Care with kindness, dignity and respect.
Warm, personal care in a small, established home in Brightlingsea, near Colchester. Residential, respite and day care, rated Good by the CQC.
One room available now
Goodoverall rating
9.3 / 10from families
It feels like a home, not an institution.
That is the sentence we hear most from families, and it is the thing we protect hardest. We are a small independent care home, so everyone knows each resident personally.
Small enough to know you. Experienced enough to care.
Seventeen residents means your mother is never one person on a long corridor. We have the time to build genuine relationships, to involve families in everyday life, and to shape care around the individual rather than expecting people to fit a routine. When you visit we want you to notice the atmosphere first. Residents relaxed. Staff who know everyone by name. A quiet sense of warmth through the whole building.
- One building, 17 residents, the same faces every day
- Known as a person, never managed as a number
- Families kept informed, and supported themselves, not just the resident
- Care shaped round the person, including food, routine and sleep
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1
One phone call
Tell us what is happening. We will say honestly whether Stronvar is the right home for your relative, and what to do if it is not.
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2
Come and look round
No script and no sales tour. Meet the manager, meet the staff, see the room that is actually free, and ask us anything.
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3
A short stay, or a room
Plenty of families start with a fortnight of respite and stay. Either way, nobody is hurried into a decision this big.
Not ready to talk to anyone yet? Download our brochure and read it in your own time.
Three ways people come to us
Some arrive for a fortnight and stay. Some come one day a week for company. We will tell you honestly if we are not the right home for your relative.
Residential care
A home for goodA permanent home, with personal care, meals, laundry, activities and company.
- Help with washing, dressing and medication
- Three meals a day, cooked here
- Support for people living with dementia
Respite care
A short stayA short stay, whether you need a break, cover after a hospital discharge, or a trial before deciding.
- From a few days to several weeks
- Same care, same meals, same room comforts
- Often how families get to know us
Day care
Home by eveningA day with us, with lunch, activities and company, then home again.
- Company for someone living alone
- A regular break for a carer at home
- A gentle first step into care
We do not provide nursing care. Stronvar is a residential home. We support people living with dementia where their needs remain appropriate for a residential setting. If a resident's needs change over time we raise it with the family early and help you find the right next step, rather than waiting for a crisis.
Inspected, rated and recommended
Choosing a home means trusting strangers with someone you love. You should not have to take our word for anything, so here is what the inspectors and the families say.
Overall rating, latest inspection
The CQC is the independent regulator of care in England. Its inspectors rated Stronvar Good overall, and Good in every one of the five areas they examine.
- Safe
- Effective
- Caring
- Responsive
- Well-led
Ask for our latest inspection report when you visit, or read it on cqc.org.uk.
Review score, from the families of residents
The score comes from reviews written by relatives of the people who have lived here, not by us. Every one on this page is from a resident's son or daughter, in their own words.
Read what the families wroteAll the staff love Mum as though she were one of their own.
Meet the team
A care home is only ever as good as the people in it. Ours is a small, settled team led by Peter, the Home Manager, and it changes very little from year to year.
That continuity is worth more than anything else on this page. The person helping your mother in the morning knows how she takes her tea, which chair is hers, and what her granddaughter is called. In dementia care especially, familiar faces are not a nice extra. They are the care.
- Led by Peter, the Home Manager, who you will meet on your first visit
- Very low staff turnover, which matters enormously in dementia care
- A team small enough that everyone knows all seventeen residents
- The same familiar faces day after day, not a rota of strangers
17 single rooms, each with its own outlook
Every room is fully furnished and ready to move into. We would much rather you did not leave it that way. Bring the armchair, the photographs, the clock from the hall. People settle faster when the room already looks like theirs.
Every bedroom has easy access to bathrooms, lounges and the dining room, so nobody has a long walk to company.
Ground floor rooms
Popular with residents who have reduced mobility, or who simply prefer easy access to the communal areas. Several look over the gardens, and a number open straight onto the courtyard through their own patio doors, so you can step outside whenever you like.
First floor rooms
Bright and comfortable, with pleasant views across the gardens and the surrounding area. These suit residents who can safely use the evacuation arrangements in place, with staff support where that is needed.
Life at Stronvar
Good food. Good company. A home full of life.
Food, cooked here
Meals are prepared in our own kitchen and served in the dining room. Dietary needs are catered for properly, not worked around. If someone would rather eat in their room, that is fine too.
Activities that fit the person
We plan as many activities as we can within the interests and abilities of the people living here. Some weeks that is music and baking. Some weeks it is the garden and the newspaper.
