
he and I were cared for and treated with dignity and gentleness.Joyce B(Wife of Resident/Service User)

We recommend Blackbrook House to anyone seeking care for a loved one.Laureen W(Daughter of Resident/Service User)

Eating collectively has been amazing for her and she loves her food and has gained weight.Karen C(Daughter-in-law of Resident/Service User)

he and I were cared for and treated with dignity and gentleness.Joyce B(Wife of Resident/Service User)

We recommend Blackbrook House to anyone seeking care for a loved one.Laureen W(Daughter of Resident/Service User)

Eating collectively has been amazing for her and she loves her food and has gained weight.Karen C(Daughter-in-law of Resident/Service User)

Blackbrook House in Dedham is situated in an area of outstanding natural beauty on the Essex-Suffolk border. The home provides residential and dementia care for up to 55 residents in comfortable ensuite rooms and continues to welcome new residents. Blackbrook House supports trial stays and shorter stays as well as permanent care.
The home ensures each individual’s health and care needs are continually met by working closely with customers and...
Care Provided by Blackbrook House
Primary Care Categories
- Older Person Care
- Dementia
Length of Stay
- Permanent Care
- Respite Care
Care Types Provided
- Residential Care
- Dementia Residential Care
- For a maximum of 55 Service Users
Dementia Care TypesMild Dementia
Someone living with our definition of "mild dementia" might experience some or all of the following:
- Memory problems such as misplacing items and not be able to recall recent events (however, in some forms of dementia a person's memory may be unchanged)
- Difficulties thinking through problems and planning, making decisions
- Language and communication issues such as finding it difficult to recall the appropriate word in a conversation or following a conversation
- Poor orientation, getting lost in areas previously familiar to them
- Difficulty judging distances (more falls than usual)
- Changes in their normal mood including anxiety and depression
- In certain types of dementia, personality and behaviour changes may be present alongside or instead of issues with memory or concentration.
Moderate Dementia
Someone living with our definition of "moderate dementia" might experience some or all of the following:
- Worsened memory problems. Not always recognising own family members and friends. Repeating the same questions over and over again
- Worsened language and communication issues, forgetting what they are saying mid-sentence. Not being able to understand what someone else is saying
- More frequent confusion, e.g. about the time of day or where they are, including their own home
- Apathy, depression and anxiety
- Believing things that aren't true (paranoia)
- Frequent hallucinations
- Lack of emotional control, quick to anger, fearfulness, sadness
- Loss of inhibition
- Difficulties sleeping or waking during the night and behaving as though it is daytime - loss of circadian rhythm.
Advanced Dementia
Someone living with our definition of "severe dementia" might experience some or all of the following:
- Severe memory problems. Not recognising family members and friends. Not being able to recall their own name
- Severe language and communication issues, not being able to understand what someone else is saying
- Severe confusion, e.g. about the time of day or where they are, including their own home
- Apathy, depression and anxiety
- Believing things that aren't true (paranoia)
- Frequent hallucinations
- Lack of emotional control, quick to anger, fearfulness, sadness
- Loss of inhibition
- Difficulties sleeping or waking during the night and behaving as though it is daytime - loss of circadian rhythm.
Verbally or physically aggressive behaviour
If your loved one displays this type of behaviour you may need a care home that has specially trained staff. Verbal/physical aggression is often defined:
- Consistent shouting and screaming
- Verbal abuse
- Physical abuse
How we define Dementia Care Types
Mild Dementia
Someone living with our definition of "mild dementia" might experience some or all of the following:
- Memory problems such as misplacing items and not be able to recall recent events (however, in some forms of dementia a person's memory may be unchanged)
- Difficulties thinking through problems and planning, making decisions
- Language and communication issues such as finding it difficult to recall the appropriate word in a conversation or following a conversation
- Poor orientation, getting lost in areas previously familiar to them
- Difficulty judging distances (more falls than usual)
- Changes in their normal mood including anxiety and depression
- In certain types of dementia, personality and behaviour changes may be present alongside or instead of issues with memory or concentration.
Moderate Dementia
Someone living with our definition of "moderate dementia" might experience some or all of the following:
- Worsened memory problems. Not always recognising own family members and friends. Repeating the same questions over and over again
- Worsened language and communication issues, forgetting what they are saying mid-sentence. Not being able to understand what someone else is saying
- More frequent confusion, e.g. about the time of day or where they are, including their own home
- Apathy, depression and anxiety
- Believing things that aren't true (paranoia)
- Frequent hallucinations
- Lack of emotional control, quick to anger, fearfulness, sadness
- Loss of inhibition
- Difficulties sleeping or waking during the night and behaving as though it is daytime - loss of circadian rhythm.
Advanced Dementia
Someone living with our definition of "severe dementia" might experience some or all of the following:
- Severe memory problems. Not recognising family members and friends. Not being able to recall their own name
- Severe language and communication issues, not being able to understand what someone else is saying
