How do I arrange a care needs assessment in Sittingbourne?

Contact Kent County Council, which is responsible for adult social care assessments covering Sittingbourne, and ask for a care needs assessment. The request can be made by the person needing care, by a relative or friend acting on their behalf, or by a hospital team arranging a safe discharge. The assessment is free and does not depend on savings or income, so there is no reason to delay asking for one. Once it is complete you will have a written record of eligible needs, which is the document any funding decision rests on.

Can Kent County Council pay for a care home place?

It can, provided the care needs assessment finds eligible needs and a separate financial assessment shows that capital falls below the national upper threshold. Above that threshold a person is treated as a self funder and pays the home directly, although Kent County Council can still offer advice on arranging the placement. Below it the council contributes towards the fee while the person pays an assessed amount from their income. If the family wants a home that costs more than the council will pay, a third party may be asked to meet the difference.

Which care homes in Sittingbourne are listed on Care Assura?

Twenty residential care homes registered with the Care Quality Commission appear for Sittingbourne, among them Aspley House, Byfield Court, Ellens Court Care Home, Blair Park Residential Care Home and Rose House. Each has its own profile page setting out its registration details and its current inspection rating. The listing reflects current registration data rather than a selection made by Care Assura, so homes appear whatever their rating. Opening a profile is the quickest way to reach the full inspection report behind the headline judgement.

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

A residential care home provides accommodation together with personal care, meaning help with washing, dressing, eating, medication and the ordinary business of the day. A nursing home is registered to provide the same personal care alongside clinical care delivered by a registered nurse on site around the clock. The distinction matters when someone has a condition needing regular clinical attention, such as complex wound care, a feeding tube or unstable long term illness. All twenty homes listed for Sittingbourne on this page are registered for residential rather than nursing care.

How far ahead should we start looking at care homes?

Starting several months before a move feels necessary gives you time to visit properly rather than accept whatever is free. Popular homes in and around Sittingbourne can have waiting lists, and an assessment by the council also takes time to arrange and complete. Where a move follows a hospital admission the timescale is often compressed to days, which is exactly when an existing shortlist proves its worth. Even an informal look at a few profiles now makes a later decision considerably calmer.

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

Ask about staffing first: how many people are on duty by day and overnight, how much agency cover is used, and how long the manager has been in post. Ask how the home supports a resident whose needs increase, and whether it would need to give notice at that point. Ask practical questions about visiting hours, meals, laundry, activities and what is charged on top of the weekly fee. Finally, ask to see the most recent inspection report and what has changed since it was written.

Care Homes in Sittingbourne

Sittingbourne has 20 CQC registered care homes. 16 are rated Good, 2 Outstanding, 1 Inadequate, and 1 has not yet been rated. 15 of the 20 were last inspected more than three years ago.

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

Sittingbourne at a glance

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

Kent County Council pays, residential care: £1,187 a week. Self-funders are typically asked £1,409 to £1,600, median £1,500
Care home beds filled across Kent: 88%. The 12 month average is 88%.
Care home beds per 1,000 people aged 75+: 58. Kent average is 77.
People aged 75 and over: 15,500. Rising to 17,400 by 2035, up 12%
Care homes, last 12 months: 0 opened, 0 closed
Who pays, across Kent (estimate): 35% council, 43% self. The rest is NHS funded or other.
Living with dementia, aged 65 and over (estimate): 2,000. Rising to 2,400 by 2035, up 24%
People aged 85 and over: 3,700. Rising to 5,600 by 2035, up 51%

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 Sittingbourne

Residential care is one of the few decisions where the practical paperwork and the emotional choice have to be handled at the same time. The twenty homes listed for Sittingbourne on Care Assura are the destination; what comes first is an assessment, a look at finances, and a frank conversation about what a place will actually cost.

Starting With a Care Needs Assessment

Anyone who appears to need care and support is entitled to a free assessment, whatever their savings. It looks at daily living: washing, dressing, eating, moving safely about the house, managing medication and keeping in touch with people. The outcome is a written record of eligible needs, and every later funding decision is built on that record. Kent County Council Adult Social Care is responsible for carrying out the assessment and for arranging funded support where someone qualifies, and a request can come from the person themselves, from a relative, or from a hospital ward planning a discharge.

How the Cost Is Divided

A financial assessment follows separately, examining income, savings and, in most residential cases, the value of a property. Where capital sits above the national upper threshold the person is expected to meet the fee in full; below it the council contributes on a sliding basis while the person pays an assessed share from income. Where a nursing registration applies, a contribution from the NHS towards that element may also be available. Deferred payment arrangements exist for people whose money is tied up in a house they still own, and the council can explain whether one is possible.

