Care Homes in East Sussex 215 care homes · 179 rated Good by CQC

East Sussex is covered on this page by 215 care homes, each registered to provide accommodation together with personal care rather than visiting support in somebody's own house. The inspection outcomes are encouraging on the whole: the great majority have been rated Good, a smaller group are currently rated Requires Improvement, and an Outstanding rating appears among them as well. Assessing what a person needs, and deciding whether public funding will meet part of the weekly fee, falls to East Sussex County Council, which makes an early approach to them worthwhile whenever cost is likely to be part of the picture. Since the difference between two homes carrying the same rating can be considerable, treat the profiles as your starting point rather than your conclusion, and read each inspection report properly before arranging a visit, so that the questions you ask on the day are shaped by what inspectors themselves saw.

All 215 care homes in East Sussex

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    Millcroft Care home in Horam · Rated Good by CQC

    CQC: good

    Vines Cross Road, Horam, East Sussex TN21 0HF

    Weekly fees

    £1,100 to £1,450 regional guide for the South East, ask the home

    Nursing on site

    No, residential

    Short stays

    Yes, respite

    CQC rated

    Sep 2019 over 7 years ago, ask what has changed

    Run by

    Millcroft & York Lodge Care Homes Limited

    Local authority: East Sussex County Council · Check what you would pay

    • Care Home

    Here at Millcroft, we offer residential care for older people in the heart of Horam, a quiet and welcoming village in East Sussex. We are proud to be a place where residents feel genuinely at home, supported by a team that takes the time to get to know each person as an individual. Our care is built around the people who live with us. We support older adults with their day to day needs, and we have particular experience in caring for those living with visual or hearing impairment. We understand that these conditions can affect how someone communicates and engages with the world around them, and we make sure our approach reflects that, working thoughtfully with each resident to ensure they feel confident and included in daily life. We also offer respite care, which can be a real lifeline for families and carers who need some time to rest and recharge. Whether someone stays with us for a short period or makes Millcroft their long term home, we aim to provide the same attentive, consistent care throughout. Our most recent inspection by the Care Quality Commission resulted in an overall rating of good, which reflects the hard work of our whole team and the standards we hold ourselves to every day. Horam is a lovely part of East Sussex, and our residents are able to enjoy the surrounding countryside and community as much as they wish. We believe that where you live matters, and we try to make the most of our setting. If you are considering care for yourself or someone close to you, we would always encourage you to come and visit us. There is no better way to get a feel for Millcroft than to walk through the door and meet the people who live and work here.

    • Older Person Care
    • Visual / Hearing Impairment
    • Respite Care

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    Jemini Response - 17 Jerome Close Care home in Eastbourne · Rated Good by CQC

    CQC: good

    17 Jerome Close, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN23 7QY

    Weekly fees

    £1,100 to £1,450 regional guide for the South East, ask the home

    Nursing on site

    No, residential

    Short stays

    Yes, respite

    CQC rated

    Nov 2019 over 6 years ago, ask what has changed

    Run by

    Jemini Response Limited

    Local authority: East Sussex County Council · Check what you would pay

    • Care Home

    17 Jerome Close in Eastbourne is a small residential care home for adults living with learning disabilities and autism, including younger adults. Being a small house is the point of the place. With only a few people living here, staff know everybody properly rather than knowing a file about them, the week can be shaped around individuals rather than a rota, and somebody who needs quiet is actually able to find some. It also means the people who live here have real influence over how the house runs, from what gets cooked to how the shared rooms look and who comes to visit. We support people to do as much for themselves as they want and are able to, whether that is cooking, shopping, handling money, getting around Eastbourne or keeping up with college, work and friendships. Where somebody needs a lot of support, we give it without making them feel lesser for needing it. Communication is planned around each individual, and we take change at a pace people can manage. Respite stays are available. Our most recent overall rating from the Care Quality Commission is good, and visitors are welcome.

