Care Homes in Cranbrook
Cranbrook has 3 CQC registered care homes. 3 are rated Good. All 3 were last inspected more than three years ago.
Source: Care Quality Commission register, kept up to date as ratings change.
Cranbrook at a glance
What the local numbers say about care for older people in Cranbrook, to help you judge the options below.
- Kent County Council pays, residential care: £1,187 a week. Self-funders are typically asked £1,409 to £1,600, median £1,500
- Care home beds filled across Kent: 88%. The 12 month average is 88%.
- Care home beds per 1,000 people aged 75+: 94. Kent average is 77.
- People aged 75 and over: 13,300. Rising to 15,500 by 2035, up 17%
- Care homes, last 12 months: 0 opened, 0 closed. 3 changed owner, covering 126 beds.
- Who pays, across Kent (estimate): 35% council, 43% self. The rest is NHS funded or other.
- Living with dementia, aged 65 and over (estimate): 1,800. Rising to 2,300 by 2035, up 28%
- People aged 85 and over: 4,000. Rising to 6,000 by 2035, up 52%
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 Cranbrook
With a short list of homes, the paperwork often takes longer to settle than the choosing does. An assessment of need comes first, a financial assessment follows it, and a contract with a particular home comes last. Starting the first of those early is the single most useful thing a family can do.
Requesting a care needs assessment
A care needs assessment is free and open to anyone who appears to need care and support, whatever their savings or income. Kent County Council adult social care is responsible for carrying out that assessment and for arranging funded support where the national eligibility criteria are met. An assessor will consider daily living, mobility, medication, continence, memory and the risks involved in staying at home, then set out which needs are eligible. Ask for the written outcome and keep hold of it, because it gives every home you contact the same account of what is required rather than your own summary.
Fees and how the means test works
Residential care in England is charged on a means tested basis, so a financial assessment establishes how much the resident contributes from capital and income. Anyone whose assets sit above the capital threshold funds the placement themselves and contracts directly with the home, which is why quoted weekly fees differ between providers. Ask for the fee schedule in writing, with the core weekly charge separated from extras such as chiropody, hairdressing and escorted appointments. Ask as well what notice you would be given of an increase, and what the position would be if needs grew beyond what the home is registered to provide.
Choosing between these homes and what to check
Three homes is a list you can know thoroughly, and that is worth making the most of. Visit all of them if you can, since comparing two in person teaches you more about both than reading about either.
Looking behind a shared rating
All three of these homes are rated Good, so the rating cannot be used to separate them. Start instead with the date of each inspection, because a home may have changed its manager or much of its staff since an inspector last called. Then read the findings underneath the headline, which judge separately whether a service is safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led. A home can hold the same overall rating as another while being markedly stronger on staffing or weaker on how it responds to individual needs, and that is exactly the kind of difference worth knowing before you choose.
What to look for on a visit
Go twice if at all possible, and arrange one visit around a mealtime or late in the afternoon when staffing is at its thinnest. Notice whether residents are occupied with something that holds their interest or simply sitting, whether staff greet people by name, and whether call bells are answered while you are standing there. Ask about staffing by day and overnight, what turnover has been over the past year, how much agency cover is used, and who takes charge when the manager is away. Then ask to look round unaccompanied for a few minutes, because an unguided impression is usually the most honest one you will get.
3 care homes in Cranbrook
- Wheatfield Drive · 17 Wheatfield Drive, Cranbrook, Kent, TN17 3LU
Care home · CQC Good · Run by The Grange (2016) Ltd
Wheatfield Drive in Cranbrook is a small residential care home. We support adults with a learning disability and autistic adults, including both older people and younger adults, and we offer respite stays for people who need a short break...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Younger Adults, Respite Care - The Grange - Benenden · The Green, Cranbrook, Kent, TN17 4DN
Care home · CQC Good · Run by The Grange (2016) Ltd
The Grange at Benenden is a residential care home near Cranbrook, Kent. We support older people who need help through the day and adults with a learning disability, including autistic adults. Some of the people living with us are younger...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Younger Adults, Respite Care - Hartley House Care Home · Hartley House, Cranbrook, Kent, TN17 3QN
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Hartley House Limited
Hartley House Care Home is in Cranbrook in Kent. We support older people and younger adults, including people living with dementia, and we offer respite stays for those needing care for a short period. Being a smaller home in a small Kent...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Younger Adults, Respite Care
What care costs in Kent, per week
| Type of care | What the council pays | What self-funders are typically asked |
|---|---|---|
| Residential care Middle half of prices from 22 Kent homes. Median £1,500. | £1,187 | £1,409 to £1,600 |
| Nursing care Middle half of prices from 11 Kent homes. Median £1,605. | £1,378 | £1,550 to £1,865 |
| Residential dementia care Middle half of prices from 18 Kent homes. Median £1,500. | Not published separately | £1,500 to £1,619 |
| Nursing dementia care South East figure, because too few Kent homes publish this price. 37 homes. Median £2,050. | Not published separately | £1,975 to £2,226 |
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
- Hartley House Care Home, 3 December 2019, Good
- The Grange - Benenden, 10 November 2018, Good
- Wheatfield Drive, 25 September 2018, Good
Longest since a report
- Wheatfield Drive, 25 September 2018, Good
- The Grange - Benenden, 10 November 2018, Good
- Hartley House Care Home, 3 December 2019, Good
Frequently asked questions about care homes in Cranbrook
How many care homes are there in Cranbrook?
Cranbrook has 3 CQC registered care homes: 3 Good. Counts come from the CQC register and are kept up to date as ratings change.
How much does a care home cost in Cranbrook?
Kent County Council pays an average of £1,187 a week for residential care. Self-funders are typically asked £1,409 to £1,600 a week. Middle half of prices from 22 Kent homes. Median £1,500. 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 Cranbrook were inspected most recently?
Hartley House Care Home (3 December 2019), The Grange - Benenden (10 November 2018) and Wheatfield Drive (25 September 2018) have the most recent CQC reports.