Care home to close after sexual abuse allegations

A care home which did not investigate allegations of sexual abuse among other failings is to close.

Residents at Blackwater Mill Residential Home on the Isle of Wight suffered from "organisational abuse and neglect", the Care Quality Commission (CQC) said.

The home, at Blackwater near Newport, will shut on 29 March after withdrawing an appeal against deregistration, the CQC added.

Buckland Care, which runs the home and 10 others, said it "recognised the concerns" and would ensure a "positive transition for all".

The CQC originally instigated the home's closure following a previous inspection in March 2024.

As part of the appeal process, inspectors made a return visit in January.

Neil Cox from the CQC said: "Leaders still didn't have an effective system in place to monitor incidents or ensure people were protected from abuse.

"They hadn't reported or investigated multiple occasions where suspected sexual abuse had occurred.

"They also hadn't taken appropriate action or learned from multiple incidents where people had fallen or had experienced choking."

Inspectors said the home had failed to address nine breaches of legal regulations identified previously and had breached a further regulation relating to duty of candour.

Fire doors were unsafe, and medicines and food were not managed safely, they said.

One resident was found eating cold porridge in bed with their hands while another had food spooned into their mouth while they were half asleep, the report added.

It continued: "We observed an inappropriate sign that read 'Welcome to the Nut House'.

"Some people's bedrooms were dirty and cluttered [and] smelt of urine.

"Since our last assessment in Spring 2024, two new managers had been in post... however, during our visit in January 2025 [the latest manager] had submitted their resignation."

In a statement, Buckland Care said: "We acknowledge the findings... and recognise the concerns raised.

"The well-being of our residents has always been our highest priority, and we have worked closely with the local authority and CQC to address key areas, including staffing, training, and care planning.

"While significant efforts have been made, after careful consideration, we made the difficult decision to withdraw our appeal and proceed with the planned closure of the home."

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