    • Learning Disability / Autism
    • Younger Adults
    • Respite Care

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    Cross Lane House Care home in Wadhurst · Rated Good by CQC

    CQC: good

    Cross Lane Cottage, Wadhurst, East Sussex TN5 7HQ

    Weekly fees

    £1,100 to £1,450 regional guide for the South East, ask the home

    Nursing on site

    No, residential

    Short stays

    Yes, respite

    CQC rated

    Sep 2019 over 7 years ago, ask what has changed

    Run by

    Cross Lane Care Ltd

    Local authority: East Sussex County Council · Check what you would pay

    • Care Home

    Cross Lane House is a residential care home in Wadhurst, East Sussex, for older people who need care, company and a settled place to live. We are a house rather than an institution, and the day here has the ordinary shape of meals, conversation, fresh air and rest. Our care is residential rather than nursing. We help with washing and dressing, medication, meals, mobility and company, and we call in community health professionals whenever something more clinical is needed. Just as important are the things that are harder to write into a care plan: being listened to, having proper conversation, and somebody noticing when a resident seems quieter or less well than usual. We keep an eye on how people are eating and sleeping, because those are often the first signs that something needs attention. Respite stays are available as well. They give family carers a proper break, and they let somebody find out how the home feels before any permanent decision is taken. Our most recent overall rating from the Care Quality Commission is good. We would far rather you formed your own view than relied on ours, so please visit during an ordinary day, talk to the people who live here and ask us whatever you need to know.

    • Older Person Care
    • Respite Care

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  4. Mountain Ash Care home in Fairlight · Rated Good by CQC

    CQC: good

    Fairlight Gardens, Fairlight, East Sussex TN35 4AY

    Weekly fees

    £1,100 to £1,450 regional guide for the South East, ask the home

    Nursing on site

    No, residential

    Short stays

    Yes, respite

    CQC rated

    Jul 2019 over 7 years ago, ask what has changed

    Run by

    Voyage 1 Limited

    Local authority: East Sussex County Council · Check what you would pay

    • Care Home

    Mountain Ash is a residential care home at Fairlight in East Sussex, supporting adults with a learning disability or autism, adults living with mental health conditions, people with physical disabilities and people with a visual or hearing impairment. Support is planned individually. It can include help with personal care, medication, cooking, laundry, managing money and getting to appointments, and it takes in the parts of life that matter just as much: friendships, going out, keeping up an interest, having plans of your own. We communicate in whatever way suits each person, adapting for sight and hearing where that is needed, and we help people move about safely without taking over from them. A settled routine matters greatly to many of those we support, and where somebody wants more independence we plan support that draws back as their confidence grows. Most of the people we support are younger adults. Respite stays are available too, giving family carers a real break and letting somebody get used to the place first. Our most recent overall rating from the Care Quality Commission is good. Please come and visit, meet the people who live here and see how the household actually works.

    • Learning Disability / Autism
    • Mental Health
    • Physical Disability
    • Visual / Hearing Impairment
    • Younger Adults
    • Respite Care

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    63 Collier Road Care home in Hastings · Rated Good by CQC

    CQC: good

    63 Collier Road, Hastings, East Sussex TN34 3JS

    Weekly fees

    £1,100 to £1,450 regional guide for the South East, ask the home

    Nursing on site

    No, residential

    Short stays

    Yes, respite

    CQC rated

    Dec 2018 over 7 years ago, ask what has changed

    Run by

    ASD Unique Services LLP

    Local authority: East Sussex County Council · Check what you would pay

    • Care Home

    Our home at 63 Collier Road in Hastings provides residential care for adults with a learning disability, autistic adults and people living with mental ill health, including younger adults. We also offer respite stays. This is a house and we want it to feel like one. The people who live here have their own rooms, their own belongings and their own way of running a day, and support is arranged around that rather than around a timetable that suits staff. Some people arrive needing space and patience before they settle, and we do not rush that or treat it as a problem. Support is planned around what each person wants to be able to do rather than simply around risk. Cooking, shopping, managing money, using transport, getting to activities, college or work, and keeping up with family and friends. Where somebody needs a lot of help, we still look for what they can take on themselves. We learn how each person communicates, including those who use little or no speech, and we pay attention to noise, lighting and predictability. Where mental ill health is part of the picture we work closely with community teams. Our most recent overall rating from the Care Quality Commission is good. Please get in touch to visit.

