Can Wiltshire Council pay for a care home place?

It can, where a care needs assessment identifies eligible needs and a financial assessment shows capital below the national upper threshold. Above that threshold the person is treated as a self funder and pays the home directly, although Wiltshire Council can still advise on arranging the placement. Below it the council contributes towards the weekly fee while the person pays an assessed amount from income. If a family prefers a home costing more than the council will meet, a third party may be asked to fund the difference.

How do I arrange a care needs assessment in Chippenham?

Contact Wiltshire Council, the authority responsible for adult social care assessments covering Chippenham, and ask for a care needs assessment. The request can be made by the person needing care, by a relative or friend acting on their behalf, or by a hospital team arranging a safe discharge. It is free and does not depend on income or savings, so there is nothing to gain by putting it off. The written record of eligible needs it produces is the document any later funding decision rests upon.

How far ahead should we start looking at care homes?

Beginning several months before a move becomes urgent leaves room to visit properly rather than accept whatever room happens to be free. Well regarded homes in and around Chippenham often keep waiting lists, and arranging a council assessment takes time in its own right. Where a move follows a hospital admission the timescale can shrink to a matter of days, which is exactly when a prepared shortlist earns its keep. Even reading through a few profiles now will make the eventual decision calmer.

Which care homes in Chippenham are listed on Care Assura?

Seventeen residential care homes registered with the Care Quality Commission appear for Chippenham, among them The Old Vicarage, Cepen Lodge, Flowers Manor, Middlefields House and Meadow Lodge. Each has its own profile setting out registration details and the current inspection rating. The listing reflects current registration data rather than a selection made by Care Assura, so homes appear whatever their rating. Opening a profile is the quickest route to the full inspection report behind the headline judgement.

What should I ask when visiting a care home in Chippenham?

Start with staffing: how many people are on duty by day and overnight, how much agency cover is used, and how long the manager has been in post. Ask what happens if a resident's needs increase, and whether the home would have to give notice at that point. Cover the practical ground too, including visiting arrangements, meals, laundry, activities and anything charged above the weekly fee. Ask to see the most recent inspection report and what has changed since it was published.

What is the difference between a residential care home and a nursing home?

A residential care home provides accommodation together with personal care, meaning help with washing, dressing, eating, medication and the routine of the day. A nursing home offers all of that alongside clinical care from registered nurses based on the premises at every hour. The distinction matters for anyone with a condition needing regular clinical attention, such as complex wound care, a feeding tube or an unstable long term illness. All seventeen homes listed here for Chippenham are registered for residential rather than nursing care.

Care Homes in Chippenham

Chippenham has 19 CQC registered care homes. 15 are rated Good, 2 Outstanding, 2 Requires improvement. 13 of the 19 were last inspected more than three years ago.

Source: Care Quality Commission register, kept up to date as ratings change.

Chippenham at a glance

What the local numbers say about care for older people in Chippenham, to help you judge the options below.

Wiltshire Council pays, residential care: £1,051 a week. Self-funders are typically asked £1,381 to £1,625, median £1,479
Care home beds filled across Wiltshire: 88%. The 12 month average is 86%.
Care home beds per 1,000 people aged 75+: 68
People aged 75 and over: 65,200. Rising to 79,600 by 2035, up 22%
Care homes, last 12 months: 0 opened, 3 closed. 16 changed owner, covering 982 beds.
Who pays, across Wiltshire (estimate): 39% council, 50% self. The rest is NHS funded or other.
Living with dementia, aged 65 and over (estimate): 8,500. Rising to 11,200 by 2035, up 32%
People aged 85 and over: 17,700. Rising to 28,000 by 2035, up 58%

Planned and recent building work within 5 miles

Co-Operative Food, Mill Street, Calne. Application for a 60 bed nursing home. Submitted 27 July 2026. Decision pending. (4.9 miles away)

Powered by Orrery Intelligence. Market model built 22 October 2026 (ONS 2022 based population projections, CQC register), published care home prices, council planning records.

Planning and Paying for a Care Home Place in Chippenham

Fees and funding are the part families most often leave until last, and the part that most often causes delay. Working out how a place in one of the seventeen Chippenham homes would be paid for is best begun alongside the search rather than after it.

Start With a Care Needs Assessment

Anyone who appears to need care and support is entitled to a free assessment whatever their savings, and it is the proper opening move. It considers the ordinary business of the day, from washing and dressing to eating, moving about safely, managing medication and staying connected to other people. Wiltshire Council Adult Social Care is responsible for carrying out that assessment and for arranging funded support where someone is eligible, and the request may come from the person, a relative acting on their behalf, or a hospital team planning a discharge. The written record of eligible needs it produces underpins every funding decision that follows.

