How do I arrange a care needs assessment in Seaham?

Contact Durham County Council and ask its adult social care team for an assessment of care and support needs. Anyone who appears to need care can request one, regardless of income or savings, and an unpaid carer can ask for an assessment of their own needs as well. The assessment records what the person can manage safely and what support would help, and the outcome is given in writing. If the person is in hospital, ask the ward or discharge team to make the referral.

Can Durham County Council fund a care home placement?

It can contribute, depending on the outcome of a care needs assessment and a separate financial assessment. The financial assessment considers savings, income and, for a permanent placement, sometimes the value of a property. Anyone assessed as able to meet the full cost arranges and pays for the placement directly, though they can still ask Durham County Council for advice and information. Where the authority contributes towards a home charging above its usual rate, a third party payment may be required.

Which providers offer residential care in Seaham?

Thirteen residential care homes registered with the Care Quality Commission match this search in Seaham, and all of them appear on this page. They include Garden Lodge, Murton Grange, The Daltons, Lawreth, Beachcomber Care Home, Orchard House, Melbury House, Seaham View and Eastholme. All thirteen currently hold a Good rating. Each entry links to a profile showing its inspection history.

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

A residential care home provides accommodation, meals and personal care, meaning help with washing, dressing, medication and daily routine. A nursing home provides all of that and also keeps registered nurses on duty at all times to deliver clinical care. Every provider on this page is registered for residential care rather than nursing. If someone needs regular nursing attention, a nursing registration is usually the right place to begin.

How far in advance should I start looking for a care home?

Begin as soon as it is clear that the present arrangement will not last, ideally weeks or months before a move is needed. The assessment and funding steps take time, and the rooms families most want rarely fall vacant on demand. Starting early allows unhurried visits, a second look at the homes you prefer and time to read the inspection reports properly. If a move is needed urgently after a hospital stay, say so at the point of referral.

What should I ask when visiting a care home in Seaham?

Ask how many care staff are on duty during the day and overnight, and how long the registered manager has been in post. Ask how care plans are drawn up and reviewed, and how the home tells families when something changes. Find out what would happen if needs increased, and whether the home could carry on supporting the person. Request the weekly fee in writing together with a list of anything charged on top.

Care Homes in Seaham

Seaham has 14 CQC registered care homes. 14 are rated Good. 12 of the 14 were last inspected more than three years ago.

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

Seaham at a glance

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

Durham County Council pays, residential care: £857 a week. Self-funders are typically asked £1,331 to £1,392, median £1,369
Care home beds filled across County Durham: 89%. The 12 month average is 88%.
Care home beds per 1,000 people aged 75+: 85
People aged 75 and over: 58,300. Rising to 68,700 by 2035, up 18%
Care homes, last 12 months: 0 opened, 1 closed. 20 changed owner, covering 844 beds.
Who pays, across County Durham (estimate): 51% council, 26% self. The rest is NHS funded or other.
Living with dementia, aged 65 and over (estimate): 7,500. Rising to 9,300 by 2035, up 24%
People aged 85 and over: 14,200. Rising to 20,600 by 2035, up 44%

Planned and recent building work within 5 miles

5 Elms West Sunderland. Application for a 7 bed care home through a change of use. Submitted 4 July 2025. Approved 8 September 2026. (4.6 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.

Arranging and funding a care home place in Seaham

Two steps that take longer than expected

Any placement involving public money rests on two separate processes: an assessment of what care is needed, and a financial assessment of who pays for it. Neither moves quickly, and families who leave both until a crisis usually find their choice narrowed to whatever happens to be free. Starting while the present arrangement still holds is the single most useful thing you can do.

Requesting a care needs assessment

Anyone who appears to need care and support has a right to an assessment, whatever their savings. It is carried out by Durham County Council, which considers what the person can manage safely alone and what support would close the gap. Ask for it in writing where you can and keep a note of names and dates. A relative providing regular unpaid support can request a separate carer's assessment, and a hospital discharge team can start the process for someone currently an inpatient.

What a placement costs

The financial assessment establishes what, if anything, the local authority contributes. Savings and most income are counted, and the value of a property may also be taken into account for a permanent placement, depending on who else still lives in it. Weekly fees differ across the thirteen homes listed here and can differ within a single home according to the room and the level of support required. Ask for the figure in writing together with a clear statement of what it excludes. Where public funding meets part of the cost at a home charging above the usual rate, a third party may be asked to make up the difference.

Choosing the right home in Seaham and what to look for

When every rating is the same

Thirteen homes sharing one rating will not arrange themselves into an order, which makes the reports behind those ratings considerably more useful than the ratings themselves. Look at when each inspection took place, what inspectors singled out for praise and whether anything was flagged for attention. Two homes with the same word attached can have arrived there by very different routes.

Matching the home to the person

Write down how the person actually spends a day before comparing anywhere: when they wake, what they like to eat, whether they want company or quiet, and what would make a room feel like theirs. Homes here differ far more in atmosphere than in furnishings, and settings such as Murton Grange, Beachcomber Care Home and Melbury House will each suit a different temperament.

Questions worth asking on a visit

Go twice if you can, and time one visit around a mealtime. Ask how many care staff are on duty by day and overnight, how long the registered manager has been in post and how much the team has changed over the past year. Ask what the home would do if needs increased, and whether it has recently supported someone in a similar position, since a concrete example tells you far more than a general assurance.