    • Learning Disability / Autism
    • Mental Health
    • Younger Adults
    • Respite Care

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    Heatherdene Care home in Eastbourne · Rated Good by CQC

    CQC: good

    14 Southfields Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN21 1BU

    Weekly fees

    £1,100 to £1,450 regional guide for the South East, ask the home

    Nursing on site

    No, residential

    Short stays

    Yes, respite

    CQC rated

    Feb 2020 over 6 years ago, ask what has changed

    Run by

    Heatherdene Limited

    Local authority: East Sussex County Council · Check what you would pay

    • Care Home

    Here at Heatherdene, we offer residential care for older people in the heart of Eastbourne, East Sussex. Our home is a place where residents feel genuinely at ease, supported by a team that takes the time to get to know each person as an individual, not just a set of care needs. We support people living with a range of conditions and circumstances, including mental health needs and visual or hearing impairments. We also offer respite care for those who need a short break from their usual arrangements, whether that is to recover after a hospital stay or to give a family carer some well earned rest. Whatever brings someone to us, we do our very best to make the transition feel calm and straightforward. Our most recent Care Quality Commission inspection rated us as Good, which we are proud of, though we see it as a reflection of everyday work rather than something to rest on. We are always looking at how we can do better, and we welcome honest feedback from residents, families and visitors. Life at Heatherdene is shaped around the people who live here. Mealtimes, activities and daily routines are built with residents in mind, and we make a point of listening when someone wants something done differently. Families are always welcome, and we try to keep communication open and straightforward so that everyone feels involved in their loved one's care. Eastbourne is a wonderful place to be based, and we make the most of everything the local area has to offer when residents want to get out and about. For those who prefer the comfort of home, there is always something going on here too. If you would like to find out more or arrange a visit, we would be very happy to hear from you.

    • Older Person Care
    • Mental Health
    • Visual / Hearing Impairment
    • Respite Care

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    Beachlands Residential Care Home Care home in Seaford · Rated Good by CQC

    CQC: good

    Marine Parade, Seaford, East Sussex BN25 2PY

    Weekly fees

    £1,100 to £1,450 regional guide for the South East, ask the home

    Nursing on site

    No, residential

    Short stays

    Yes, respite

    CQC rated

    Feb 2020 over 6 years ago, ask what has changed

    Run by

    Beachlands Care Limited

    Local authority: East Sussex County Council · Check what you would pay

    • Care Home

    Beachlands is a residential care home in Seaford supporting older people, including those staying with us for respite. We are on the Sussex coast and we make use of it. There are walks, there is sea air, and there is a town worth going into, and residents who want any of that are helped to have it. Those who would rather stay put with a paper and a good window are equally well served. The home runs at the pace of the people living in it. People get up when they wake, eat what they fancy and choose their own company. Staff learn residents' histories properly, because you cannot care well for someone you only know as a set of needs. We are conscious that moving into a care home usually follows a loss of some kind, often a house lived in for decades. We take time over settling in, arrange rooms with people's own furniture and pictures where we can, and do not expect anyone to feel at home by the end of the first week. Respite guests are welcome and receive exactly what permanent residents receive. Our most recent overall rating from the Care Quality Commission was good. If you would like to look round, please get in touch and come and see us at a time that suits you.

    • Older Person Care
    • Respite Care

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  8. Bishops Gate Care home in St Leonards-on-Sea · Rated Good by CQC

    CQC: good

    58 Springfield Road, St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex TN38 0TZ

    Weekly fees

    £1,100 to £1,450 regional guide for the South East, ask the home

    Nursing on site

    No, residential

    Short stays

    Yes, respite

    CQC rated

    Jan 2023 over 3 years ago, ask what has changed

    Run by

    New Directions (Hastings) Limited

    Local authority: East Sussex County Council · Check what you would pay

    • Care Home

    Bishops Gate is a residential care home in St Leonards on Sea supporting adults with a learning disability, autistic adults and older people who need residential care. Many of the people here are younger adults, and we offer respite stays. A home with that sort of mix only works if support is genuinely built around each person, so that is how we plan it. Somebody who wants a quiet and predictable life gets one. Somebody who wants to be out, busy and involved gets support that makes it possible rather than support that gets in the way. Arrangements are reviewed as people change, because what somebody wants does not stand still. We take independence seriously rather than simply mentioning it. Where somebody can do a thing with a little help, that is better than having it done for them, even when it takes longer. For autistic people, the environment is part of the care rather than the backdrop, and noise, lighting and short notice are things we plan around deliberately. Respite stays give a family carer a genuine break with proper support in place. Our most recent overall rating from the Care Quality Commission is good. Please get in touch if you would like to visit.

