Can the London Borough of Croydon fund a care home placement?

It can, subject to a financial assessment carried out after the care needs assessment. The London Borough of Croydon examines income, savings and capital, and contributes towards the weekly fee where these fall below the national threshold. Funding is set at a level regarded as sufficient to meet assessed needs, so a more expensive home may require a third party top up. Requesting the assessment is worthwhile even for families who expect to pay their own way.

How do we arrange a care needs assessment in Purley?

Contact the adult social care team at the London Borough of Croydon and ask for a care needs assessment. It is free, it is open to anyone who appears to need care and it does not depend on savings. A relative, a GP or a hospital team can make the referral where the person cannot. The assessment considers daily tasks, safety and the support already being provided, and its findings shape the support plan.

How far ahead should we start looking at care homes?

Sooner than feels comfortable, and ideally before a crisis decides the timing for you. Assessments, financial checks and waiting lists all take time, and the right room may not be vacant in the week you need it. A few months of lead time allows repeat visits and an unhurried comparison of inspection reports. Where a hospital discharge is already being planned, tell the council, because those cases follow a quicker route.

Which care homes in Purley are listed here?

Twenty residential care homes in Purley appear in this collection, each registered with the Care Quality Commission. They include Heatherwood Care Centre, Foxley Lane and Russell Hill, alongside others nearby. Every listing shows the provider name, the current CQC rating where one has been awarded and a link to the full profile. Since most homes share the same grade, the inspection reports are where the meaningful differences appear.

What should we ask when visiting a care home in Purley?

Ask how many care staff are on duty by day and overnight, how long the manager has been in post and what turnover has been like. Ask how care plans are written and reviewed, how the home supports someone whose needs increase and how families are kept informed. Practical questions are just as useful, including mealtime choice, visiting arrangements, laundry and which extras sit outside the weekly fee. Finish by asking what the home changed after its last inspection and compare the answer with the report.

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

A care home provides accommodation together with personal care, meaning help with washing, dressing, meals, medication and company. A nursing home provides that same support with registered nurses on duty around the clock for clinical care. The homes listed on this page are registered for residential care rather than nursing. Since needs often change, ask each home what it does when nursing care becomes necessary.

Care Homes in Purley

Purley has 21 CQC registered care homes. 20 are rated Good, 1 Requires improvement. 17 of the 21 were last inspected more than three years ago.

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

Purley at a glance

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

London Borough of Croydon pays, residential care: £1,168 a week. Self-funders are typically asked £1,688 to £1,953, median £1,783
Care home beds filled across Croydon: 90%. The 12 month average is 89%.
Care home beds per 1,000 people aged 75+: 95
People aged 75 and over: 27,300. Rising to 32,300 by 2035, up 18%
Care homes, last 12 months: 1 opened, 0 closed. 15 changed owner, covering 791 beds.
Who pays, across Croydon (estimate): 42% council, 27% self. The rest is NHS funded or other.
Living with dementia, aged 65 and over (estimate): 3,700. Rising to 4,600 by 2035, up 23%
People aged 85 and over: 7,800. Rising to 10,300 by 2035, up 32%

Planned and recent building work within 5 miles

32 The Avenue Cheam. Application for a 15 bed care home. Submitted 17 June 2025. Decision pending. (3.6 miles away)
651 Wickham Road, Shirley, Croydon. Application for a 4 bed care home. Submitted 10 October 2025. Approved 15 December 2025. (4.9 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 Purley

Every placement rests on two documents: an assessment of what care is needed and a financial assessment of who pays for it. Families who start with the first find the second much easier to navigate.

Requesting the care needs assessment

An assessment is free, is not means tested and is open to anyone who appears to need care. It considers washing and dressing, meals, medication, mobility, continence and safety alone overnight, and it takes account of what relatives have observed as well as what the person says. London Borough of Croydon Adult Social Care carries out that assessment and the financial assessment that follows. If residential care is the right answer, the reasons are set down in a support plan which follows the person into whichever home is chosen, and a separate carer's assessment is available to the relative who has been providing support.

What the fees involve

The financial assessment looks at income, savings and capital. Above the national threshold a placement is privately funded and the contract is made directly with the home; below it, the council contributes up to a level it judges sufficient for assessed needs. A third party top up may be sought where a family prefers a home charging more than that, and it should be affordable over the long run rather than for a year. Fees differ between homes and between rooms in the same building, so ask for the current weekly rate in writing together with a list of what is charged separately and how often fees are reviewed.

Choosing a home in Purley and what to check

When nineteen homes share a grade, the shortlist has to be built from something other than the rating.

