the site visit, inspectors heard a person who was crying and confused, telling staff, “I don’t know where I am.” The staff member told the person: “You are in a care home. You can sit down. Good girl, be quiet, please.”
The report said that whilst the intention was to be reassuring, “this was infantilising as it treated the person in a way which did not respect their maturity and experience”.
A statement added: “The provider did not take account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.
Although some people’s interests were recorded, staff lacked information to guide them on how to treat people as individuals, as well as training in key areas such as how to communicate with people living with dementia.”
CQC add that people did not have any meaningful engagement with staff, and there was little to do all day except for sit in the living room facing the television.
They say some people had items placed next to them, such as jigsaw puzzles, but were unable to participate without staff support.
One resident’s relative told the CQC the activities are in a cupboard, but they have never seen them used.
They added that their relative would like to go to church, but this request cannot be met.
One person was seen to remain alone in their room all day, before being supported to bed before 7pm despite staff being told they preferred to go to bed at 9.30pm to 10pm.
A statement added: “We identified significant and widespread concerns at this assessment, which had not been identified and mitigated by the provider through their own governance systems.
“People did not receive holistic, person-centred care, and were not always treated with dignity and respect. Legal requirements relating to capacity and consent were not consistently in place, and systems for safeguarding were ineffective, placing people at risk of harm.
Risks to people were not identified and mitigated, including in relation to the premises and environment, infection control, food hygiene, medicines, and the management of specific healthcare conditions. Due to provider failures in recruitment, induction, training and supervision processes, staff did not have the support and knowledge they needed to fully meet people’s needs.”
The care home was contacted for comment.