14 care homes in Seaham

Melbury House · Mount Stewart Street, Seaham, County Durham, SR7 7NG
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Broomhouse Care Limited
Melbury House is a residential care home in Seaham. We provide care for older people, including those living with dementia and those living with mental ill health, people with a physical disability, people with visual or hearing impairment...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Education and Services for People with Autism - 35-37 Portland Avenue · 35-37 Portland Avenue, Seaham, County Durham, SR7 8AL
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Education and Services for People with Autism Limited
Portland Avenue is a residential care home in Seaham, County Durham, supporting autistic adults and adults with learning disabilities. Supporting autistic people well means taking seriously the things that are easy to dismiss. A...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Respite Care
View · 31-32 North Road, Seaham, County Durham, SR7 7AB
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Swanton Care & Community (Autism North) Limited
Seaham View is a residential care home in Seaham, County Durham, supporting adults living with learning disabilities and autism, including younger adults moving into adult services for the first time. That transition is a big one and it is...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Younger Adults, Respite Care
East Dene Court · Melbury Street, Seaham, County Durham, SR7 7NF
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Education and Services for People with Autism Limited
East Dene Court is a residential care home in Seaham, County Durham, supporting adults with learning disabilities and autistic adults, including younger adults moving on from the family home or from children's services. Respite stays are...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Church View (Murton) · Church Lane, Seaham, County Durham, SR7 9PG
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Strong Life Care (Church View) Limited
Church View in Murton provides residential care to older people and younger adults. Our residents include people living with dementia, people managing mental health conditions and people with a physical disability. With that range of needs...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Trinity House · Knaresborough Road, Seaham, County Durham, SR7 9RQ
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Swanton Care & Community (Autism North) Limited
Trinity House is a residential care home in Seaham, County Durham, supporting adults with a learning disability and autistic adults. Most of the people who live here are younger adults, and we also offer respite stays. We run the home on...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Beachcomber Care Home · 12 North Road, Seaham, County Durham, SR7 7AA
Care home · CQC Good · Run by A. Charles Thomas (Care) Limited
We are Beachcomber Care Home in Seaham, County Durham. We provide residential care for older people, including people with physical disabilities, and we also support younger adults. Respite stays are available for shorter periods. We keep...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Physical Disability, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Eastholme · Denehouse Road, Seaham, County Durham, SR7 7BQ
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Swanton Care & Community (Autism North) Limited
Eastholme is a residential care home in Seaham supporting adults, including younger adults and adults with learning disabilities and autism. We also offer planned respite stays. The people who live here are adults with their own lives to...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Orchard House · Maureen Terrace, Seaham, County Durham, SR7 7SN
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Education and Services for People with Autism Limited
Orchard House is a residential care home in Seaham supporting adults with a learning disability and autistic adults. We also offer respite stays. We run this as a household rather than a service with bedrooms attached. People choose how...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Respite Care
Dr. Ashdown's Stockton Lodge · Seaton Park, Seaham, County Durham, SR7 0HJ
Nursing home · Care home · CQC Good · Nursing on site · Run by Seaham Care Limited
Stockton Lodge is a care home in Seaham, County Durham, providing both residential and nursing care. We look after older people and younger adults, including many residents living with dementia and people with a physical disability, and we...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Physical Disability, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Lawreth · 267 Station Road, Seaham, County Durham, SR7 0BG
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Education and Services for People with Autism Limited
Here at Lawreth, we are a care home based in Seaham, County Durham, offering a warm and genuinely homely environment for the people who live and stay with us. We specialise in residential care, supporting individuals with learning...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Respite Care
The Daltons · Dalton le Dale, Seaham, County Durham, SR7 8QT
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Young Foundations Limited
Here at The Daltons, we are a care home based in Seaham, County Durham, and we are proud to support the people who live with us every single day. Our team works across a range of specialisms, including residential care, support for people...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Murton Grange · Knaresborough Road, Seaham, County Durham, SR7 9RQ
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Swanton Care & Community (Autism North) Limited
We at Murton Grange are proud to offer a warm and welcoming residential care home in the coastal town of Seaham, County Durham, where thoughtful support meets genuine community spirit. Our home provides specialised residential care for...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Garden Lodge · Maureen Terrace, Seaham, County Durham, SR7 7SN
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Education and Services for People with Autism Limited
Ours is a residential care home in Seaham supporting adults with a learning disability and autistic adults. It is a house rather than a facility, and the people who live here have their own rooms, their own belongings and a genuine say in...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Respite Care

What care costs in County Durham, per week

Type of care	What the council pays	What self-funders are typically asked
Residential care North East figure, because too few County Durham homes publish this price. 13 homes. Median £1,369.	£857	£1,331 to £1,392
Nursing care England figure, because too few County Durham homes publish this price. 140 homes. Median £1,916.	£890	£1,600 to £2,071
Residential dementia care North East figure, because too few County Durham homes publish this price. 14 homes. Median £1,458.	Not published separately	£1,268 to £1,548
Nursing dementia care England figure, because too few County Durham 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

Seaham View, 16 July 2024, Good
Church View (Murton), 22 February 2024, Good
Murton Grange, 14 July 2023, Good

Longest since a report

Orchard House, 12 October 2017, Good
The Daltons, 9 October 2018, Good
Eastholme, 3 September 2019, Good

Frequently asked questions about care homes in Seaham

How many care homes are there in Seaham?

Seaham has 14 CQC registered care homes: 14 Good. Counts come from the CQC register and are kept up to date as ratings change.

How much does a care home cost in Seaham?

Durham County Council pays an average of £857 a week for residential care. Self-funders are typically asked £1,331 to £1,392 a week. North East figure, because too few County Durham homes publish this price. 13 homes. Median £1,369. 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 Seaham were inspected most recently?

Seaham View (16 July 2024), Church View (Murton) (22 February 2024) and Murton Grange (14 July 2023) have the most recent CQC reports.

Local care news in County Durham

New 48 bed care home registered with CQC in County Durham: Willowdene Care Home (5 November 2026)

More local care news for County Durham