Getting more from the inspection reports

A Good rating is made up of five separate judgements covering safety, effectiveness, caring, responsiveness and leadership, and homes are seldom equally strong across all of them. Read what inspectors said about staffing levels, medicines and how people are supported to make their own decisions, and note the date of the visit, since a year can change a home considerably. The single home rated Requires Improvement will have a report naming exactly what fell short and what the provider was asked to do, which is a fairer basis for judgement than the grade alone. Where a home has been inspected recently, the findings describe the team currently working there.

What to look for on the visit

Call in at a busy moment rather than a convenient one, and see the home twice if you can manage it. Watch how staff speak to residents who cannot easily reply, whether people appear occupied and how long anyone waits after asking for help. Ask how long the manager has been in post, what turnover has been like among care staff and how the home responds when a resident's needs grow. Ask about meals, visiting, night staffing and how families are contacted when something changes, then weigh what you saw against the published report.

21 care homes in Purley

Heatherwood Care Centre · 47 Foxley Lane, Purley, Croydon, CR8 3EH
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Heatherwood Nursing Home Ltd
We at Heatherwood Care Centre are proud to offer compassionate residential care in the welcoming community of Purley, within the London borough of Croydon. Our home provides a nurturing setting where residents receive personalised support...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults, Respite Care, Alcohol / Drug Misuse
Warren Court · 5 Warren Road, Purley, Croydon, CR8 1AF
Nursing home · Care home · CQC Good · Nursing on site · Run by Lorven Housing Ltd
We are Warren Court in Purley. We provide both residential and nursing care, which means people can stay with us as their needs change rather than having to move on at a difficult moment. We care for older people and for younger adults,...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Physical Disability, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Brighton Road · 47-49 Brighton Road, Purley, Croydon, CR8 2LR
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Consensus Support Services Limited
At Brighton Road, we provide residential care for younger adults with learning disabilities and autism, based in the heart of Purley, Croydon. We also offer respite care, giving families and carers the opportunity to take a break whilst...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Gate Lodge · 1 Upper Woodcote Village, Purley, Croydon, CR8 3HE
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Mr & Mrs P Chellun
At Gate Lodge we offer residential care for older people in Purley, including those living with dementia. We are a house rather than an institution, and we try to run it that way. People get up when they are ready, eat what they actually...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Respite Care
Chestnut Gardens Care Home · 95 Foxley Lane, Purley, Croydon, CR8 3HP
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Barchester Healthcare Homes Limited
Chestnut Gardens Care Home is in Purley, and we provide residential care for older people and younger adults, including people living with dementia. We offer respite stays as well as permanent places. Our aim is straightforward: this...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Foxley Lane · 37 Foxley Lane, Purley, Croydon, CR8 3EH
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Independence Homes Limited
We are a residential care home in Purley, supporting adults with a range of needs to live comfortably and with a real say in how their days go. We try to run the place as a household rather than a service, with people's own belongings, own...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Physical Disability, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Esther Care Home · 15 Russell Hill, Purley, Croydon, CR8 2JB
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Esther Care Homes Limited
Esther Care Home is a residential care home in Purley. We support adults with a learning disability or autism, people living with dementia, people living with mental ill health, people with physical disabilities and people whose sight or...
Specialisms: Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Respite Care
The Params · 18 Foxley Lane, Purley, Croydon, CR8 3ED
Care home · CQC Good · Run by The Params Care Limited
The Params is a residential care home in Purley. We support older people, including residents living with dementia, adults with a learning disability and autistic adults, people with a visual or hearing impairment and younger adults. We...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults, Respite Care, Eating Disorders
Russell Hill Lodge · 39 Russell Hill Road, Purley, Croydon, CR8 2LD
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Laurel Residential Homes Limited
Russell Hill Lodge is a residential care home in Purley, in the London borough of Croydon. We are home to older people and to younger adults who need support with daily life, including people living with mental health conditions. What we...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Mental Health, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Carlene House · 17 Woodcote Valley Road, Purley, Croydon, CR8 3AL
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Fircroft Services Limited
Carlene House is a residential care home in Purley, Croydon, supporting adults living with learning disabilities and autism. Our aim is easy to state and takes daily effort to hold onto. The people who live here should have as much...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Respite Care
Serenity UK · 86 Partridge Knoll, Purley, Croydon, CR8 1BT
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Serenity UK Care Limited
We at Serenity UK are proud to offer a welcoming residential care home in the heart of Purley, providing thoughtful, person centred support to adults who need a safe and nurturing place to call home. Our home in the CR postcode area of...
Specialisms: Mental Health, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Acorn Lodge · 14 Abbots Lane, Purley, Croydon, CR8 5JH
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Medicrest Limited
Acorn Lodge is a residential care home in Purley supporting older people, including those living with dementia. We offer permanent places and respite stays. A good day here looks unremarkable from the outside, and that is deliberate....
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Respite Care
Smitham Downs Road · 7 Smitham Downs Road, Purley, Croydon, CR8 4NH
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Achieve Together Limited
We are a residential home on Smitham Downs Road in Purley, supporting adults with learning disabilities and autistic people, including younger adults. The house runs as a household rather than an institution. Everyone has their own room...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Ferncroft · 41 Old Lodge Lane, Purley, Croydon, CR8 4DL
Care home · CQC Good · Run by The Brandon Trust
Here at Ferncroft, we are a residential care home based in Purley, Croydon, and we are proud to support the people who live with us every single day. Our home specialises in residential care, supporting individuals with learning...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Respite Care
Foxley Lodge Residential Care Home · 24-26 Foxley Hill Road, Purley, Croydon, CR8 2HB
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Foxley Lodge Residential Care Home
We are Foxley Lodge, a residential care home in Purley. We care for older people and younger adults, and many of those living with us are living with dementia. We aim to feel like somewhere people live rather than somewhere they have been...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Younger Adults, Respite Care
CareTech Community Services - 7 Russell Hill · Russell Villa, Purley, Croydon, CR8 2JB
Care home · CQC Good · Run by CareTech Community Services Limited
CareTech Community runs a residential care home at Russell Hill in Purley for adults with a learning disability, autistic adults and people with mental health needs. It is a house on an ordinary road and we aim to run it as a home, with...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Respite Care
Russell Hill · 33 Russell Hill, Purley, Croydon, CR8 2JB
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Independence Homes Limited
We are Russell Hill, a residential care home in Purley. We support older people and younger adults, including adults with a learning disability, autistic adults, and people with a physical disability. With that range of people under one...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Physical Disability, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Beth Ezra · 52 Smitham Bottom Lane, Purley, Croydon, CR8 3DB
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Beth-Ezra Trust
Beth Ezra is a residential care home in Purley for older people, including those living with dementia. We are not a nursing home, so our strengths are personal care, a settled daily rhythm and knowing everybody who lives here properly...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Respite Care
Roselawn House · 40 Plough Lane, Purley, Croydon, CR8 3QA
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Roselawn Care Limited
Roselawn House is a residential care home in Purley, in the London borough of Croydon, for adults with a learning disability and autistic adults. We are a house on an ordinary street rather than an institution, and being small is the...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Respite Care
Heathercroft · 43 Old Lodge Lane, Purley, Croydon, CR8 4DL
Care home · CQC Good · Run by The Brandon Trust
Heathercroft is a residential care home in Purley supporting adults with learning disabilities. We treat the house as belonging to the people who live in it, and we try to behave like people who are there to help rather than people who are...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Respite Care
Rosemanor 2 Residential Care Home · 41 Brighton Road, Purley, Croydon, CR8 2LR
Care home · CQC Requires improvement · Run by Rosenmanor Limited
Rosemanor 2 is a residential care home in Purley, in the borough of Croydon. We look after older people who need help through the day, people who have managed a mental health condition for many years, and some younger adults. Respite stays...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Mental Health, Younger Adults, Respite Care