- Severe confusion, e.g. about the time of day or where they are, including their own home
- Apathy, depression and anxiety
- Believing things that aren't true (paranoia)
- Frequent hallucinations
- Lack of emotional control, quick to anger, fearfulness, sadness
- Loss of inhibition
- Difficulties sleeping or waking during the night and behaving as though it is daytime - loss of circadian rhythm.
Verbally or physically aggressive behaviour
If your loved one displays this type of behaviour you may need a care home that has specially trained staff. Verbal/physical aggression is often defined:
- Consistent shouting and screaming
- Verbal abuse
- Physical abuse
How we define Dementia Care Types
- Mild Dementia
- Moderate Dementia
Other Care Provided
- Convalescent Care
Facilities
- Lift
- Wheelchair Access
- Television point in own room
Funding & Fees
Weekly Charges per Person
Fees can vary depending on care needs and other factors. Colleagues at Blackbrook House will be happy to discuss our weekly fees with you and what our fees include.
The price(s) shown are provided by the care home. Contact Blackbrook House for full pricing details and T&Cs.
Contact Blackbrook House to confirm what's included and get a personalised quote:
Funding Types Accepted
- Self-Funding (Private)
- Local Authority with Top-up
- Local Authority
- NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC)
Good to Know
Group / Owner
- Anchor
- Voluntary / Not for Profit Owned
Person in charge
- Lucy Yarham (Manager)
Local Authority / Social Services
Admission Information
- Mixed (no single-gender units)
- Ages 65+
Care Home Design/Build
- Purpose Built: Yes
- Year Purpose Built: 2008
- Number of floors: 2
Room Information
- Single Rooms (55)
- Single Rooms with ensuite Wet Room (55)
Visiting
- The home welcome visitors as an integral part of day-to-day life.
Parking
- There is onsite parking, including disabled spaces.
Blackbrook House Reviews (98)
Blackbrook House has a Review Score of 9.6 (9.627) out of 10, based on 35 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Blackbrook House has 98 reviews.
All the staff are so very kind and helpful.
Having tried several care home previously I am delighted to find Blackbrook House for my mother. She has settled in very well. Your carers are all really polite and attentive. It is a great comfort to know my mother is being well looked after. The premises are very cheerful and bright, my mother's room on the north side is a bit glooming and I understand you will consider her for a brighter room when one becomes available.
Excellent decor comfortable furnishings a real homely atmosphere,i in fact everything you could want from a care home Food also looked super. All in all wonderful place for a loved one to find themselves when personal independence is no longer an option. Visited my friend in a few local homes when she has had short care needs and this seems gold star in comparison.
Dad moved to Blackbrook House at the ripe age of 97 - quite a transition for someone who was previously living in an independent flat. From the outset the managers and all the staff were very kind and thoughtful and treated Dad with respect and care. The home is welcoming, clean and bright with lovely areas to sit and walk around. Although Dad is now very frail he continuously comments on how kind and caring the staff are. To end with his own words 'Excellent, nice staff, very understanding and always prepared to listen to what you have to say. They are all very lovely'.
The managers were always approachable and treated Mum as an individual not just as a client. Her final passing was treated with compassion and dignity.
They cared for my father in a caring and compassionate way.
They dealt with his needs in an amazingly professional way.
Sadly, we were unable to keep him there any longer due to social services.
The care home has a warm and friendly atmosphere, it is a wonderful place.
Thank you for all your help and support for the family as well.
My sister and I visited our mum at Blackbrook House and had our lunch with her last week (12th December) and it was such a memorable and joyous visit. We were given a lovely table in the dining room in a little secluded area all decorated festively for Christmas. The staff were all amazing and made us all feel very special taking pictures for us and the assistant manager went above and beyond to look after us, printing and laminating a lovely photograph of all three of us together. The food was delicious. Thank you Blackbrook House.
The staff are very helpful. Breakfast is brought up to my room. I watch TV while I'm having breakfast. There's a choice for lunch and dinner which is very nice. A lady who sits at my table is a vegetarian and she is catered for. My room and shower room are regularly cleaned and polished. I forgot to say I have the same thing for breakfast every morning!
Blackbrook House is the best-kept care home that I have been in. My husband is a resident, he is very happy where he is. With dementia, it is very hard to assess his feelings. I only have one gripe and on several days over the last few weeks, when there are no senior staff on shift, things seem not to run as smoothly. The inexperienced agency staff seem to not know what they are doing. It is a very hard job, I know, and it is easy for me to say but I do think there should be more experienced staff to guide them.
Would appreciate, when the weather is appropriate, that the outdoor patio area could be cleaned, swept and pressure washed, and bird feeders cleaned with table and chairs as the area looks unloved and not useable.
Thank you for taking the time to leave Blackbrook House a review. Our outside patio is due to be jet washed when the weather improves but recent storms have made this difficult. Please don't hesitate to contact me should you have any queries or concerns so we can discuss these and resolve where possible. Thank you again for your time.