    • Older Person Care
    • Learning Disability / Autism
    • Younger Adults
    • Respite Care

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  9. Grosvenor House Care home in St Leonards-on-Sea · Rated Good by CQC

    CQC: good

    11-14 Grosvenor Gardens, St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex TN38 0AE

    Weekly fees

    £1,100 to £1,450 regional guide for the South East, ask the home

    Nursing on site

    No, residential

    Short stays

    Yes, respite

    CQC rated

    Mar 2026

    Run by

    Greensleeves Homes Trust

    Local authority: East Sussex County Council · Check what you would pay

    • Care Home

    Grosvenor House is a residential care home in St Leonards on Sea, East Sussex. We care for older people, including many living with dementia, and for people with physical disabilities. A care home is somebody's home before it is anything else, and we try to keep that at the front of our minds. People here get up when they want to, eat food they actually like, see visitors when it suits them, and keep hold of their own opinions and habits. Help with washing, dressing, medication and mobility is given in a way that protects dignity, which mostly comes down to asking first, explaining, and never doing for a person what they can still do for themselves. Dementia care is a large part of our work, and most of what is useful comes from families. Knowing what somebody did for a living, who they are thinking of when they become anxious, which songs settle a difficult afternoon. We ask for that history, we record it and we pass it between shifts. Respite stays are available as well as permanent places. Our most recent overall rating from the Care Quality Commission is good. Anyone considering a move is welcome to visit and ask us anything at all.

    • Older Person Care
    • Dementia Care
    • Physical Disability
    • Respite Care

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    Blatchington Manor Care home in Seaford · Rated Good by CQC

    CQC: good

    Firle Road, Seaford, East Sussex BN25 2HH

    Weekly fees

    £1,100 to £1,450 regional guide for the South East, ask the home

    Nursing on site

    No, residential

    Short stays

    Yes, respite

    CQC rated

    Aug 2024

    Run by

    South Coast Nursing Homes Limited

    Local authority: East Sussex County Council · Check what you would pay

    • Care Home

    Blatchington Manor is a residential care home in Seaford, East Sussex, caring for older people, including many living with dementia. Families usually reach us tired. The decision to move a relative into a care home is rarely taken lightly and often follows a long stretch of managing at home with too little help. One of the most useful things we can do early is take some of that weight off, be honest about what we can and cannot offer, and make it possible for a daughter or a husband to go back to being family rather than a carer who never gets an evening off. For the person moving in, the first weeks are what count. We want to know how they have always run their day, what they are proud of, who they want to hear from, what unsettles them and what makes an afternoon good. We write it down, we use it, and we keep correcting it as we learn. Respite stays are available as well as permanent places. Our most recent overall rating from the Care Quality Commission is good. Anyone considering a move is welcome to visit and take their time.

    • Older Person Care
    • Dementia Care
    • Respite Care

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  11. Telscombe Road Care home in Peacehaven · Rated Good by CQC

    CQC: good

    66a Telscombe Road, Peacehaven, East Sussex BN10 7UB

    Weekly fees

    £1,100 to £1,450 regional guide for the South East, ask the home

    Nursing on site

    No, residential

    Short stays

    Yes, respite

    CQC rated

    May 2025

    Run by

    Ambitious about Autism

    Local authority: East Sussex County Council · Check what you would pay

    • Care Home

    We are a small residential care home on Telscombe Road in Peacehaven, supporting adults with a learning disability and autistic adults. Most of the people who live here are younger adults. Being small is the basis of how we work. This is a house with a handful of people living in it, which means staff know everybody properly and the place runs around individuals rather than around a system. People have their own rooms set up the way they want, share the rest of the house, and have a real say in how things are done, from the weekly shop to how the day is organised. Support is built around what each person wants their life to look like. For some that means a busy week of college, work or activities out in the community. For others it means a settled routine at home with familiar company. Where somebody wants to take on more for themselves, we work at it gradually rather than assuming a limit on their behalf. Communication underpins everything. We take time to learn how each person tells us what they need, in whatever form that takes, and we make sure new staff learn it from the people who know it best before working alone. We work closely with families, social workers and health professionals, and we offer respite stays as well as permanent places. Our most recent CQC overall rating is good. Please contact us to visit.

