Can Hertfordshire County Council fund a care home placement?

It can, where the needs assessment shows residential care is required and the financial assessment shows capital below the national upper threshold. Support is worked out on a sliding scale and the resident normally contributes from income as well. What happens to a property depends on who continues to live in it, and deferred payment arrangements exist where wealth is tied up in a house. Ask for the calculation in writing so the figures can be checked.

How do we arrange a care needs assessment in St Albans?

Contact Hertfordshire County Council and ask for an adult social care needs assessment. The request can come from the person needing care, from a relative or friend acting for them, or from a GP or hospital discharge team. There is no charge and savings do not affect the right to be assessed. The written outcome describes the support required and becomes the basis for choosing a home and for any funding decision.

How far ahead should a family start looking?

Earlier than feels necessary, because well regarded homes hold waiting lists and an emergency removes almost all choice. Starting in good time also lets the person concerned visit and give a view of their own. A calm order is to request the assessment, build a shortlist and visit while there is still time to reflect. If a hospital discharge is setting the pace, a short stay elsewhere can create room to choose properly.

Which care providers in St Albans are listed here?

Seventeen residential care homes in St Albans appear in this collection, each with its own profile on Care Assura. All are registered with the Care Quality Commission, the regulator that inspects and rates adult social care in England. Each profile carries the current published rating and links to the inspection report behind it. Because the grades on this list are not uniform, the reports are the part worth reading closely.

What should we ask when visiting a care home in St Albans?

Ask how many carers are on duty by day and by night, and how long the present team has worked at the home. Ask how the day is organised and what is offered to a resident who would rather not join a group. Ask to see an example care plan and how residents and families help shape it. Then ask for the fee schedule in writing, with every chargeable extra listed.

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

A residential care home provides a permanent home with personal care, meaning help with washing, dressing, medication, meals and company. A nursing home offers the same support and also employs registered nurses at all hours, so clinical care is given on the premises. The distinction is fixed by each provider's registration and limits who may be admitted. All the homes on this page are registered for residential care, so a continuing nursing need points towards a nursing registered home.

Care Homes in St Albans

St Albans has 17 CQC registered care homes. 15 are rated Good, 1 Requires improvement, 1 Inadequate. 15 of the 17 were last inspected more than three years ago.

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

St Albans at a glance

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

Hertfordshire County Council pays, residential care: £906 a week. Self-funders are typically asked £1,585 to £1,856, median £1,700
Care home beds filled across Hertfordshire: 86%. The 12 month average is 85%.
Care home beds per 1,000 people aged 75+: 69. Hertfordshire average is 79.
People aged 75 and over: 14,400. Rising to 16,500 by 2035, up 14%
Care homes, last 12 months: 1 opened, 1 closed. 3 changed owner, covering 120 beds.
Who pays, across Hertfordshire (estimate): 34% council, 49% self. The rest is NHS funded or other.
Living with dementia, aged 65 and over (estimate): 1,900. Rising to 2,400 by 2035, up 23%
People aged 85 and over: 4,300. Rising to 6,100 by 2035, up 41%

Planned and recent building work within 5 miles

St Matthews Residential Care Home Chequer Lane Redbourn Hertfordshire Al3 7Qg. Application for a 2 bed care home. Submitted 21 May 2026. Decision pending. (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 St Albans

Two questions decide how a placement is funded, and they are asked in a fixed order. What does this person need? Only afterwards: what can they afford, and what does the state contribute? Families who understand that order find the rest considerably less daunting.

Asking for an assessment of needs

Any adult who appears to need care and support has the right to a free assessment, whatever their capital and whether or not they expect to pay privately. A practitioner considers washing and dressing, mobility, medication, nutrition, safety and isolation, then records what support is required. That written outcome shapes which homes are suitable and underpins any funding claim later. Arrange it through Hertfordshire County Council adult social care, and ask for a carer's assessment in your own right if you have been providing support at home.

How the contribution is calculated

A financial assessment then measures capital and income against national thresholds. Above the upper threshold the placement is self funded. Below it the council pays a share while the resident contributes from income and keeps a protected personal allowance. Where a property forms part of the picture, its treatment depends on who else lives there, and a deferred payment agreement can postpone a sale. Ask for the arithmetic in writing.