What Fees Buy in Practice

Weekly fees differ from home to home and often within the same building, since a larger room or a higher level of support moves the figure. Ask what the quoted fee includes and what is billed on top, because hairdressing, chiropody, outings and toiletries are commonly charged separately. Ask as well how often fees are reviewed and how much notice of an increase is given.

Choosing Between the Care Homes in Sittingbourne

A rating does a great deal of useful work, but it summarises one inspection rather than measuring daily life as it stands today. Across the Sittingbourne homes listed here, two hold an Outstanding judgement, sixteen have been rated Good, one has been judged Inadequate and one has not yet been rated, so a shortlist deserves more attention than the top line alone.

Reading the Inspection Record

Every profile links through to the published report behind the rating. Two details repay careful reading: the date, because a judgement made some years ago may describe a service under different management, and the five key questions, since a home can be safe yet weaker on responsiveness, or well led while something specific needs attention. A home still awaiting its first rating is not necessarily a poor choice, but it does mean no inspection evidence exists yet and you will be relying more heavily on what you see for yourself.

Questions Worth Asking on a Visit

Go when the home is busy, ideally around a mealtime. Notice whether staff know residents by name and talk to them rather than about them, whether people are dressed as they would have dressed themselves, and whether anything is actually happening in the lounge. Ask how many staff are on duty overnight, how sickness is covered, and how long the manager has been in post, because settled leadership tends to show up in everything else.

Matching the Home to the Person

Residential care suits someone who needs help through the day and reassurance at night but not the constant clinical oversight that a nursing registration provides. Beyond that, fit is personal: closeness to the people who will visit most often, whether a couple can stay together, and whether the home genuinely understands a particular condition. Where you can, involve the person moving in the visits themselves, and treat a trial stay as a reasonable request.

