Care Homes in Darwen
Darwen has 6 CQC registered care homes. 4 are rated Good, 1 Requires improvement, and 1 has not yet been rated. 5 of the 6 were last inspected more than three years ago.
Source: Care Quality Commission register, kept up to date as ratings change.
Darwen at a glance
What the local numbers say about care for older people in Darwen, to help you judge the options below.
- Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council pays, residential care: £800 a week. Self-funders are typically asked £1,249 to £1,514, median £1,409
- Care home beds filled across Blackburn with Darwen: 80%. The 12 month average is 83%.
- Care home beds per 1,000 people aged 75+: 97
- People aged 75 and over: 10,700. Rising to 12,100 by 2035, up 14%
- Care homes, last 12 months: 0 opened, 1 closed. 2 changed owner, covering 50 beds.
- Who pays, across Blackburn with Darwen (estimate): 47% council, 25% self. The rest is NHS funded or other.
- Living with dementia, aged 65 and over (estimate): 1,400. Rising to 1,600 by 2035, up 18%
- People aged 85 and over: 2,600. Rising to 3,500 by 2035, up 34%
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 Care in Darwen
Why the assessment comes before the visits
Everything downstream depends on one document, and it is not a brochure. The care needs assessment is what a home reads to judge whether it can meet the need and what to charge, and what a funder reads to decide whether it will contribute. It is free, it is not means tested, and it commits the family to nothing, so asking for it early saves a great deal of repetition later.
How the council supports it
Both the assessment and any funded support arising from it are the responsibility of Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council Adult Social Care, which will also assess a family carer's own needs on request. A financial assessment of income and capital is carried out separately, against thresholds set nationally rather than locally, so ask for the figures that apply this year instead of relying on what somebody was told previously.
What the fees look like
Above the capital threshold, the family arranges and pays the home directly. Below it, the council may fund the placement in full or seek an assessed contribution towards it. Weekly rates differ between the six homes here, so ask what the quoted figure covers, which items are billed separately, and what notice applies on either side if the placement comes to an end. Where a property is involved, ask the council about deferred payment arrangements.
Choosing a Provider in Darwen and What to Check
What the grades tell you
Four of the six are rated Good, one carries Requires Improvement and one is not yet rated, which ordinarily reflects a recent registration rather than a concern. No home here has been judged Outstanding. Open the report rather than stopping at the grade: find which of the five key questions fell short, note when the visit happened, and look for what changed afterwards. A shortfall recorded years ago on paperwork is a different matter from a recent one on safety.
Getting something from a visit
Go when the home is busy, ideally around a meal, and stay longer than feels polite. Watch how staff speak to residents who are not expecting a visitor, and ask how long the people on duty have worked there. Ask who writes the care plan, how soon it is agreed, and how often it is reviewed once somebody has moved in.
Whether the registration fits the need
None of these providers is registered for nursing, so wound management, injected medication and similar clinical work sit outside what they may accept. Set the position out plainly at the enquiry stage, including needs arising overnight, mobility and continence. A home that declines honestly has saved everyone a placement that would not have lasted.
6 care homes in Darwen
- Sandybrook · Darwen, Blackburn with Darwen
- Moorland View Care Home · Darwen, Blackburn with Darwen · CQC Good
- Oldfield Manor · Darwen, Blackburn with Darwen · CQC Good
- Thorncliffe Residential Care Home · Darwen, Blackburn with Darwen · CQC Good
- Oldfield House Residential Care Home · Darwen, Blackburn with Darwen · CQC Good
- St James House · Darwen, Blackburn with Darwen · CQC Requires improvement
What care costs in Blackburn with Darwen, per week
| Type of care | What the council pays | What self-funders are typically asked |
|---|---|---|
| Residential care North West figure, because too few Blackburn with Darwen homes publish this price. 20 homes. Median £1,409. | £800 | £1,249 to £1,514 |
| Nursing care England figure, because too few Blackburn with Darwen homes publish this price. 140 homes. Median £1,916. | £954 | £1,600 to £2,071 |
| Residential dementia care North West figure, because too few Blackburn with Darwen homes publish this price. 17 homes. Median £1,533. | Not published separately | £1,372 to £1,648 |
| Nursing dementia care England figure, because too few Blackburn with Darwen homes publish this price. 75 homes. Median £2,050. | Not published separately | £1,890 to £2,221 |
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
- Oldfield House Residential Care Home, 17 February 2023, Good
- Thorncliffe Residential Care Home, 5 October 2022, Good
- St James House, 28 March 2020, Requires improvement
Longest since a report
- Oldfield Manor, 3 September 2019, Good
- Moorland View Care Home, 16 October 2019, Good
- St James House, 28 March 2020, Requires improvement
Frequently asked questions about care homes in Darwen
How many care homes are there in Darwen?
Darwen has 6 CQC registered care homes: 4 Good, 1 Requires improvement, 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 Darwen?
Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council pays an average of £800 a week for residential care. Self-funders are typically asked £1,249 to £1,514 a week. North West figure, because too few Blackburn with Darwen homes publish this price. 20 homes. Median £1,409. 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 Darwen were inspected most recently?
Oldfield House Residential Care Home (17 February 2023), Thorncliffe Residential Care Home (5 October 2022) and St James House (28 March 2020) have the most recent CQC reports.