What a weekly fee covers

Fees differ between homes and between rooms within one home, according to size, outlook and the support needed. Ask for an itemised statement of what is included and what is billed separately, such as hairdressing, chiropody, outings or escorted appointments. Ask how often fees are reviewed and what notice precedes an increase. Two quotations become comparable only once both lists are in front of you.

Choosing a home here and what to check

Where the grades sit

Fifteen of these homes hold Good, meaning inspectors judged them safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led at the last visit. One holds Requires Improvement, which calls for the report rather than an outright dismissal. One carries Inadequate, and that report should be read in full before any visit is arranged, since it sets out precisely what inspectors found and what the provider was required to put right. Check the date of each inspection as carefully as the grade itself.

Registration and the longer view

Every provider on this page is registered as a residential care home, which means personal care rather than nursing on the premises. District nurses visit for particular tasks and that covers most circumstances. A continuing clinical need belongs in a nursing registered home instead. Ask each home what it does when a resident's needs increase, and whether anyone has had to move on as a result.

What a second visit shows

See each shortlisted home twice, once by appointment and once unannounced at an ordinary hour. Watch whether residents look comfortable and occupied, whether staff use people's names, and how long a call bell rings before anyone answers. Ask how many carers are on overnight, how long the team has been in post, and how a family goes about raising a concern.

17 care homes in St Albans

Station Road · 1 Station Road, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL4 8BU
Care home · CQC Good · Run by MacIntyre Care
Station Road is a residential care home in St Albans 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...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Respite Care
Strathmore Lodge · 2 Hall Place Gardens, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL1 3SP
Care home · CQC Good · Run by ODK Care Hotels Ltd
We are Strathmore Lodge, a residential care home in St Albans, Hertfordshire. We provide a home for older people, including those living with dementia and people with a physical disability, and we also take respite stays. A home of our...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Physical Disability, Respite Care
Chiswell Residential Home · 193 Watford Road, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL2 3HH
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Mrs S Dewing
We are Chiswell Residential Home in St Albans, Hertfordshire. We provide residential care for older people, including those living with a mental health condition, and we offer respite stays as well as permanent places. Residential care...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Mental Health, Respite Care
Beau Sejour Care Services · 12-14 Castle Road, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL1 5DL
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Beau Sejour Residential Care Home Limited
Beau Sejour is a residential care home in St Albans, Hertfordshire. We support older people and younger adults, including residents living with dementia, adults with a learning disability or autism, people living with a mental health...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Younger Adults, Respite Care
HSN Care (Bricket Wood) · 2-4 The Kestrels, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL2 3YB
Care home · CQC Good · Run by HSN Care (Bricket Wood) Limited
We at HSN Care (Bricket Wood) are proud to offer a warm and welcoming residential care home in the peaceful village setting of Bricket Wood, near St Albans in Hertfordshire, where personalised support meets a genuine sense of community....
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Fosse House · Ermine Close, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL3 4LA
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Quantum Care Limited
Fosse House is a care home in St Albans in Hertfordshire. We provide residential care for older people and younger adults, including people living with dementia and people with physical disabilities. Respite stays are available. We want...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Physical Disability, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Birchwood Bungalow · Off How Wood, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL2 2QZ
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Voyage 1 Limited
Birchwood Bungalow is a small residential care home in St Albans, Hertfordshire. Being small is the point. Everyone who lives here knows everyone else, staff know how each person likes their day to run, and nobody gets lost in a crowd. We...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Vesta Lodge · Watling View, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL1 2PB
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Quantum Care Limited
We are a residential care home in St Albans, providing a home for older people and younger adults who need help with daily living, including those living with dementia and people with physical disabilities. Our aim is a settled house where...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Physical Disability, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Tara's Retreat Care Home · High Street, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL4 9DQ
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Colleycare Limited
Tara's Retreat Care Home is in St Albans. We provide residential care for older people, including those living with dementia, along with respite and short stays. We are not a large place and we do not try to be one. What we offer is a...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Respite Care
Clare Lodge Care Home · 8 Battlefield Road, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL1 4DD
Care home · CQC Good · Run by B & M Investments Limited
At Clare Lodge Care Home, we are proud to be part of the St Albans community in Hertfordshire, offering a warm and genuinely homely environment for older people who need support to live well. We specialise in residential care, dementia...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Respite Care
Abbey Lodge Care Home UNIT 1 · 49 Harvey Road, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL2 1NA
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Mrs Meetranee Chintaram
Abbey Lodge Care Home is a residential care home in St Albans in Hertfordshire. We support adults managing mental health conditions, and we offer respite stays for people whose usual home is elsewhere. Supporting mental health in a...
Specialisms: Mental Health, Respite Care
Lyndon House · 2 High Street, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL4 9DH
Care home · CQC Good · Run by The Salvation Army Social Work Trust
Lyndon House is a residential care home in St Albans. We look after older people who need daily care and support, including many people living with dementia. Good dementia care is mostly unglamorous. It is familiar faces, meals at the...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Respite Care
Milehouse Lane · 25 Milehouse Lane, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL1 1TF
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Voyage 1 Limited
Milehouse Lane is a residential care home in St Albans supporting adults with a learning disability and autistic adults, including younger adults moving towards a more independent life. Ordinary life is the point of the place. People here...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Younger Adults, Respite Care
United Response - 66 & 66a Lemsford Road · 66 & 66a Lemsford Road, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL1 3PT
Care home · CQC Inadequate · Run by United Response
We are the United Response home on Lemsford Road in St Albans, Hertfordshire, where we support adults with a learning disability, autistic adults, and people with physical disabilities. Alongside the people who live here permanently, we...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Physical Disability, Respite Care
Lavender Lodge · 390 Hatfield Road, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL4 0DU
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Psycare Limited
We at Lavender Lodge are proud to offer a warm and welcoming residential care home in the heart of St Albans, where adults with learning disabilities and autism can feel truly at home. Our setting is designed to nurture independence whilst...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Respite Care
Bricket Wood Care · 9 The Uplands, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL2 3UW
Care home · CQC Requires improvement · Run by Bricket Wood Care Limited
Bricket Wood Care is a residential care home near St Albans. We provide care for older people and also support adults with a learning disability, autistic adults, people living with mental ill health and younger adults. Respite stays are...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Greenwood Cottage · 40 Tippendell Lane, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL2 3HL
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Psycare Limited
We at Greenwood Cottage are proud to offer a warm and welcoming residential care home in the heart of St Albans, Hertfordshire, where adults with learning disabilities and autism can truly feel at home. Our specialised residential care is...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Respite Care