20 care homes in Sittingbourne

Ulcomb House · 24 London Road, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 1NA
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Cartref Homes UK Limited
We at Ulcomb House are proud to offer specialist residential care in the welcoming community of Sittingbourne, Kent. Our home provides a supportive environment for adults living with learning disabilities and autism, offering both long...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Younger Adults, Respite Care
School Lane · 35 School Lane, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 8SE
Care home · CQC Good · Run by CLBD Limited
School Lane is a small residential care home in Sittingbourne, Kent, supporting adults who need a settled place to live and the right level of help to get on with their own lives. We are deliberately small, which means the people living...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Byfield Court · Sheppey Way, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 8PJ
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Achieve Together Limited
Here at Byfield Court, we are a care home based in Sittingbourne, Kent, and we support adults whose needs and personalities are as varied as the people themselves. We specialise in residential care for younger adults living with learning...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Physical Disability, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Cartref House · 22 London Road, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 1NA
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Cartref Homes UK Limited
Cartref House is a residential care home in Sittingbourne, Kent, supporting adults with a learning disability and autistic adults, including younger adults. This is somebody's home first, and we run it that way. The people who live here...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Hill Farm · 15 Keycol Hill, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 8LZ
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Optimal Living (Kent) Limited
Hill Farm is a residential care home in Sittingbourne, Kent, supporting adults with a wide range of needs. Some of the people who live here are older, some are much younger, and the mix is part of what makes the place feel like a home...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Aspley House · 204 London Road, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 1QA
Care home · CQC Outstanding · Run by Insight Specialist Behavioural Service Ltd
At Aspley House, we provide residential care for younger adults, including those living with a learning disability or autism. We are based in Sittingbourne, Kent, and we also offer respite care for those who need short term support. We are...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Ellens Court Care Home · Lady Margaret Manor Road, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 0NT
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Inspire Care Outreach Limited
Ellens Court Care Home is in Sittingbourne. We provide residential care for adults including people living with dementia, people with learning disabilities, autistic people, people managing mental health conditions, people with physical...
Specialisms: Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Respite Care
Pine Lodge Care Home · 26-32, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 1YU
Care home · CQC Inadequate · Run by Eleanor Nursing and Social Care Limited
We are Pine Lodge Care Home in Sittingbourne, Kent. We provide residential care for older people, including those living with dementia, and we also take respite stays. Residential care means supporting people with the parts of daily life...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Respite Care
Blair Park Residential Care Home · 2 Beechwood Avenue Crown Road, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 2AL
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Charing Park Investments Limited
We at Blair Park Residential Care Home offer a welcoming home in Sittingbourne, providing residential care rooted in warmth, respect, and genuine understanding. Nestled within the wider community of Kent, our home is a place where older...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Rose House · 42 The Street, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 8SJ
Care home · CQC Good · Run by CLBD Limited
We are Rose House, a residential care home in Sittingbourne, Kent. We support adults with learning disabilities and autistic adults, and people living with mental health conditions, including younger adults. Respite stays are available....
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Younger Adults, Respite Care
19 Sheerstone · 19 Sheerstone, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 8RN
Care home · Run by CLBD Limited
Sheerstone in Sittingbourne is a small residential care home. We support adults with a learning disability and autistic adults, including younger adults, and we offer respite stays for people who need a short break or whose family carer...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Court Regis · Middletune Avenue, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 2HT
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Avante Care and Support Limited
We are Court Regis, a residential care home in Sittingbourne. We care for older people and younger adults, and many of those living with us are living with dementia. We offer residential care rather than nursing care, and we say so plainly...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Insight SBS 201 London Road · 201 London Road, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 1PA
Care home · CQC Outstanding · Run by Insight Specialist Behavioural Service Ltd
201 London Road is a residential care home in Sittingbourne, Kent, supporting adults with a learning disability or autism. It is a home rather than a placement, and the household is built around the people who live in it. Support is...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Orchard Cottage · Keycol Hill, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 8NE
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Insight Specialist Behavioural Service Ltd
Orchard Cottage is a residential care home in Sittingbourne, Kent. We support adults with learning disabilities and autistic adults, most of them younger adults who are building the kind of life they want with the right amount of help...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Hanningfield Retirement Home · 99 London Road, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 1NR
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Hanningfield Retirement Homes Limited
Hanningfield Retirement Home is a residential care home in Sittingbourne, Kent. We look after older people who need help with everyday life, and we take respite bookings for people who want a stay of a few weeks, whether that is to recover...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Respite Care
Bridge House · 115 Grovehurst Road, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 2TA
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Cartref Homes UK Limited
Bridge House is a residential care home in Sittingbourne, Kent, supporting adults with a learning disability and adults who are autistic. We work with younger adults and we can offer respite stays as well as permanent places. Support here...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Younger Adults, Respite Care
6a Sheerstone · 6a Sheerstone, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 8RN
Care home · CQC Good · Run by CLBD Limited
6a Sheerstone is a small residential home in Sittingbourne, Kent, and it is home to adults with learning disabilities and to autistic adults. We also offer respite stays, planned in advance so that a short stay is a visit somewhere...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Respite Care
Rhyme House · 9-11 Chaucer Road, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 1EZ
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Achieve Together Limited
Rhyme House in Sittingbourne is a residential home supporting adults with learning disabilities, autistic adults, people with mental health needs, people with physical disabilities and people with sensory loss. Most of the people here are...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Insight Teynham · 5 London Road, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 9QW
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Insight Specialist Behavioural Service Ltd
Insight Teynham near Sittingbourne is a residential home for adults with learning disabilities and autistic adults, most of them younger adults. We also offer respite stays. People live here for years rather than months, so we run the...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Beechfields · Conyer Road, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 9ET
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Mr C L Saffrey and Mrs D E Saffrey
Beechfields is a residential care home in Sittingbourne, Kent. We are home to older people, both for the long term and for shorter respite stays when a family carer needs a rest. Comfort and reliability are what we work at. Good food, warm...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Respite Care

What care costs in Kent, per week

Type of care	What the council pays	What self-funders are typically asked
Residential care Middle half of prices from 22 Kent homes. Median £1,500.	£1,187	£1,409 to £1,600
Nursing care Middle half of prices from 11 Kent homes. Median £1,605.	£1,378	£1,550 to £1,865
Residential dementia care Middle half of prices from 18 Kent homes. Median £1,500.	Not published separately	£1,500 to £1,619
Nursing dementia care South East figure, because too few Kent 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

Insight Teynham, 26 August 2026, Good
Pine Lodge Care Home, 13 October 2025, Inadequate
Byfield Court, 14 April 2025, Good

Longest since a report

Rhyme House, 7 November 2017, Good
Aspley House, 13 February 2018, Outstanding
Bridge House, 23 May 2018, Good

Frequently asked questions about care homes in Sittingbourne

How many care homes are there in Sittingbourne?

Sittingbourne has 20 CQC registered care homes: 2 Outstanding, 16 Good, 1 Inadequate, 1 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 Sittingbourne?

Kent County Council pays an average of £1,187 a week for residential care. Self-funders are typically asked £1,409 to £1,600 a week. Middle half of prices from 22 Kent homes. Median £1,500. 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 Sittingbourne were inspected most recently?

Insight Teynham (26 August 2026), Pine Lodge Care Home (13 October 2025) and Byfield Court (14 April 2025) have the most recent CQC reports.