    • Learning Disability / Autism
    • Younger Adults
    • Respite Care

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    Ambleside Residential Care Home Care home in Bexhill On Sea · Rated Good by CQC

    CQC: good

    122 De La Warr Road, Bexhill On Sea, East Sussex TN40 2JL

    Weekly fees

    £1,100 to £1,450 regional guide for the South East, ask the home

    Nursing on site

    No, residential

    Short stays

    Yes, respite

    CQC rated

    May 2019 over 7 years ago, ask what has changed

    Run by

    Grace Care Homes Limited

    Local authority: East Sussex County Council · Check what you would pay

    • Care Home

    Ambleside Residential Care Home is in Bexhill on Sea, caring for older people who need support with everyday life, including residents living with dementia. What we provide is help with the ordinary business of the day, given without fuss: assistance to wash and dress, medication managed properly and on time, meals cooked on the premises, support to get about safely and staff available through the night. It reads simply, and much of it is, but doing it reliably and in a way that never makes somebody feel like a task on a list takes genuine attention. Dementia care here is built on familiarity. Keeping staff, routines and surroundings consistent removes much of the anxiety that comes with memory loss, so we plan rotas with that in mind and we ask families to tell us about working lives, music, habits and the things that will always get a response. Respite stays are available as well as permanent places. Our most recent overall rating from the Care Quality Commission is good. Families across East Sussex are welcome to visit.

    • Older Person Care
    • Dementia Care
    • Respite Care

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  13. Lydfords Care Home Care home in Lewes · Rated Good by CQC

    CQC: good

    23 High Street, Lewes, East Sussex BN8 6DR

    Weekly fees

    £1,100 to £1,450 regional guide for the South East, ask the home

    Nursing on site

    No, residential

    Short stays

    Yes, respite

    CQC rated

    Jul 2023 over 3 years ago, ask what has changed

    Run by

    Barchester Healthcare Homes Limited

    Local authority: East Sussex County Council · Check what you would pay

    • Care Home

    Lydfords Care Home is near Lewes in East Sussex, and we provide residential care for older people who need support with daily living, and for younger adults who need a supportive household. Respite stays are available too, planned or at short notice. The first fortnight after a move matters a great deal, and we give it real thought. We want to know before somebody arrives how they take their tea, what time they wake, what they cannot abide and who they want to be able to ring. Those details are what start turning a strange room into their room. We help with personal care, dressing, medication and mobility, and we do only as much as somebody needs. Where a resident can still manage something for themselves, they keep it, and we are in no hurry to take things over. Dementia care is a large part of our work, and we treat it as caring for a person rather than managing a condition. We keep the day's rhythm steady and the surroundings familiar, give people time instead of finishing their sentences for them, and ask families about earlier life, because that knowledge is what makes sense of a mood or a repeated question. Our most recent overall rating from the Care Quality Commission is good. Come and see us on an ordinary afternoon. A home is far easier to judge when nothing has been arranged for a visitor's benefit.

    • Older Person Care
    • Dementia Care
    • Younger Adults
    • Respite Care

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  14. EVHM LLP - 24 Tower Road West Care home in St. Leonards-on-sea · Rated Good by CQC

    CQC: good

    24 Tower Road West, St. Leonards-on-sea, East Sussex TN38 0RG

    Weekly fees

    £1,100 to £1,450 regional guide for the South East, ask the home

    Nursing on site

    No, residential

    Short stays

    Yes, respite

    CQC rated

    Aug 2026

    Run by

    EVHM LLP

    Local authority: East Sussex County Council · Check what you would pay

    • Care Home

    24 Tower Road West is a small residential care home in St Leonards on Sea, East Sussex, supporting adults with a learning disability or autism alongside older people who need residential care. Because the house is small, it can be shaped around the people who live in it rather than around a routine that suits an organisation. Support is planned individually. It can include help with personal care, medication, cooking, laundry, managing money and getting to appointments, and it takes in the parts of life that matter just as much: friendships, going out, keeping up an interest, having something worthwhile in the week. We communicate in whatever way suits each person, and we give people the time to do things their own way rather than stepping in for the sake of speed. Where somebody wants more independence, support is planned to draw back as their confidence grows. We support younger adults as well as older residents. Respite stays are available, giving family carers a real break and letting somebody try the house first. Our most recent overall rating from the Care Quality Commission is good. Please come and visit, meet the people who live here and see how the household actually works.

