Can Buckinghamshire Council fund a care home placement in High Wycombe?

It can, where a care needs assessment identifies eligible needs and a financial assessment shows the person qualifies for help with the fee. Income and capital are both taken into account, and in most permanent placements the value of a property forms part of that calculation. The council pays up to its own rate, so a home charging above it may need a third party top up. Ask for the decision and the agreed contribution in writing before accepting a place.

How do we arrange a care needs assessment in High Wycombe?

Contact the adult social care team at Buckinghamshire Council and explain what has become unsafe or unmanageable at home. The assessment is free and is not means tested, although the financial assessment that follows does consider income and capital. A GP, district nurse or hospital discharge team can make the referral on your behalf if that is easier. If you provide unpaid care, ask for a carer assessment at the same time, since it is a separate entitlement.

How far in advance should we start looking for a care home in High Wycombe?

Start as soon as a move looks likely rather than waiting for a crisis to settle the matter. Assessments and funding decisions take time and cannot easily be hurried. Allowing a few weeks lets you visit shortlisted homes more than once and at different times of day, which is the most useful thing you can do. If a hospital discharge is approaching, the discharge team can arrange interim support while a permanent place is found.

Which providers in High Wycombe offer residential care?

Sixteen residential care homes in High Wycombe are listed on this page. Nine hold a Good rating from the Care Quality Commission, including Little Oaks Residential Home, Cotswold Cottage, Ryeview Manor Care Home and Beech Tree House. Five are currently marked Requires Improvement and two have not yet been rated. Vacancies change from week to week, so open the profiles that interest you and contact each home about availability.

What should we ask when visiting a care home in High Wycombe?

Ask how many staff are on duty overnight and at weekends, and how much agency cover the home relies on. Ask who writes and reviews the care plan, and how families are told when something changes. Ask to see the room that is genuinely available rather than a show room, and watch how residents are spending the afternoon. Then ask for the most recent inspection report and what has been put right since it was published.

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

A residential care home provides accommodation and personal care, meaning help with washing, dressing, meals, mobility and medication. A nursing home provides that same support with a registered nurse on duty at all hours, which is what clinical needs require. All sixteen providers listed on this page are registered as residential care homes rather than nursing homes. If the care needs assessment identifies a nursing need, look at nursing registered homes instead.

Care Homes in High Wycombe

High Wycombe has 16 CQC registered care homes. 9 are rated Good, 5 Requires improvement, and 2 have not yet been rated. 11 of the 16 were last inspected more than three years ago.

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

High Wycombe at a glance

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

Buckinghamshire Council pays, residential care: £1,188 a week. Self-funders are typically asked £1,499 to £1,646, median £1,590
Care home beds filled across Buckinghamshire: 84%. The 12 month average is 82%.
Care home beds per 1,000 people aged 75+: 72
People aged 75 and over: 58,900. Rising to 69,100 by 2035, up 17%
Care homes, last 12 months: 1 opened, 2 closed. 5 changed owner, covering 351 beds.
Who pays, across Buckinghamshire (estimate): 32% council, 49% self. The rest is NHS funded or other.
Living with dementia, aged 65 and over (estimate): 7,800. Rising to 9,800 by 2035, up 26%
People aged 85 and over: 17,000. Rising to 24,800 by 2035, up 46%

Planned and recent building work within 5 miles

Cherry Tree Nursing Home Bledlow Road Saunderton Buckinghamshire. Application for a 64 bed care home. Submitted 5 February 2026. Decision pending. (4.4 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 High Wycombe

Two assessments govern most placements, one of need and one of means, and they are carried out separately. Knowing which does what saves families a great deal of confusion once things are under way.

The assessment of need

Any adult who appears to need care and support has a right to a care needs assessment, free of charge and whatever their savings. Buckinghamshire Council is responsible for carrying it out and for the financial assessment that follows where funded support may apply. A person providing unpaid care has a separate right to a carer assessment in their own name. The support plan produced at the end describes the level of care considered necessary, and homes will ask to see it before confirming a place.

