Care costs serious money, and families deserve to hear it stated plainly by the home itself — not discovered later. Our weekly fees are from £1,295 per week, depending on room and care needs. The exact figure is confirmed in writing after we have met you: the amount we invoice depends on our assessment of the care your relative needs.
What that fee covers: 24-hour staffing including nursing care day and night, every meal and drink, laundry, heating, activities, and the running of a building that never closes — care homes are staffed at 3am on Christmas morning. We will always give you the fee in writing, itemised: what is included, what is extra (commonly hairdressing, chiropody, newspapers, some outings), how and when fees are reviewed, and what notice applies.
Who pays: the funding routes, one honest paragraph each
Paying privately
In England, if the person’s capital and savings are above the upper capital limit (£23,250 for some years now), they pay their own fees in full. The home contracts directly with the resident or family.
Local authority funding
Below the upper limit, the council carries out a financial assessment (means test). Between the lower limit (£14,250) and the upper limit, the person contributes from income plus a tariff from capital; below the lower limit, capital is ignored and they contribute from income only (pensions and benefits), with the council paying the balance of its agreed rate. Crucially, the council pays its own standard rate, which is often lower than the fee a home charges.
NHS-Funded Nursing Care (FNC)
If the person is in a nursing home and needs nursing care, the NHS pays a flat weekly contribution — currently in the region of £250 a week, set nationally each April — direct to the home for the nursing element. This applies whoever pays the rest of the fee, including self-funders. The home arranges the assessment.
NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC)
Where someone’s needs are primarily health needs — complex, intense or unpredictable — the NHS can fund the entire placement. Assessment is via a checklist then a full multidisciplinary assessment. It is not means-tested. Fewer people qualify than hope to, but if the needs are severe, always ask for the checklist.
Top-ups explained
Where a family chooses a home costing more than the council’s rate, a third party — usually family — can pay the difference. This is called a top-up (formally a third-party top-up), it is entirely lawful and very common, and it must be agreed in writing so everyone knows the amounts.
Rules change — always take current advice. Our Family Guide walks through each route in plain English, and we will tell you honestly which may apply to you.