Care Homes in Southminster
Southminster has 8 CQC registered care homes. 6 are rated Good, 1 Requires improvement, 1 Inadequate. 6 of the 8 were last inspected more than three years ago.
Source: Care Quality Commission register, kept up to date as ratings change.
Southminster at a glance
What the local numbers say about care for older people in Southminster, to help you judge the options below.
- Essex County Council pays, residential care: £849 a week. Self-funders are typically asked £1,384 to £1,672, median £1,520
- Care home beds filled across Essex: 88%. The 12 month average is 87%.
- Care home beds per 1,000 people aged 75+: 51. Essex average is 67.
- People aged 75 and over: 9,700. Rising to 11,300 by 2035, up 16%
- Care homes, last 12 months: 0 opened, 0 closed
- Who pays, across Essex (estimate): 36% council, 38% self. The rest is NHS funded or other.
- Living with dementia, aged 65 and over (estimate): 1,200. Rising to 1,600 by 2035, up 29%
- People aged 85 and over: 2,500. Rising to 4,100 by 2035, up 62%
Powered by Orrery Intelligence. Market model built 22 October 2026 (ONS 2022 based population projections, CQC register), published care home prices, council planning records.
Planning and Paying for Care in Southminster
Starting With an Assessment
A care needs assessment records formally what support a person needs across an ordinary day and whether those needs meet the national eligibility threshold. It is free to anyone who appears to require help, whatever their savings, and asking for one obliges a family to nothing. Essex County Council carries out that assessment and arranges the financial assessment that follows where funded support may apply. A relative providing care at home can request a separate assessment of their own needs at the same time.
Fees and Contributions
Residential care is charged as a weekly fee covering the room, meals and personal care, and the figure usually reflects how much help a person needs rather than the size of the room. Where eligible needs are identified and a financial assessment shows capital below the relevant threshold, the council may contribute, with an assessed amount paid from the person's income. Where needs arise mainly from health rather than social care, continuing healthcare funding is assessed separately by the health service. Families paying privately should ask for the fee in writing, along with what sits outside it and how much notice precedes an increase.
Choosing a Provider in Southminster and What to Check
A Mixed Record and How to Read It
Six of the eight homes are rated Good, one is rated Requires Improvement and one is rated Inadequate. That spread is a reason to read the reports rather than to rely on the headline word. Each states exactly what inspectors found and when, and divides its findings between safety, effectiveness, caring, responsiveness and leadership, so a home can be sound in some respects while falling short in another. Check the inspection date as well, because ownership and management change.
What a Visit Will Tell You
Go when the home is busy rather than at a quiet hour arranged for your convenience. Watch whether residents look occupied and comfortable, how staff speak to people who take longer to reply, and whether anyone explains what is about to happen. Ask what fills an ordinary day, how often residents get outside and whether visitors are welcome without an appointment.
Staffing and What Comes Next
Ask how many staff are on duty during the day and overnight, how much agency cover is used and whether the same people work the same shifts. Ask how care plans are written and reviewed, how families are told when something changes, and what would happen if needs increased beyond what the home is registered to provide.