What care costs in Hertfordshire, per week

Type of care	What the council pays	What self-funders are typically asked
Residential care Middle half of prices from 12 Hertfordshire homes. Median £1,700.	£906	£1,585 to £1,856
Nursing care East of England figure, because too few Hertfordshire homes publish this price. 17 homes. Median £1,935.	£1,036	£1,800 to £2,126
Residential dementia care Middle half of prices from 12 Hertfordshire homes. Median £1,766.	Not published separately	£1,678 to £1,874
Nursing dementia care East of England figure, because too few Hertfordshire homes publish this price. 10 homes. Median £1,940.	Not published separately	£1,870 to £2,100

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

Clare Lodge Care Home, 31 July 2026, Good
United Response - 66 & 66a Lemsford Road, 28 November 2025, Inadequate
HSN Care (Bricket Wood), 25 August 2021, Good

Longest since a report

Milehouse Lane, 28 September 2017, Good
Greenwood Cottage, 29 November 2017, Good
Station Road, 14 December 2017, Good

Frequently asked questions about care homes in St Albans

How many care homes are there in St Albans?

St Albans has 17 CQC registered care homes: 15 Good, 1 Requires improvement, 1 Inadequate. Counts come from the CQC register and are kept up to date as ratings change.

How much does a care home cost in St Albans?

Hertfordshire County Council pays an average of £906 a week for residential care. Self-funders are typically asked £1,585 to £1,856 a week. Middle half of prices from 12 Hertfordshire homes. Median £1,700. 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 St Albans were inspected most recently?

Clare Lodge Care Home (31 July 2026), United Response - 66 & 66a Lemsford Road (28 November 2025) and HSN Care (Bricket Wood) (25 August 2021) have the most recent CQC reports.

Local care news in Hertfordshire

CQC register adds a new care home in North Hertfordshire: Monread Lodge (5 November 2026)

More local care news for Hertfordshire