    • Older Person Care
    • Learning Disability / Autism
    • Younger Adults
    • Respite Care

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  15. Blair House Care home in St Leonards On Sea · Rated Good by CQC

    CQC: good

    24 Pevensey Road, St Leonards On Sea, East Sussex TN38 0LF

    Weekly fees

    £1,100 to £1,450 regional guide for the South East, ask the home

    Nursing on site

    No, residential

    Short stays

    Yes, respite

    CQC rated

    Nov 2022 over 3 years ago, ask what has changed

    Run by

    Regal Care Trading Ltd

    Local authority: East Sussex County Council · Check what you would pay

    • Care Home

    Blair House is a residential care home in St Leonards On Sea, East Sussex. The people living here include older people, many of them living with dementia, along with people with a physical disability and people with sight or hearing loss. Respite stays are available. Because our residents need quite different things from us, support is planned with each person rather than run to a single pattern. People keep their own rooms, their own belongings and their own routines, and they decide how much of the day to spend in company and how much on their own. We ask about the small preferences in detail and expect our staff to follow them, since those details are most of what makes a place feel like home. For residents living with dementia, consistency helps more than anything. Familiar staff, routines that change only when there is a reason, and the patience to understand what somebody means when words have become unreliable. Where people have sight or hearing loss we take particular care over how we communicate, so that nobody is left out of what is going on around them. Our most recent overall rating from the Care Quality Commission is good. We take it as evidence that the everyday work is being done properly and we keep looking at the detail. If you are considering a care home in this part of East Sussex for someone close to you, you are welcome to visit and ask us anything you like.

    • Older Person Care
    • Dementia Care
    • Physical Disability
    • Visual / Hearing Impairment
    • Respite Care

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What care homes cost in East Sussex, per week

Type of careWhat the council paysWhat self-funders are typically asked
Residential care Middle half of prices from 107 South East homes. Median £1,600.Varies by council£1,500 to £1,809
Nursing care Middle half of prices from 63 South East homes. Median £1,933.Varies by council£1,617 to £2,080
Residential dementia care Middle half of prices from 82 South East homes. Median £1,709.Not published separately£1,571 to £1,942
Nursing dementia care Middle half of prices from 37 South East 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. What a council pays differs from council to council. Ask the home for its own price. Powered by Orrery Intelligence.

Arranging and funding a care home place in East Sussex

Getting the need assessed

Families who ring homes before an assessment often find themselves repeating the same conversation, so it is worth having the need recorded first. Any adult who appears to require care and support can ask for an assessment, and it is provided free of charge whatever their income or capital. The assessor examines personal care, mobility, memory, night time safety and whether support at home might still be workable. East Sussex County Council carries out these assessments and arranges funded support for anyone meeting the eligibility criteria, and a relative can begin the request on somebody else's behalf. The written outcome then guides the care plan and any decision about money.

Weekly fees and contributions

Residential care is charged as a weekly fee taking in the room, meals, laundry and personal support, although homes differ over what that figure covers. A financial assessment accompanies the needs assessment, measuring income and capital against national thresholds to establish the personal contribution. Where the council funds or part funds a place, family may be asked for a third party top up if the chosen home charges above the council rate, and that arrangement should be written down before a move. Where the need is chiefly clinical rather than social, NHS continuing healthcare is worth raising, since it is assessed and paid for through the health service. Ask each home for a written schedule showing exactly which extras sit outside the weekly fee.

Choosing between care homes in East Sussex

What the ratings can and cannot tell you

Good is the prevailing outcome across these two hundred and nine homes and covers providers such as Bevern View, Castlemaine Care Home, Ashley Gardens and Nutley Hall. A smaller group, including Dalling House, Parkgate Manor and Lynfords, are rated Requires Improvement, and their reports explain precisely what inspectors asked to be put right. An Outstanding rating is represented on this list as well. Ratings age, though, so check when each inspection took place and ask the manager what has changed since, particularly where the visit was some time ago.