What the council may pay

The financial assessment examines income and capital, and in most permanent placements the value of a property is included once the relevant disregards have been applied. Where the council contributes, it pays up to its own agreed rate, so a home charging more than that will usually require a top up from a relative or another third party. Where the need is mainly clinical, ask whether continuing healthcare funding has been assessed, as that is decided through the health service rather than the council.

Fees and what they leave out

Weekly rates vary with the room, its size and outlook, and the amount of personal support required. Ask for the figure in writing, then establish exactly what falls outside it, since hairdressing, chiropody, escorted appointments, newspapers and some activities are commonly billed separately. Ask what notice is given before a fee rises, and what happens if assessed needs increase after a move.

Comparing homes in High Wycombe and what to check

Sixteen homes is a large enough field to be selective, and given the spread of ratings here, being selective matters.

Using the reports rather than the ratings

Nine homes hold a Good rating, among them Little Oaks Residential Home, Cotswold Cottage, Ryeview Manor Care Home, Beech Tree House and The Cherries. Five are marked Requires Improvement, including Maria Residential Home, Penley View and Totteridge House, and two carry no rating yet. Each report names which of the five key questions the judgement turned on, along with what the home was asked to change and when the inspector called. A concern about record keeping is a different matter entirely from one about how residents are treated.

What a visit reveals

Go when the home is under pressure rather than at its quietest, and take in the ordinary detail. Whether staff crouch to speak to someone seated, whether residents are occupied or merely placed in front of a television, how long a call bell rings, and how the atmosphere feels in the late afternoon. Ask whether you may return without arranging it first, and note how readily that is agreed.

Questions that get past the tour

Ask how long the manager has been in post and how much agency cover the home uses, because stability shows up everywhere else. Ask how a fall is handled and who rings the family. Ask how someone is supported through the first fortnight after moving in, and what has changed since the last inspection.