8 care homes in Southminster
- Squeaks House Residential Care Home · Steeple Road, Southminster, Essex, CM0 7BD
Care home · CQC Requires improvement · Run by Squeaks House Residential Care Home
Squeaks House Residential Care Home is in Southminster, Essex. We provide residential care for older people and younger adults, including people living with dementia, and we offer respite stays. We want to be straightforward about our...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Younger Adults, Respite Care - Swan Care Home · 29 North Street, Southminster, Essex, CM0 7TR
Care home · CQC Inadequate · Run by Airaa Swaan Ltd
We are Swan Care Home in Southminster, Essex. We provide residential care for older people, including those living with dementia, and we also take respite bookings for shorter stays. We have kept our focus clear rather than trying to be...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Respite Care - Residential Home · Station Road, Southminster, Essex, CM0 7EW
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Top Care Homes Limited
Southminster Residential Home is a care home in Southminster, Essex, looking after older people including many living with dementia. We also take respite bookings for people who need a stay of a few weeks rather than a permanent place. We...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Respite Care - Villeneuve House · Wonston Road, Southminster, Essex, CM0 7FE
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Zero Three Care Homes LLP
We are Villeneuve House, a residential care home in Southminster supporting adults with a learning disability and autistic adults. Most of the people who live here are younger adults. The home works rather like a shared household. People...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Younger Adults, Respite Care - Schumey's Corner · 11a Queen Street, Southminster, Essex, CM0 7BB
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Zero Three Care Homes LLP
Schumey's Corner is a residential care home in Southminster in Essex. We support adults with learning disabilities and autistic adults, and we offer respite stays for people who usually live elsewhere. Being a small setting is the point...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Respite Care - Estoril · Wonston Road, Southminster, Essex, CM0 7FE
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Zero Three Care Homes LLP
Estoril is a residential care home in Southminster supporting adults with a learning disability and autistic adults, including younger adults building towards more independent living. We run this as somebody's home rather than as a unit....
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Younger Adults, Respite Care - Down Hall Residential Home · Downhall Road, Southminster, Essex, CM0 7QP
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Down Hall Care Limited
We are Down Hall Residential Home in Southminster, Essex. We support older people and younger adults, including those living with dementia, people managing a mental health condition, people with a physical disability and people with a...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults, Respite Care - Deansbrook Farm · Southminster Road, Southminster, Essex, CM0 7DZ
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Consensus Support Services Limited
Deansbrook Farm at Southminster is a residential home for adults with learning disabilities and autistic adults, most of them younger adults. We also offer respite stays. Being on a farm shapes daily life here in a way that matters. There...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Younger Adults, Respite Care
What care costs in Essex, per week
| Type of care | What the council pays | What self-funders are typically asked |
|---|---|---|
| Residential care Middle half of prices from 11 Essex homes. Median £1,520. | £849 | £1,384 to £1,672 |
| Nursing care East of England figure, because too few Essex homes publish this price. 17 homes. Median £1,935. | £1,103 | £1,800 to £2,126 |
| Residential dementia care East of England figure, because too few Essex homes publish this price. 33 homes. Median £1,785. | Not published separately | £1,602 to £1,877 |
| Nursing dementia care East of England figure, because too few Essex homes publish this price. 10 homes. Median £1,940. | Not published separately | £1,870 to £2,100 |
Published prices are often starting prices, and come from homes that publish fees, so treat them as a guide. Ask the home for its own price. Powered by Orrery Intelligence.
Inspected most recently
- Swan Care Home, 16 July 2026, Inadequate
- Squeaks House Residential Care Home, 14 November 2025, Requires improvement
- Down Hall Residential Home, 7 April 2020, Good
Longest since a report
- Villeneuve House, 29 November 2018, Good
- Schumey's Corner, 1 December 2018, Good
- Estoril, 8 December 2018, Good
Frequently asked questions about care homes in Southminster
How many care homes are there in Southminster?
Southminster has 8 CQC registered care homes: 6 Good, 1 Requires improvement, 1 Inadequate. Counts come from the CQC register and are kept up to date as ratings change.
How much does a care home cost in Southminster?
Essex County Council pays an average of £849 a week for residential care. Self-funders are typically asked £1,384 to £1,672 a week. Middle half of prices from 11 Essex homes. Median £1,520. Published prices are often starting prices, and come from homes that publish fees, so treat them as a guide. Ask the home for its own price.
Which care homes in Southminster were inspected most recently?
Swan Care Home (16 July 2026), Squeaks House Residential Care Home (14 November 2025) and Down Hall Residential Home (7 April 2020) have the most recent CQC reports.
Local care news in Essex
- New 55 bed care home registered with CQC in Basildon: Oaklands (Essex) (5 November 2026)
- Highfield Care Home registered as a 60 bed care home in Uttlesford (5 November 2026)
More local care news for Essex