Can Somerset Council fund a care home placement in Frome?

It can, where a care needs assessment finds the person eligible for support and a financial assessment shows they qualify for help with the cost. Somerset Council is responsible for both stages, and the contribution depends on the person's income and capital. Some people have the full fee met, others a proportion of it, and others are assessed as paying for themselves. Where the main need is a health need rather than a social care need, NHS continuing healthcare may apply instead.

How do I arrange a care needs assessment in Frome?

Contact Somerset Council adult social care and ask for an assessment of needs, which you can request for a relative with their consent. It costs nothing and commits you to nothing afterwards. The assessor will look at what the person can manage day to day, what help is already in place, and whether a care home is the right answer at all. Note the reference number you are given, as it saves repeating the background later.

How far in advance should I start looking for a care home in Frome?

As early as possible, particularly here, where there are only four homes to choose between and a free room cannot be assumed. A couple of months allows you to visit each one, read the inspection reports, and complete an assessment without rushing. Where a hospital discharge is driving the timetable, tell the ward team early so both processes move together. An assessment already completed makes a placement at short notice considerably easier.

Which care homes are there in Frome?

Four residential care homes are listed on this page: Dimensions Somerset The Old Police House, Greenhill Grange Residential Home, Critchill Court, and Rowden House. All four are registered with the Care Quality Commission, and each profile carries the registration details and the most recent inspection judgement. Since all four share the same rating, the reports are what will distinguish them. Availability will depend on occupancy when you enquire.

What should I ask when visiting a care home in Frome?

Ask how care plans are written and how often they are reviewed, and who you would speak to with a concern. Ask about staffing levels during the day and overnight, how long staff tend to stay, and what residents actually do with their time. Ask what the home would do if needs increased beyond what it can meet. Spend time in the communal areas and judge the atmosphere for yourself.

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

A care home provides personal care, help with washing, dressing, meals, and medication, along with supervision and company. A nursing home provides that and has registered nurses on duty, so it can meet clinical needs such as wound care or complex medication. All four providers on this page are registered as residential care homes rather than nursing homes. If nursing care is likely to be needed, raise it at the first enquiry so the home can tell you honestly whether it can help.

Care Homes in Frome

Frome has 4 CQC registered care homes. 4 are rated Good. 3 of the 4 were last inspected more than three years ago.

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

Frome at a glance

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

Somerset Council pays, residential care: £805 a week. Self-funders are typically asked £1,400 to £1,650, median £1,549
Care home beds filled across Somerset: 85%. The 12 month average is 85%.
Care home beds per 1,000 people aged 75+: 71
People aged 75 and over: 81,600. Rising to 97,500 by 2035, up 19%
Care homes, last 12 months: 0 opened, 0 closed. 7 changed owner, covering 353 beds.
Who pays, across Somerset (estimate): 35% council, 44% self. The rest is NHS funded or other.
Living with dementia, aged 65 and over (estimate): 10,500. Rising to 13,600 by 2035, up 29%
People aged 85 and over: 21,600. Rising to 33,700 by 2035, up 56%

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 Frome

Two questions tend to arrive together when a care home starts to look necessary: whether this is the right level of support, and how the fees will be met. Both are better opened early. The assessment process is designed to answer the first and will shape the answer to the second, and it takes time that is easier to spend before a decision becomes urgent.

Starting with a care needs assessment

A care needs assessment is free and available to any adult who appears to need care and support, and a relative can request one with that person's agreement. Somerset Council carries out the assessment and arranges funded support for those found eligible. The assessor will consider what the person manages day to day, what family already provides, and whether needs could be met at home instead of in a care home. A carer giving regular help can ask for a separate assessment of their own needs.

What a place costs and who pays

Where support is agreed, a financial assessment of income and capital sets the authority's share and the person's own contribution. Plenty of families fund a placement privately and deal directly with the home. Fees are quoted weekly and vary between homes according to the room, the level of care required, and what the home provides, so ask for a written schedule setting out what is included. Items such as hairdressing, chiropody, and outings are often charged separately.

Choosing a provider and what to check

When all the ratings match

Dimensions Somerset The Old Police House, Greenhill Grange Residential Home, Critchill Court, and Rowden House all hold a Good rating. That is a sound baseline and also means the rating cannot help you choose between them. The reports underneath will: look at how recently each inspection took place, what was said about staffing and medication, and whether anything was noted for improvement even within a Good judgement. Reading four reports is a modest investment for a decision of this size.

What to look for on a visit

Go at an unremarkable time of day and ask to see the room that would actually be used. Watch how staff speak to residents in passing and how quickly call bells are answered. Ask about staff turnover, how care plans are reviewed, and what residents do with an ordinary afternoon. The feel of a communal room tells you a great deal that no tour is designed to convey.

4 care homes in Frome

Dimensions The Old Police House · Frome, Somerset · CQC Good
Greenhill Grange Residential Home · Frome, Somerset · CQC Good
Critchill Court · Frome, Somerset · CQC Good
Rowden House · Frome, Somerset · CQC Good

What care costs in Somerset, per week

Type of care	What the council pays	What self-funders are typically asked
Residential care South West figure, because too few Somerset homes publish this price. 52 homes. Median £1,549.	£805	£1,400 to £1,650
Nursing care South West figure, because too few Somerset homes publish this price. 16 homes. Median £1,810.	£832	£1,599 to £1,983
Residential dementia care South West figure, because too few Somerset homes publish this price. 19 homes. Median £1,665.	Not published separately	£1,450 to £1,813
Nursing dementia care England figure, because too few Somerset 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

Critchill Court, 7 October 2025, Good
Dimensions Somerset The Old Police House, 17 June 2022, Good
Rowden House, 4 March 2020, Good

Longest since a report

Greenhill Grange Residential Home Limited, 26 February 2019, Good
Rowden House, 4 March 2020, Good
Dimensions Somerset The Old Police House, 17 June 2022, Good

Frequently asked questions about care homes in Frome

How many care homes are there in Frome?

Frome has 4 CQC registered care homes: 4 Good. Counts come from the CQC register and are kept up to date as ratings change.

How much does a care home cost in Frome?

Somerset Council pays an average of £805 a week for residential care. Self-funders are typically asked £1,400 to £1,650 a week. South West figure, because too few Somerset homes publish this price. 52 homes. Median £1,549. 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 Frome were inspected most recently?

Critchill Court (7 October 2025), Dimensions Somerset The Old Police House (17 June 2022) and Rowden House (4 March 2020) have the most recent CQC reports.

Local care news in Somerset

New 20 bed care home registered with CQC in Somerset: St Georges Care Home (5 November 2026)

More local care news for Somerset