How do we arrange a care needs assessment in Shepton Mallet?

Contact Somerset Council and ask for an adult social care needs assessment for the person who needs help. An assessor will talk through daily routines, mobility, medication and safety at home, either on a visit or by telephone. The assessment is free and does not depend on income or savings. The written outcome is the document homes will want to read before they offer a place.

Can Somerset Council pay for a care home place?

It can contribute where the needs assessment shows residential care is required and the financial assessment shows capital below the national threshold. The council pays up to the rate it will meet and the resident contributes from income such as pensions. Above the threshold, the place is funded privately until savings fall to that level. Where a property is involved, ask about a deferred payment arrangement.

Which care homes in Shepton Mallet are listed on this page?

Three registered care homes match this search: St Cecilia Care Home, Field House and Ferndale. All three are registered for residential care rather than nursing care. Two hold a Good rating from the Care Quality Commission and one is rated Requires Improvement. Each profile sets out the provider details and the current rating.

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

A residential care home provides help with daily living, including washing, dressing, meals, prompting with medication and company, from trained care staff. A nursing home holds a further registration so a qualified nurse is on the premises at all times, which suits wounds, feeding tubes, injections and unstable conditions. The homes on this page are registered for residential care. If nursing needs are likely to develop, mention it during the needs assessment.

How early should we start looking for a place?

Where the move can be planned, allowing two or three months leaves room for the assessment, repeat visits and a funding decision. In a small town the choice is narrow, so the room that suits someone may not be free in the week you want it. If the move follows a hospital stay the timetable is far shorter, so tell the ward team early what you are looking for. Looking before a crisis means choosing rather than taking what is left.

Care Homes in Shepton Mallet

Shepton Mallet has 3 CQC registered care homes. 2 are rated Good, 1 Requires improvement. 2 of the 3 were last inspected more than three years ago.

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

Arranging and Funding a Care Home Place in Shepton Mallet

Assessment first, funding decision second

The council's involvement begins with an assessment and ends with a funding decision, and the first part costs nothing. An assessment of need is open to anyone who may require residential care, whatever their savings, and it records the help needed across an ordinary day. Ask Somerset Council Adult Social Care to carry it out and to arrange the financial assessment that follows, which decides whether funded support applies. Homes will want to read the written outcome before offering a room, so requesting it early is rarely wasted effort.

Fees and the terms to settle

Fees are quoted as a weekly figure covering the room, meals, laundry and personal care, with hairdressing, chiropody and outings normally charged separately. Where capital falls below the national threshold, the council may contribute once its financial assessment is complete, and above it the place is funded privately. Ask every home for its fees in writing, together with the policy on annual increases, notice periods and what happens during a hospital admission. Where a property is involved, ask the council about a deferred payment arrangement before anything is signed.

Choosing the Right Home in Shepton Mallet and What to Look For

Two Good records and one asking for improvement

Field House and Ferndale both hold a Good rating, so read their reports for the strengths inspectors identified and note how recently they called. St Cecilia Care Home is rated Requires Improvement, which is a reason to read the report in full rather than to rule the home out, since it names the shortfalls found and the provider may have acted on them since. Ask the manager what has changed, when it changed and what evidence supports it. A judgement can be a few years old, so the date matters as much as the wording.

What to look for on a visit

Ask how many carers are on duty by day and overnight, how long the manager has been in post and how vacancies and sickness are covered. Ask to see a sample care plan, the recent activity programme and the menu, then ask how choice is offered at mealtimes and what happens if someone prefers to eat in their room. Notice whether residents are occupied or simply seated, and whether staff greet people by name as they pass. Visit twice if you can, once by arrangement and once at a quieter hour, and ask what the home does when needs grow beyond what it can provide.

3 care homes in Shepton Mallet

St Cecilia Care Home · Shepton Mallet, Somerset · CQC Requires improvement
Field House · Shepton Mallet, Somerset · CQC Good
Ferndale · Shepton Mallet, Somerset · CQC Good

What care costs in South West, per week

Type of care	What the council pays	What self-funders are typically asked
Residential care Middle half of prices from 52 South West homes. Median £1,549.	Varies by council	£1,400 to £1,650
Nursing care Middle half of prices from 16 South West homes. Median £1,810.	Varies by council	£1,599 to £1,983
Residential dementia care Middle half of prices from 19 South West homes. Median £1,665.	Not published separately	£1,450 to £1,813
Nursing dementia care England figure, because too few South West 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. What a council pays differs from council to council. Ask the home for its own price. Powered by Orrery Intelligence.

Inspected most recently

Ferndale, 9 February 2024, Good
St Cecilia Care Home, 15 March 2023, Requires improvement
Field House, 4 March 2020, Good

Longest since a report

Field House, 4 March 2020, Good
St Cecilia Care Home, 15 March 2023, Requires improvement
Ferndale, 9 February 2024, Good

Frequently asked questions about care homes in Shepton Mallet

How many care homes are there in Shepton Mallet?

Shepton Mallet has 3 CQC registered care homes: 2 Good, 1 Requires improvement. Counts come from the CQC register and are kept up to date as ratings change.

Which care homes in Shepton Mallet were inspected most recently?

Ferndale (9 February 2024), St Cecilia Care Home (15 March 2023) and Field 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