My aunt moved into Blackbrook House in November, she has said how lovely the home is, so clean, friendly and beautifully decorated it is. The staff are all so welcoming and friendly and nothing seems too much trouble if you ask for anything. She loves her newly painted room and seems very settled. I am very pleased with her settling in so quickly.
Very welcoming, caring care home. Good staff ratio to residents. Good level of activities. One to one time spent with residents on a regular basis. Management and staff contact relatives should there be a problem, They do this in a timely manner. Communal area's are comfortable and clean. The individual residents rooms do now require an up-lift as they are looking a little tired.
Thank you for taking the time to review Blackbrook House and we are pleased you rate our food/drink as excellent. Thank you for your kind comments regarding our team, which I will pass on. We are currently working around the home to update our bedrooms as a priority. We welcome feedback to...
The staff and carers are truly lovely people. They are warm, friendly and really care about the residents and visitors as well.
I would not hesitate to recommend this care home to people considering relocating loved ones. By far, the best we looked at and we looked at a lot of homes in the Colchester area.
The residents are positively encouraged to participate in the activities and their views are sought whenever a change to their home is envisaged, even down to helping choose the paint colour for the walls.
My mother is treated with respect and dignity and is encouraged to be independent which she enjoys.
My suggestions for improvement include improving the outside spaces and reintroducing the family meetings to update relatives on issues and initiatives etc.
Thank you for taking the time to review Blackbrook House, we are pleased that you rate your overall experience of our home as excellent. Thank you for your kind comments regarding our team and how they supported your mum on her admission to Blackbrook House. I will ensure that this feedback is...
Staff were friendly, caring and attentive.
Options of going down for food or sitting outside of Mum's room were given. They made me feel welcome when visiting too.
Sadly, the food was not that good, but Mum was offered other options.
Thank you for taking the time to review Blackbrook House and we are pleased that your rate our overall experience as excellent. Thank you for your kind comments regarding our home and team. We cater for each of our residents' nutritional needs and preferences, to ensure that these are appetising....
I have been supported and treated very well. The staff are very good and helpful.
All in all, it's a very nice place.
All members of the team are kind and caring and Mum is receiving the level of care she requires at this time.
Blackbrook is a smaller home, therefore, presents as very homely and comfortable. The cleanliness levels are high. The resident chef provides good home-cooked food with varied menu choices each day. The gardens that surround the property are pleasant with comfortable seating areas and access is level.
I would have no hesitation in recommending Blackbrook to others.
The management are excellent as too are the team leaders and carers, cleaners, kitchen staff and all who work there. Always very approachable and do an excellent job of providing the best possible care for our loved ones.
It was a very difficult time for her and she was also very anxious about moving into a care home.
From the moment we arrived at the home, she was made to feel welcome.
Each and everyone has something to offer, from carers, housekeepers, handyman and chefs up to management and admin team.
Everyone has been friendly and approachable.
The home is clean and homely and there are daily activities for residents if required.
There is a good choice of food and it always looks very appetising.
Above all, the staff are friendly and kind, so my mum who is a quiet and shy lady has settled in well and enjoys a little chat with the staff.
They took the time to get to know her little ways which was really important.
I cannot think of a better place for her to be cared for and I would highly recommend the home to others.
Regulatory Rating
Care Quality Commission (CQC) Rating
Date: 18 January 2020Good
- CaringGood
- EffectiveGood
- ResponsiveGood
- SafeRequires improvement
- Well-ledGood
Inspection ratings
We rate most services according to how safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led they are, using four levels:
- Outstanding - The service is performing exceptionally well.
- Good - The service is performing well and meeting our expectations.
- Requires Improvement - The service isn't performing as well as it should and we have told the service how it must improve.
- Inadequate - The service is performing badly and we've taken action against the person or organisation that runs it.
- Not rated - we have not yet rated this area of the service, this is normally because the assessments we have carried out have been focused on other key questions.
Bed Vacancies
2 Bed Vacancies
Posted: 27 July 2026We currently have two vacancies for care. Please contact Blackbrook House directly for more details.
News (7) & Events (0)
- 07 Aug 2026
Tony Hawkins, a resident at Anchor’s Blackbrook House care home in Colchester, has dedicated so much of his life to the game of snooker. In recognition of this, colleagues at...
- 19 Dec 2025
Residents and colleagues at Anchor care homes across Essex are embracing the festive spirit in style. From crafting Christmas decorations and singing carols, to decorating trees and baking festive treats,...
- 03 Nov 2025
Anchor, England’s largest not-for-profit provider of care and housing for people in later life, is proud to announce that Martin Erhagbe triumphed at the East of England regional final of...
There are no upcoming events for Blackbrook House.
Accreditations
There are no accreditations posted yet for Blackbrook House.
Meet the Team (0)
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