Care Homes in Heathfield
Heathfield has 3 CQC registered care homes. 2 are rated Good, 1 Requires improvement. 2 of the 3 were last inspected more than three years ago.
Source: Care Quality Commission register, kept up to date as ratings change.
Heathfield at a glance
What the local numbers say about care for older people in Heathfield, to help you judge the options below.
- East Sussex County Council pays, residential care: £929 a week. Self-funders are typically asked £1,500 to £1,809, median £1,600
- Care home beds filled across East Sussex: 83%. The 12 month average is 83%.
- Care home beds per 1,000 people aged 75+: 69. East Sussex average is 88.
- People aged 75 and over: 24,700. Rising to 28,800 by 2035, up 17%
- Care homes, last 12 months: 0 opened, 1 closed. 13 changed owner, covering 685 beds.
- Who pays, across East Sussex (estimate): 33% council, 47% self. The rest is NHS funded or other.
- Living with dementia, aged 65 and over (estimate): 3,100. Rising to 4,000 by 2035, up 27%
- People aged 85 and over: 6,300. Rising to 9,800 by 2035, up 55%
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 Residential Care in Heathfield Involves and What to Look For
Moving into a care home means handing over the parts of daily life that have stopped being manageable while keeping hold of as much as possible of everything else. In practice that covers help with washing and dressing, medicines given on time, meals prepared and eaten in company, and staff on hand through the night. Three residential care homes match this search in Heathfield, and with a list this short the questions you ask carry far more weight than any process of elimination.
Reading the Inspection Record
Quality Reliable Care Limited and Carricks Brook both hold Good ratings from the Care Quality Commission, awarded on findings about safety, effectiveness, care, responsiveness and leadership. Tinkers Hatch currently carries a Requires Improvement rating, and the report names exactly what inspectors found. That is not by itself a reason to rule a home out, but it does make the questions specific: what was found, what has changed since the visit, who is managing the home now, and whether an action plan is being followed. The body of a report always says more than the word on its cover.
What to Notice on a Visit
Come around a mealtime, when a home is at its busiest and least able to present a tidied version of itself. Listen to how staff speak to residents, look at whether people are occupied or simply waiting, and time how long a call bell rings before it is answered. Ask how many permanent staff work a shift, how much agency cover is relied on across a week, and how long the manager has been in post. Staff turnover explains more about the texture of daily life than any amount of redecoration ever will.
Getting an Assessment and Funding Care in Heathfield
The Care Needs Assessment
East Sussex County Council is the authority responsible for carrying out a care needs assessment and for arranging funded support where a person is eligible. The assessment is free, open to anyone who appears to need support, and quite separate from the question of who eventually pays. An assessor looks at daily routine, mobility, medicines, memory and risk, then records what level of support would meet those needs. A relative already providing care can request an assessment of their own situation alongside it, which is worth doing before matters reach breaking point.
Fees and Funded Support
A financial assessment accompanies the needs assessment and takes account of savings, income and, for most permanent placements, the value of a property. Those above the threshold pay the fee the home quotes, while those below receive a contribution at a rate the council sets. Fees differ between the homes listed here and reflect room size, the level of care agreed and what is included beyond meals and accommodation. Ask what sits outside the weekly figure, and ask what would happen if savings fell below the threshold after a few years, because a clear answer now spares a much harder conversation later.
3 care homes in Heathfield
- Quality Reliable Care · Valley View Barn, Heathfield, East Sussex, TN21 0JL
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Quality Reliable Care Limited
Quality Reliable Care is a residential home near Heathfield in East Sussex, supporting older people who need help with daily living rather than nursing care. We support residents with a physical disability and offer respite stays alongside...
Specialisms: Physical Disability, Respite Care - Carricks Brook · Carricks Hill, Heathfield, East Sussex, TN21 9JL
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Oakdown House Limited
Carricks Brook is a residential care home near Heathfield in East Sussex, supporting adults with learning disabilities and autistic adults. Our most recent inspection by the Care Quality Commission rated us good overall. The people who...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Respite Care - Tinkers Hatch · New Pond Hill Cross In hand, Heathfield, East Sussex, TN21 0LX
Care home · CQC Requires improvement · Run by Tinkers Hatch Limited
Tinkers Hatch is a residential care home in Heathfield in East Sussex. We support older people and younger adults, including adults with learning disabilities and people with physical disabilities, and we offer respite stays for people...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Physical Disability, Younger Adults, Respite Care
What care costs in East Sussex, per week
| Type of care | What the council pays | What self-funders are typically asked |
|---|---|---|
| Residential care South East figure, because too few East Sussex homes publish this price. 107 homes. Median £1,600. | £929 | £1,500 to £1,809 |
| Nursing care South East figure, because too few East Sussex homes publish this price. 63 homes. Median £1,933. | £994 | £1,617 to £2,080 |
| Residential dementia care South East figure, because too few East Sussex homes publish this price. 82 homes. Median £1,709. | Not published separately | £1,571 to £1,942 |
| Nursing dementia care South East figure, because too few East Sussex 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
- Carricks Brook, 20 January 2026, Good
- Tinkers Hatch, 3 August 2022, Requires improvement
- Quality Reliable Care Limited, 25 February 2020, Good
Longest since a report
- Quality Reliable Care Limited, 25 February 2020, Good
- Tinkers Hatch, 3 August 2022, Requires improvement
- Carricks Brook, 20 January 2026, Good
Frequently asked questions about care homes in Heathfield
How many care homes are there in Heathfield?
Heathfield has 3 CQC registered care homes: 2 Good, 1 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 Heathfield?
East Sussex County Council pays an average of £929 a week for residential care. Self-funders are typically asked £1,500 to £1,809 a week. South East figure, because too few East Sussex homes publish this price. 107 homes. Median £1,600. 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 Heathfield were inspected most recently?
Carricks Brook (20 January 2026), Tinkers Hatch (3 August 2022) and Quality Reliable Care Limited (25 February 2020) have the most recent CQC reports.