Care Homes in Dartford
Dartford has 8 CQC registered care homes. 4 are rated Good, 3 Requires improvement, and 1 has not yet been rated. 6 of the 8 were last inspected more than three years ago.
Source: Care Quality Commission register, kept up to date as ratings change.
Dartford at a glance
What the local numbers say about care for older people in Dartford, 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+: 105. Kent average is 77.
- People aged 75 and over: 8,500. Rising to 9,600 by 2035, up 13%
- Care homes, last 12 months: 2 opened, 1 closed
- Who pays, across Kent (estimate): 35% council, 43% self. The rest is NHS funded or other.
- Living with dementia, aged 65 and over (estimate): 1,100. Rising to 1,400 by 2035, up 21%
- People aged 85 and over: 2,400. Rising to 3,300 by 2035, up 37%
Powered by Orrery Intelligence. Market model built 22 October 2026 (ONS 2022 based population projections, CQC register), published care home prices, council planning records.
What Care in Dartford Involves and What to Look For
What the listed homes provide
All eight providers on this page are registered residential care homes, meaning personal care such as help with washing, dressing, eating, mobility and medicines, delivered by trained care staff rather than nurses based on site. Settling whether that level of support matches the person's needs is worth doing before arranging any visit, since a residential home cannot take on clinical tasks requiring a registered nurse.
Reading a mixed inspection record
Four of the eight hold a Good judgement, three are marked Requires Improvement, and one carries no published rating. The unrated service should not be dismissed on that basis alone, since an absent rating usually reflects an inspection not yet completed rather than any concern recorded. For the three marked down, find which of the five key questions fell short and whether the concern involved safety, staffing, medicines or record keeping, and note how recently the report appeared. Then ask each home what it did in response and what evidence it can put in front of you, because a service that has acted decisively can be a better prospect than one resting on an older judgement.
What to ask and watch for
Spend time in the communal areas rather than touring only the show bedroom, and go in the late afternoon when staffing is thinnest and the atmosphere is hardest to stage. Notice whether staff speak to residents in passing or only while carrying out a task. Ask who writes the care plan, how often it is reviewed, and how families hear about a fall or a change in health. Questions about staff turnover and reliance on agency cover are entirely fair here.
Getting an Assessment and Sorting Out Funding
Requesting an assessment of needs
A care needs assessment records the support required day to day and notes anything clinical that must continue. It is free, and anyone who appears to need care may request one whatever their savings. Where a relative provides most of that support already, a carer assessment can be requested at the same time and often changes what help is offered.
How funding is decided
A financial assessment weighs income, savings and capital to establish the contribution expected and whether public money meets the balance. Property is treated differently depending on circumstances, including whether a spouse continues to live there. The adult social care team at Kent County Council carries out both assessments and can explain what support may be available while an application is pending.
Making sense of fees
Ask for a written schedule separating accommodation, personal care, laundry, activities and escorted appointments, with extras marked plainly, and ask how often fees are reviewed and by what margin recently.
8 care homes in Dartford
- St James House · 53-55 Spital Street, Dartford, Kent, DA1 2DX
Care home · CQC Requires improvement · Run by Liaise (London) Limited
St James House is a residential care home in Dartford supporting adults with a wide range of needs. Some of the people who live here are older, many are younger, and what they have in common is that they need support to live the life they...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults, Respite Care, Alcohol / Drug Misuse - Chapel Hill · 51-55 Chapel Hill, Dartford, Bexley, DA1 4BY
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Choice Support
Chapel Hill is a residential care home in Dartford supporting adults living with mental health conditions. This is somewhere people live rather than a placement they have been sent to, and we run the household on that basis. What tends to...
Specialisms: Mental Health, Younger Adults, Respite Care - The Bridge Care Home · Brunel Way, Dartford, Kent, DA1 5FW
Care home · CQC Good · Run by HBC 2021 Limited
The Bridge Care Home is a residential home in Dartford, Kent. We care for older people and younger adults, including many residents living with dementia, people with a physical disability and people with a visual or hearing impairment. We...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults, Respite Care - Woodside Care Home · 2 Woodside Cottages, Dartford, Kent, DA2 8AB
Care home · Run by Atman Care LTD
Here at Woodside Care Home, we are proud to be part of the Dartford community in Kent, providing a genuine home for the people who live with us. We support a range of individuals including older adults, younger adults, and those living...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Mental Health, Younger Adults, Respite Care - Sonya Lodge Dementia Residential Care Home · 10 High Road, Dartford, Kent, DA2 7EG
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Nellsar Limited
Sonya Lodge is a residential care home in Dartford, and dementia care is the heart of what we do rather than something we offer alongside everything else. Most of the people who live with us are older and many are living with dementia, so...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Respite Care - St James Mews · 2-3 St James Place, Dartford, Kent, DA1 2ED
Care home · CQC Requires improvement · Run by Liaise (London) Limited
St James Mews is a residential care home in Dartford, Kent. We support older people and younger adults, including adults with learning disabilities and autistic adults, people with mental health needs, people with physical disabilities,...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults, Respite Care, Alcohol / Drug Misuse - The Old Downs Care Centre · Castle Hill, Dartford, Kent, DA3 7BH
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Nellsar Limited
We are The Old Downs Care Centre, a care home in Dartford in Kent. We provide residential care for older people, including people living with dementia, and we offer respite stays for those who need care for a short while or whose regular...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Respite Care - Shakti Lodge · 208-212 Princes Road, Dartford, Kent, DA1 3HR
Care home · CQC Requires improvement · Run by Shakti Lodge
Here at Shakti Lodge, we provide residential and dementia care for older people in the heart of Dartford, Kent. We also offer respite care for those who need a short term stay, whether that is to recover after a hospital admission or to...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, 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
- The Bridge Care Home, 15 May 2026, Good
- St James Mews, 31 January 2023, Requires improvement
- St James House, 3 September 2022, Requires improvement
Longest since a report
- The Old Downs Care Centre, 16 September 2017, Good
- Sonya Lodge Dementia Residential Care Home, 12 February 2020, Good
- Chapel Hill, 20 February 2020, Good
Frequently asked questions about care homes in Dartford
How many care homes are there in Dartford?
Dartford has 8 CQC registered care homes: 4 Good, 3 Requires improvement, 1 not yet rated. Counts come from the CQC register and are kept up to date as ratings change.
How much does a care home cost in Dartford?
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 Dartford were inspected most recently?
The Bridge Care Home (15 May 2026), St James Mews (31 January 2023) and St James House (3 September 2022) have the most recent CQC reports.