16 care homes in High Wycombe

215 Hughenden Road · 215 Hughenden Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP13 5PG
Care home · CQC Good · Run by White Leaf Support Ltd
215 Hughenden Road provides residential care in High Wycombe for adults, including younger adults and adults with learning disabilities and autism. We also offer planned respite stays. We are a small home and the people who live here are...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Flackwell House · 55 Straight Bit, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP10 9NA
Care home · Run by London Paramount Care Ltd
Flackwell House is a residential care home in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, supporting adults living with learning disabilities and autism, including younger adults moving into adult services for the first time. That transition is a big...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Totteridge House · 310 Totteridge Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP13 7LW
Care home · CQC Requires improvement · Run by Liaise (London) Limited
At Totteridge House, we provide residential care for adults in the heart of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. Our home supports people with a range of needs, including learning disabilities, autism, mental health conditions, physical...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults, Respite Care
The Cherries · The Cherries, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP10 9DY
Care home · CQC Good · Run by White Leaf Support Ltd
The Cherries is a residential care home in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, supporting adults with a learning disability or autism. We also offer respite stays, which can give a family carer a genuine break while the person staying with us...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Respite Care
Wayside · Wayside, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP14 3XF
Care home · Run by London Paramount Care Ltd
Wayside is a residential care home in High Wycombe supporting younger adults and people living with dementia. We keep the house small and the atmosphere calm, and we plan around the individual rather than running the place to a single...
Specialisms: Dementia Care, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Keychange Charity Alde House · Church Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP10 8NX
Care home · CQC Requires improvement · Run by Keychange Charity
Keychange Charity Alde House is a residential care home in High Wycombe. We care for older people, including those living with dementia, people managing a mental health condition, people with a physical disability and people living with a...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Respite Care
Maria Residential Home · Silver Birches, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP13 7NJ
Care home · CQC Requires improvement · Run by Maria Residential Home (EMI) Limited
Maria Residential Home is in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. We provide residential care for older people who have reached the point where living alone has become difficult, and caring for people living with dementia is a large part of what...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Respite Care
Ryeview Manor Care Home · Keep Hill Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP11 1DW
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Colleycare Limited
Ryeview Manor Care Home is a residential home in High Wycombe for older people, including those living with dementia, and we also support some younger adults whose needs suit a home of this kind. We help with washing and dressing,...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Penley View · Marlow Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP14 3UW
Care home · CQC Requires improvement · Run by Centurion Health Care Limited
Penley View is a residential care home in High Wycombe. We support older people and younger adults, including people living with dementia, adults with a learning disability or autism, people living with mental ill health, people with...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Beech Tree House · 65 Beech Tree Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP15 6UR
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Community Homes of Intensive Care and Education Limited
We at Beech Tree House are proud to offer a warm and welcoming residential care home in High Wycombe, providing specialist support for younger adults living with learning disabilities and autism. Nestled within the Buckinghamshire...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Younger Adults, Respite Care
White Leaf Support · 8 and 10 Priory Avenue, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP13 6SH
Care home · CQC Good · Run by White Leaf Support Ltd
We at White Leaf Support are proud to offer a welcoming residential care home in the heart of High Wycombe, providing thoughtful, person centred support to adults across Buckinghamshire and the wider South East. Our home has been created...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Ashley Drive · 4 Ashley Drive, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP10 8BQ
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Hightown Housing Association Limited
Ashley Drive is a residential care home in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. We support adults with a learning disability and autistic adults, people with a physical disability, younger adults and older people, and we also offer respite...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Physical Disability, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Whincup Care · 6 Whincup Close, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP11 1TD
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Whincup Care Limited
We at Whincup Care are proud to offer a welcoming residential care home in the heart of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, where compassionate support meets a true sense of community. Our home provides residential care for older people and...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Little Oaks Residential Home · Daws Lea, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP11 1QG
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Little Oaks Residential Care Limited
Little Oaks Residential Home is in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. We look after older people who need help with daily life but not nursing care, including a good number living with dementia, and we offer respite stays alongside permanent...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Respite Care
Cotswold Cottage · Grange Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP15 7QZ
Care home · CQC Good · Run by The Fremantle Trust
We are a small residential home in High Wycombe supporting adults with learning disabilities and autistic people. Because only a few people live here, the place works as a household. Everyone has their own room arranged how they like it,...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Respite Care
Alpha Community Care · Green Tiles, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP14 3TU
Care home · CQC Requires improvement · Run by Alpha Medical Care Limited
We at Alpha Community Care are proud to offer a welcoming residential care home in the heart of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, where every resident is supported to live with dignity, independence, and a genuine sense of belonging within...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Respite Care

What care costs in Buckinghamshire, per week

Type of care	What the council pays	What self-funders are typically asked
Residential care Middle half of prices from 11 Buckinghamshire homes. Median £1,590.	£1,188	£1,499 to £1,646
Nursing care South East figure, because too few Buckinghamshire homes publish this price. 63 homes. Median £1,933.	£1,209	£1,617 to £2,080
Residential dementia care South East figure, because too few Buckinghamshire 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 Buckinghamshire 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

Little Oaks Residential Home, 3 August 2026, Good
Ashley Drive, 15 July 2026, Good
Beech Tree House, 28 November 2025, Good

Longest since a report

The Cherries, 29 November 2017, Good
Cotswold Cottage, 4 April 2018, Good
Totteridge House, 22 May 2018, Requires improvement

Frequently asked questions about care homes in High Wycombe

How many care homes are there in High Wycombe?

High Wycombe has 16 CQC registered care homes: 9 Good, 5 Requires improvement, 2 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 High Wycombe?

Buckinghamshire Council pays an average of £1,188 a week for residential care. Self-funders are typically asked £1,499 to £1,646 a week. Middle half of prices from 11 Buckinghamshire homes. Median £1,590. 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 High Wycombe were inspected most recently?

Little Oaks Residential Home (3 August 2026), Ashley Drive (15 July 2026) and Beech Tree House (28 November 2025) have the most recent CQC reports.