Fees and funding
Every range we charge, what sits inside it, what we bill separately, and the ways people pay.
Weekly fees.
These are the rates a self-funding resident pays. They're reviewed once a year, each April, and we talk to you before anything changes.
Residential care in a standard room. All meals, personal care day and night, laundry, activities and utilities are inside that figure.
Where you land inside a range depends on how much help someone needs.
Respite has a one-week minimum stay| Kind of care | Standard room | Larger or garden room |
|---|---|---|
| Residential care | £1,095 – £1,195 | £1,195 – £1,290 |
| Dementia care | £1,190 – £1,290 | £1,290 – £1,390 |
| Respite & short stays | £1,240 – £1,340 | £1,340 – £1,390 |
What's included
- All meals, drinks and snacks, cooked in our own kitchen, with an alternative if the day's menu doesn't appeal
- Personal care day and night, with staff awake in the building all night
- Laundry, washed and ironed on site and back in the right wardrobe
- Activities and outings, from the Thursday quiz to summer trips in the minibus
- Wi-Fi throughout, and a TV aerial point and phone point in every room
- Heating, lighting, bedding, towels and the upkeep of the room
What costs extra
- Hairdressing. Carol comes on Wednesday mornings and her price list is in reception
- Chiropody, roughly every six weeks
- Newspapers, magazines and toiletries beyond the basics we keep in stock
- A staff escort to hospital or dental appointments, charged by the hour, because it takes a carer off the floor
Why we can't put one number on it
Two people in identical rooms can need very different amounts of care, and staffing is most of what a fee pays for. Your figure comes after Donna has done a needs assessment, and we put it in writing before anyone signs anything. If needs change later, we talk to you first.
How people pay
General information for England, as we understand it. The thresholds move, so check the current figures on gov.uk or ask the council's financial assessment team before you decide anything.
Paying for yourself
Above the upper capital limit in savings and assets, your relative usually pays the full fee. The limit is set nationally and published on gov.uk; ask us for the figure that applies this year.
Local authority funding
Below that limit the county council may pay some or all of it, after a care assessment and a financial one. Between the lower and upper limits there's a sliding contribution. If the council's rate is lower than ours, a family member can pay a top-up.
NHS funding
We're a residential home without nurses on our own staff, so NHS-funded nursing care, which is paid to nursing homes, doesn't apply here. NHS continuing healthcare is a separate scheme that can occasionally fund a place like ours. The NHS decides that, not us.
The 12-week disregard
If a house has to be counted in the means test for a permanent move, the council disregards its value for the first 12 weeks. That's breathing space to decide what to do about selling, and a deferred payment agreement can sometimes follow it.
Questions about money.
Do you charge more once someone needs more help?
Sometimes, yes. If someone moves from needing help at mealtimes to needing two carers for every transfer, the cost of looking after them has genuinely changed and the fee moves inside the range. What we won't do is change it without sitting down with you first, and we review needs formally every six months so it isn't a surprise.
Is there an admission fee or a deposit?
No admission fee, no administration fee, and no charge for the pre-admission assessment. For self-funded permanent stays we ask for four weeks' fees in advance, which is set against the account and returned if the trial month doesn't work out. Respite is paid in advance because the stay is short.
What happens to the fees when someone dies?
We charge for three days after the date of death, and not a day more. That covers the room while the family collects belongings, and we'll help with that whenever suits you rather than putting a clock on it. Anything paid beyond those three days is refunded within two weeks.
Can we afford this for as long as it's needed?
Nobody can answer that from a website, but it's the question underneath every enquiry we get, so it's worth saying out loud. Bring the numbers to the show-round. We'll tell you how long a pot of money lasts here, what happens if it runs out, and when it's worth paying for independent financial advice rather than guessing.
How do your fees compare with other homes?
Go and see two or three homes before you decide, including ours, and ask each one the same questions. We don't have a cinema room or a head office. What we do have is the same eleven people on the rota month after month.
Bring the numbers with you.
Half an hour, on an ordinary day. We'll go through what it would cost for your relative, in writing, before you leave.
Or ring us on 0116 496 0742