The Financial Assessment

A separate financial assessment looks at income, savings and, in most residential cases, the value of a property. Where capital sits above the national upper threshold the person meets the fee themselves, though the council can still advise on arranging the move. Below that threshold the council contributes while the person pays an assessed amount from income. Where money is tied up in a house that has not been sold, a deferred payment arrangement may be possible, and the council can say whether one applies.

What the Weekly Fee Buys

Fees differ between homes and between rooms within the same building, since size, outlook and level of support all move the figure. Ask precisely what the quoted fee includes and what is billed on top, because hairdressing, chiropody, outings and toiletries are commonly charged separately. Ask how often fees are reviewed and how much notice of an increase is given, and have those answers in writing before anything is signed.

Choosing a Care Home in Chippenham and What to Check

Reading Past the Rating

With two homes judged Outstanding, fourteen Good and one requiring improvement, the headline words separate the list only roughly. Look at when each judgement was made, since a report from some years ago may describe a service under different management, and read the five key questions individually, because a home can be safe and effective yet weaker on responsiveness. Where a home Requires Improvement, ask the manager what has changed since and expect evidence rather than reassurance.

On the Visit

Go when the home is busy, ideally around a mealtime. Watch whether staff know residents by name and speak with them rather than about them, whether people look comfortable and dressed as they would dress themselves, and whether the communal rooms have any life in them. Ask how many staff are on duty overnight, how sickness and holidays are covered, and how long the manager has been in post.

Fit and Future Needs

Every home listed for Chippenham is registered for residential rather than nursing care, which suits someone needing help through the day and reassurance at night but not continuous clinical supervision. Ask what would happen if health needs increased and whether the home could go on meeting them. Beyond that, weigh how easily regular visitors will get there, whether a couple could stay together, and whether the daily rhythm resembles the one the person already keeps.

19 care homes in Chippenham

The Old Vicarage · 54 St Mary Street, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 3JW
Care home · CQC Good · Run by The Old Vicarage (Chippenham) Limited
Here at The Old Vicarage, we are a residential care home nestled in the heart of Chippenham, Wiltshire, and we take real pride in the community we have built within our walls. We provide care for older people who need support with day to...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Respite Care
Cepen Lodge · West Cepen Way, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN14 6UZ
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Cepen Lodge Limited
Cepen Lodge is a residential care home in Chippenham, Wiltshire, providing a home for older people and for younger adults who need help with everyday life, including people living with dementia and people with physical disabilities. The...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Physical Disability, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Ordinary Life Project Association - 15 Mossmead · 15 Mossmead, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN14 0TN
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Ordinary Life Project Association(The)
We are a residential care home at Mossmead in Chippenham, Wiltshire, run by the Ordinary Life Project Association. The name tells you what we are for. The people living here include older people and younger adults, people with a learning...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Flowers Manor · Wood Lane, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 3DQ
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Elmfield Care Limited
Flowers Manor in Chippenham provides residential care for older people, including many residents living with dementia and residents with a visual or hearing impairment. We are a home where staff and residents know one another properly, and...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Respite Care
Cocklebury Farmhouse · Cocklebury Lane, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 3QW
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Cocklebury Farmhouse Homes Limited
Cocklebury Farmhouse is a residential home near Chippenham, Wiltshire. We support adults with a learning disability and autistic adults, most of them younger adults, and we offer respite stays as well as permanent places. This is a house...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Younger Adults, Respite Care
The Priory Care Home · Greenway Lane, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 1AA
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Lower Green Limited
The Priory Care Home is a residential care home in Chippenham, Wiltshire, offering older people a comfortable place to live with support always close at hand. We try to keep the feel of a household, with days shaped by the people living...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Respite Care
Ferfoot Care Home · Old and New House, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN14 6HH
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Aria Healthcare Group LTD
Ferfoot Care Home is a residential home in Chippenham, Wiltshire. We care for older people and younger adults, including many residents living with dementia, and we offer respite stays as well as permanent places. Moving into a care home...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Younger Adults, Respite Care
79 Malmesbury Road · 79 Malmesbury Road, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 1PX
Care home · CQC Outstanding · Run by Cocklebury Farmhouse Homes Limited
We are a residential care home on Malmesbury Road in Chippenham, Wiltshire, supporting adults with a learning disability and autistic adults. The people living here include both younger adults and older people, and respite stays are...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Middlefields House · Middlefields House, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN14 6GA
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Pilgrims' Friend Society
Here at Middlefields House, we offer residential care for older people in the heart of Chippenham, Wiltshire. We are proud to have received a "Good" rating from the Care Quality Commission, which reflects the genuine effort our team puts...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Respite Care
The Fairways · Malmesbury Road, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 5LJ
Care home · CQC Requires improvement · Run by Methodist Homes
The Fairways is a residential care home in Chippenham, Wiltshire. We support older people who need help with daily life, including many living with dementia, people with mental health needs, people with physical disabilities and people...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Respite Care
United Response - 74 Oaklands · 74 Oaklands, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 1RQ
Care home · CQC Good · Run by United Response
Our home at Oaklands in Chippenham is a small residential house supporting adults with a learning disability and autistic adults. We keep it small on purpose. It means the people who live here know each other and the staff properly, and it...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Respite Care
Ashgables House · Oak Lodge Close, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 1NG
Care home · CQC Requires improvement · Run by Ashgables House Limited
Ashgables House in Chippenham is a residential care home supporting older people and younger adults, including adults with learning disabilities, autistic adults, people with mental health needs and people with physical disabilities....
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Glanmor · Bath Road, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 2AD
Care home · CQC Good · Run by ABLE (Action for a Better Life)
We are Glanmor, a residential care home in Chippenham, Wiltshire. We support adults living with mental health conditions, and we also offer respite stays. Much of what we do is about structure without rigidity. For a lot of the people who...
Specialisms: Mental Health, Respite Care
Meadow Lodge · Sadlers Mead, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 3PE
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Wiltshire Council
Meadow Lodge is a residential care home in Chippenham, Wiltshire, supporting adults with a learning disability, autistic adults, and people living with a physical disability, including younger adults building a more independent life....
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Physical Disability, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Ordinary Life Project Association - 18 Boundary Road · 18 Boundary Road, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 3NN
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Ordinary Life Project Association(The)
Ordinary Life Project Association provides residential care in Chippenham for older people and younger adults. We support people living with dementia, adults with learning disabilities and autism, people managing mental health conditions,...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults, Respite Care
OSJCT Seymour House · Monkton Park, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 3PE
Care home · CQC Good · Run by The Orders Of St. John Care Trust
Seymour House is a care home in Chippenham, Wiltshire. We provide residential care for older people and younger adults, including people managing a mental health condition, and we offer respite stays alongside permanent places. Supporting...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Mental Health, Younger Adults, Respite Care
13 Greenway Park · 13 Greenway Park, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 1QG
Care home · CQC Outstanding · Run by Cocklebury Farmhouse Homes Limited
Our home at 13 Greenway Park in Chippenham provides residential care for older people and also supports adults with a learning disability, autistic adults and younger adults. Respite stays are available too. This is a house and we want it...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Younger Adults, Respite Care
15 Mossmead · 15 Moss Mead, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN14 0TN
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Milestones Trust
15 Mossmead is a small residential care home in Chippenham, Wiltshire. We support adults with learning disabilities and autistic people, including younger adults and older residents. Because only a few people live here, we can work at each...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Younger Adults
18 Boundary Road · 18 Boundary Road, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 3NN
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Milestones Trust
18 Boundary Road is a small residential care home in Chippenham, Wiltshire. The people we support are adults with learning disabilities and autistic people, ranging from younger adults to older residents. Living somewhere small has real...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Younger Adults