What care costs in Croydon, per week

Type of care	What the council pays	What self-funders are typically asked
Residential care London figure, because too few Croydon homes publish this price. 21 homes. Median £1,783.	£1,168	£1,688 to £1,953
Nursing care London figure, because too few Croydon homes publish this price. 12 homes. Median £2,228.	£1,300	£2,060 to £2,276
Residential dementia care London figure, because too few Croydon homes publish this price. 18 homes. Median £1,979.	Not published separately	£1,889 to £2,049
Nursing dementia care London figure, because too few Croydon homes publish this price. 10 homes. Median £2,283.	Not published separately	£2,114 to £2,340

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

Heathercroft, 19 April 2026, Good
Brighton Road, 25 March 2026, Good
Warren Court, 7 March 2025, Good

Longest since a report

Russell Hill, 21 March 2018, Good
Russell Hill Lodge, 24 April 2018, Good
The Params, 16 May 2018, Good

Frequently asked questions about care homes in Purley

How many care homes are there in Purley?

Purley has 21 CQC registered care homes: 20 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 Purley?

London Borough of Croydon pays an average of £1,168 a week for residential care. Self-funders are typically asked £1,688 to £1,953 a week. London figure, because too few Croydon homes publish this price. 21 homes. Median £1,783. 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 Purley were inspected most recently?

Heathercroft (19 April 2026), Brighton Road (25 March 2026) and Warren Court (7 March 2025) have the most recent CQC reports.