Care Homes in Battle

Battle has 6 CQC registered care homes. 4 are rated Good, 2 Requires improvement. 2 of the 6 were last inspected more than three years ago.

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

Choosing between the care homes in Battle and what to look for

A split verdict across a small list is more useful than it first looks, because it tells you where to spend your reading time. Six homes can all be looked at properly, and the two carrying lower ratings can be assessed on their own merits rather than dismissed or assumed safe. What remains is working out which of them suits the person who will actually live there.

What the inspection record shows

Edendale Lodge, Saxonwood, Hazel Lodge Care Home and Abbey Lodge are rated Good, while Parkgate Manor and Cedarwood House Care Home sit at Requires Improvement. A Requires Improvement judgement does not automatically rule a home out, since a change of manager or a clear action plan can turn a service round quickly, but it does mean reading the report first and asking directly what has changed since the inspectors left. Look at which of the key questions were marked down and how recently, and check the inspection date, because an older report describes the home as it stood then.

What to look for when you visit

Go at a busy hour rather than a quiet one, and notice whether residents are occupied or simply sitting. Ask how many carers are on duty overnight, how long the registered manager has been in post, and how many permanent staff have left over the past year. Watch how staff speak to the people already living there, because that is the thing no inspection summary ever fully captures.

Arranging care and sorting out the funding

Fees cannot be settled sensibly until the level of need is written down and the household finances have been looked at. Both steps are free.

Requesting a care needs assessment

You can ask for an assessment on your own behalf or for a relative who consents, and the right to one does not depend on income or savings. The assessor looks at washing, dressing, eating, medication, mobility, continence and how safe the current arrangement really is, then produces a written support plan. Ask for a copy, because every home will want to see it. If a hospital discharge is setting the timetable, say so, as assessments can be brought forward.

Who pays, and how much

Assessments and funded placements in Battle are handled by East Sussex County Council Adult Social Care, which carries out a financial assessment alongside the needs assessment to establish the household contribution. Income, savings and usually the value of a property are all taken into account, and anyone with capital above the upper threshold pays privately at the outset. Where the council does fund a placement it pays up to a set rate, and a home charging more may look for a contribution from a third party. Weekly fees differ by home and by room, so ask for a written schedule showing what the charge covers and when it was last reviewed.

Care Homes near Battle

• St Leonards On Sea
• Bexhill On Sea
• Hastings
• Rye