What care costs in Wiltshire, per week

Type of care	What the council pays	What self-funders are typically asked
Residential care Middle half of prices from 12 Wiltshire homes. Median £1,479.	£1,051	£1,381 to £1,625
Nursing care South West figure, because too few Wiltshire homes publish this price. 16 homes. Median £1,810.	£1,030	£1,599 to £1,983
Residential dementia care South West figure, because too few Wiltshire homes publish this price. 19 homes. Median £1,665.	Not published separately	£1,450 to £1,813
Nursing dementia care England figure, because too few Wiltshire homes publish this price. 75 homes. Median £2,050.	Not published separately	£1,890 to £2,221

Published prices are often starting prices, and come from homes that publish fees, so treat them as a guide. Ask the home for its own price. Powered by Orrery Intelligence.

Inspected most recently

The Fairways, 1 September 2026, Requires improvement
Glanmor, 20 May 2026, Good
Cocklebury Farmhouse, 9 April 2026, Good

Longest since a report

79 Malmesbury Road, 15 June 2018, Outstanding
13 Greenway Park, 30 June 2018, Outstanding
United Response - 74 Oaklands, 2 March 2019, Good

Frequently asked questions about care homes in Chippenham

How many care homes are there in Chippenham?

Chippenham has 19 CQC registered care homes: 2 Outstanding, 15 Good, 2 Requires improvement. Counts come from the CQC register and are kept up to date as ratings change.

How much does a care home cost in Chippenham?

Wiltshire Council pays an average of £1,051 a week for residential care. Self-funders are typically asked £1,381 to £1,625 a week. Middle half of prices from 12 Wiltshire homes. Median £1,479. Published prices are often starting prices, and come from homes that publish fees, so treat them as a guide. Ask the home for its own price.

Which care homes in Chippenham were inspected most recently?

The Fairways (1 September 2026), Glanmor (20 May 2026) and Cocklebury Farmhouse (9 April 2026) have the most recent CQC reports.