What to look at when you visit

Go when the home is busy, ideally at a mealtime, and give more weight to what is happening around you than to the tour itself. Notice whether residents are up, dressed and occupied, how promptly call bells are answered, and whether staff speak to people by name and at eye level. Ask how many permanent staff are rostered on each shift, how long they have been in post and how often agency cover is used overnight. Ask plainly what happens if needs increase, because a residential home is not always registered to keep somebody who later needs nursing.

Comparing the final few

Ease of visiting matters more than families anticipate, as the placements that settle best are those relatives can reach without turning each visit into an outing. Compare what the fee includes, whether a trial stay is offered, and whether the room you were shown is the room your relative would keep. Two or three visits are usually enough to make the right choice obvious.

Frequently asked questions about care homes in East Sussex

Will East Sussex County Council fund a care home place?

It may contribute, though what is paid follows a financial assessment as well as the assessment of need. Capital and income are compared with national thresholds to decide the personal contribution towards the weekly fee. If the preferred home charges more than the council will meet, family may be asked for a third party top up. Anyone whose needs are primarily clinical should ask about NHS continuing healthcare, which the health service funds instead.

How is a care needs assessment arranged in East Sussex?

Contact East Sussex County Council adult social care and ask for one, which can normally be started online or by telephone. The entitlement applies to anyone who appears to need care and support, and there is no charge. An assessor will talk through daily routines, memory, safety at home and the help family already provides. The written outcome records eligible needs and is the basis for any funded placement.

How far in advance should we start looking?

Allow several weeks where circumstances permit, since assessments, financial checks and visits rarely align neatly. Homes with strong reputations often keep waiting lists, so visiting more than one and keeping a second choice in reserve is sensible. When a hospital discharge is driving the timing, tell the ward team and the council at once because those placements move faster. An early start also means the decision can be taken calmly.

Which care homes in East Sussex are listed here?

215 residential care homes registered with the Care Quality Commission in East Sussex are gathered on this page. They range from large purpose built homes to smaller houses looking after a dozen or so residents. Each entry opens onto a profile with the provider details and the published inspection rating. Comparing them side by side makes shortlisting considerably easier.

What should I ask when visiting a care home in East Sussex?

Ask how many permanent staff cover each shift, how long they have been there and how much agency cover is used. Find out how care plans are reviewed, how families are informed about falls or illness and how medicines are handled. Ask what the weekly fee includes and what is charged separately, from hairdressing to chiropody and outings. Then ask what happens if needs change, and read the latest inspection report before you decide.

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

A residential care home offers a permanent home with meals, laundry and help with personal care, staffed throughout the day and night. A nursing home provides all of that and employs registered nurses, so clinical needs such as complex wounds or feeding tubes can be met on site. The distinction matters when health needs are likely to grow, since a residential home may not be registered to meet them. Both are inspected by the Care Quality Commission under different regulated activities.

Other types of care in East Sussex

Care homes near East Sussex

Search for care homes in towns near East Sussex.

Local authority support in East Sussex

East Sussex County Council arranges and funds adult social care in this area. Use these official council links to check funding, request an assessment and get support.

Adult social care website East Sussex County Council

Council service pages 12 of 19

View full East Sussex County Council page

Guides for choosing a care home

Plain-English advice on choosing and paying for care homes.

Free care planning tools

Tools to help you understand your options, check funding eligibility, and plan ahead.

  • Personalised Assistant Answer a few questions and get a tailored list of suitable care homes.
  • Concierge Answer 13 questions about care needs, location, and preferences to receive a personalised shortlist of matched homes.
  • Funding Calculator Estimate how much care will cost and what financial support may be available.
  • CHC Assessment Check whether your relative may qualify for NHS Continuing Healthcare funding.
  • CHC DST Assessment Complete the Decision Support Tool used in NHS CHC funding assessments.
  • Map Explorer Browse care homes near you on an interactive map.

Provider information is sourced from the Care Quality Commission (CQC), last updated September 2026.