Garden and courtyard
An enclosed garden with lawn, mature trees and raised beds, plus a courtyard reached directly from several ground floor rooms. Residents go outside when they want to, not when it is scheduled.
Comparing homes? Read ours properly.
Our brochure has the rooms, the care, the fee sheet, how funding works, and a short list of questions worth asking every home you visit. We send it to you and let you read it in peace.
What families tell us
These are reviews left by the sons and daughters of people who have lived here.
Dad has Alzheimer's, so continuity of care is very important for him. There has been no staff turnover in the six months he has been here. I have peace of mind knowing he is safe and well cared for. All the staff, from the manager to the cleaner, have been very supportive of me as well as Dad. I have had some difficult decisions to make and they have supported me at every turn.Hilary DDaughter of a resident
My Dad was in Stronvar for just over a year. It is very homely and the team are always very warm and caring to all the residents. The home is extremely clean and well presented. I would recommend Stronvar to anyone considering a home for someone.Jen RDaughter of a resident
Stronvar welcomed Mum for respite at first and then as a permanent resident. She was not sure about going into a care home, and neither was I. However, all the staff love Mum as though she were one of their own. Her dietary requirements were fully catered for and she thrived while living there.Tina TDaughter of a resident
Stronvar is an excellent care home. All the carers and managers are extremely kind and caring. They endeavour to provide as many activities as possible within the interests and abilities of the residents. I would recommend this home to anyone wanting a personal, intimate and caring environment for their loved one.Julie EDaughter of a resident
Still weighing it up? That is exactly what the brochure is for. Download our brochure.
Twenty minutes here will tell you more than any website
Ring and we will find a time that suits you. There is no tour script and no pressure. You will meet the manager, see the room that is free, and meet the people who would be looking after your relative.
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01206 304007Answered 24 hours a day. Office hours reach the Home Manager.
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infos@stronvarhome.co.ukWe reply the same working day wherever we can.
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Strangers Corner, Church RoadBrightlingsea, Colchester, Essex CO7 0QT
Prefer to read first? Download our brochure.
Tell us who we can help
Three short questions. We will ring you back, usually within a few hours.
In the heart of coastal Brightlingsea
Stronvar is on Church Road in Brightlingsea, a small sailing town where the River Colne meets the sea, a few minutes from the town centre and about twenty five minutes from Colchester. There is parking on site, and visitors are welcome at any reasonable hour rather than in a set visiting window.
Families come to us from across the Tendring peninsula and the Colchester side:
- Brightlingsea
- Colchester
- Wivenhoe
- Alresford
- Clacton-on-Sea
- Elmstead Market
- Tendring
- Wider Essex
The things families actually ask
What happens if I ring at 8pm on a Sunday?
The call is answered by the senior member of staff on duty. They can give you information, arrange an urgent visit if that is the right thing to do, or take your details so the Home Manager rings you back the following morning. The home is staffed 24 hours a day, so somebody always picks up.
What do the fees depend on?
Fees depend on the care each resident needs and on the room, so a single figure would not quite fit your situation. Ring 01206 304007 and the Home Manager will give you current figures, or download our brochure, which includes the full fee sheet.
How quickly can someone move in?
It depends on room availability and on the assessment, which we arrange quickly. Once we have met your relative and agreed that Stronvar is right for them, a move can often be arranged in days rather than weeks. Ring us and we will tell you exactly where things stand.
Do you offer short-term or respite stays?
Yes. Respite stays run from a few days to several weeks, with everything a permanent resident receives. Families use them for a break, for cover after a hospital stay, or as a trial before a permanent decision. It is often how families first get to know us.
Can my relative bring their own furniture?
Yes, and we hope they will. Every room is fully furnished, but residents are warmly encouraged to bring their own furniture, photographs and treasured possessions. People settle faster when the room already looks like theirs.
What about funding and Social Services?
Social Services funded placements and third party top ups may be considered, after a conversation with the Home Manager. Ring us even if you are not sure what your relative is entitled to. We deal with this every week and will point you at the right person.
Can we visit before we decide?
Yes, and we would much rather you did. Ring us and we will find a time that suits you, including evenings and weekends. Bring whoever needs to see it. There is no script and no sales tour.
How many people live at Stronvar?
Seventeen. That is the whole point of the place. One building, one dining room, and staff who know every resident and most of their families by name.
Come and experience Stronvar for yourself
Choosing a care home is a big decision, and no website settles it. Come and meet Peter and the team, have a cup of tea, and see an ordinary afternoon here for yourself.
Or ring 01206 304007, any hour of any day.