Care Homes in Chichester

Chichester has 22 CQC registered care homes. 19 are rated Good, 1 Outstanding, and 2 have not yet been rated. 14 of the 22 were last inspected more than three years ago.

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

What residential care in Chichester involves and what to look for

Residential care means something quite specific, and being clear about it early saves families from viewing the wrong homes. A residential home provides a room, meals, and personal care such as help with washing, dressing, medication and getting about, with staff on the premises at every hour. What it does not provide is a registered nurse on site around the clock, which is the province of a nursing home. Twenty two residential homes serve Chichester, so there is scope to be genuinely selective.

Making sense of the inspection results

The Care Quality Commission inspects every registered home and publishes a rating alongside a full report. Across Chichester the picture is a settled one: Nyton House currently holds an Outstanding rating, nineteen homes are rated Good, and two carry no published rating yet, which usually reflects recent registration rather than any concern. The grade itself is only the summary. Inspectors assess five separate areas, covering whether a home is safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led, and it is worth seeing how a home performed in each before drawing conclusions.

Judging whether a home suits the person

Beyond the paperwork, the question is whether someone would actually settle. Size changes the feel considerably, and a smaller home such as Aldingbourne Cottage offers something different from a larger setting like Augusta Court or Church Farm Care Home. Think about how easily relatives can visit, because frequent visitors are among the best informal safeguards a resident has. Look at whether residents seem occupied, whether staff know people by name, and how the place sounds at an ordinary hour rather than during a scheduled tour.

Getting an assessment and sorting out the funding

Beginning with a care needs assessment

Anyone who appears to need care and support has the right to a free care needs assessment, no matter what they have in savings. West Sussex County Council is responsible for carrying out that assessment for people living in Chichester, and for the financial assessment that follows, which establishes what a person contributes towards their fees. The written outcome is worth having in its own right, because it gives every home you approach the same clear account of what is needed rather than a family's best attempt at describing it. Where someone is in hospital, the ward discharge team can set the process running before they leave.

What the fees cover and who pays them

Weekly fees vary between homes in Chichester and rise with the level of support required, so ask each home for a written breakdown rather than accepting a headline figure. Establish what falls outside the basic rate, as hairdressing, chiropody, escorted appointments and certain activities are frequently billed separately. If the financial assessment shows that someone must meet the full cost themselves, the local authority still offers information and advice about arranging care. Where a family prefers a home charging more than the council would ordinarily pay for a funded placement, a third party may be asked to cover the difference, and that arrangement should always be put in writing before anyone signs.

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