Care Homes in Melksham
Melksham has 7 CQC registered care homes. 6 are rated Good, 1 Requires improvement. 5 of the 7 were last inspected more than three years ago.
Source: Care Quality Commission register, kept up to date as ratings change.
Melksham at a glance
What the local numbers say about care for older people in Melksham, 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%
Powered by Orrery Intelligence. Market model built 22 October 2026 (ONS 2022 based population projections, CQC register), published care home prices, council planning records.
Choosing between the care homes in Melksham and what to look for
The visit is where decisions actually get made, whatever the reports say beforehand. Reading is how you decide which homes deserve an hour of your time; walking in is how you decide which one somebody could live in. Six homes is a number a family can realistically get round, and doing so puts you in a far stronger position than picking two names and hoping.
What the inspection record shows
Five of the homes serving Melksham are rated Good, among them Peel House, OSJCT Brookside, Alpine Villa Care Home and The Paddocks, while one sits at Requires Improvement. Open each report and read the sections individually rather than resting on the overall judgement, because a home can be rated Good while being noticeably stronger on care than on leadership, or the reverse. Note how recently each inspection took place. Where a home holds the lower rating, ask the manager directly what has changed since the inspectors left and who is overseeing it.
What to look for when you visit
Go at a busy hour rather than a quiet one, and notice whether residents are occupied or simply sitting. Ask how many carers are on duty overnight, how long the registered manager has been in post, and how many permanent staff have left over the past year. Look at the food, the laundry arrangements and whether people can get outside without having to ask twice. Watch how staff speak to the people already living there, because that reveals more than any brochure.
Arranging care and sorting out the funding
Fees cannot be settled sensibly until the level of need is written down and the household finances have been looked at. Both steps are free.
Requesting a care needs assessment
You can ask for an assessment on your own behalf or for a relative who consents, and the right to one does not depend on income or savings. The assessor looks at washing, dressing, eating, medication, mobility, continence and how safe the current arrangement really is, then produces a written support plan. Ask for a copy, because every home will want to see it. If a hospital discharge is setting the timetable, say so, as assessments can be brought forward.
Who pays, and how much
Assessments and funded placements in Melksham are handled by Wiltshire Council Adult Social Care, which carries out a financial assessment alongside the needs assessment to establish the household contribution. Income, savings and usually the value of a property are all taken into account, and anyone with capital above the upper threshold pays privately at the outset. Where the council does fund a placement it pays up to a set rate, and a home charging more may look for a contribution from a third party. Weekly fees differ by home and by room, so ask for a written schedule showing what the charge covers and when it was last reviewed.
7 care homes in Melksham
- Peel House · 398 The Spa, Melksham, Wiltshire, SN12 6QL
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Voyage 1 Limited
Peel House is a residential care home in Melksham, Wiltshire, supporting adults with a learning disability or autism and people with a physical disability. Most of the people who live here are younger adults, and we also offer respite...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Physical Disability, Younger Adults, Respite Care - Ordinary Life Project Association - 5 St Margaret's Gardens · 5 St Margaret's Gardens, Melksham, Wiltshire, SN12 7BT
Care home · CQC Requires improvement · Run by Ordinary Life Project Association(The)
We are the St Margaret's Gardens home in Melksham, Wiltshire, part of the Ordinary Life Project Association. We support adults with learning disabilities, autistic adults, people managing mental health conditions and people with physical...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults, Respite Care - OSJCT Brookside · Ruskin Avenue, Melksham, Wiltshire, SN12 7NG
Care home · CQC Good · Run by The Orders Of St. John Care Trust
OSJCT Brookside is a residential care home in Melksham, caring for older people who can no longer manage comfortably on their own. We aim for the feel of a household rather than an institution, with people keeping their own routines, their...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Mental Health, Younger Adults, Respite Care - Alpine Villa Care Home · 70 Lowbourne, Melksham, Wiltshire, SN12 7ED
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Alpine Villa Care Home Ltd
Alpine Villa Care Home is a residential home in Melksham, Wiltshire. We look after older people who need support with daily living, and we also welcome younger adults for whom managing alone at home is no longer realistic. Dementia care is...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Younger Adults, Respite Care - The Paddocks · 493A Semington Road, Melksham, Wiltshire, SN12 6DX
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Aston Care Limited
Here at The Paddocks in Melksham, Wiltshire, we provide residential care for a range of people, including older adults, younger adults, and those living with a learning disability or autism. We also offer respite care for those who need a...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Younger Adults, Respite Care - ABLE (Action for a Better Life) - 57 King Street · 57 King Street, Melksham, Wiltshire, SN12 6HE
Care home · CQC Good · Run by ABLE (Action for a Better Life)
We are a residential care home on King Street in Melksham, Wiltshire, run by ABLE, which stands for Action for a Better Life. The people living here include older people and younger adults, and people managing mental health conditions. We...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Mental Health, Younger Adults, Respite Care - 5 St Margaret's Gardens · 5 St. Margarets Gardens, Melksham, Wiltshire, SN12 7BT
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Milestones Trust
We are a small residential care home at 5 St Margaret's Gardens in Melksham, Wiltshire. We support adults with learning disabilities and autistic people, including younger adults and older people who have lived with a learning disability...
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 Paddocks, 4 March 2025, Good
- Ordinary Life Project Association - 5 St Margaret's Gardens, 2 August 2024, Requires improvement
- ABLE (Action for a Better Life) - 57 King Street, 14 April 2023, Good
Longest since a report
- 5 St Margaret's Gardens, 15 March 2018, Good
- Peel House, 16 June 2018, Good
- OSJCT Brookside, 15 October 2019, Good
Frequently asked questions about care homes in Melksham
How many care homes are there in Melksham?
Melksham has 7 CQC registered care homes: 6 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 Melksham?
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 Melksham were inspected most recently?
The Paddocks (4 March 2025), Ordinary Life Project Association - 5 St Margaret's Gardens (2 August 2024) and ABLE (Action for a Better Life) - 57 King Street (14 April 2023) have the most recent CQC reports.