Care Homes in Westcliff-on-sea

Westcliff-on-sea has 12 CQC registered care homes. 7 are rated Good, 1 Outstanding, 1 Requires improvement, and 3 have not yet been rated. 5 of the 12 were last inspected more than three years ago.

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

Arranging a placement in Westcliff-on-sea and paying for it

How a placement is funded shapes how much of the local list is realistically open, so it is the question to settle before viewings begin. A room can be paid for privately, met in part or in full by the council following two separate assessments, or in some circumstances supported by the health service where the need is chiefly clinical. Families who leave this until after they have fallen for a particular home often find the conversation much harder than it needed to be.

Requesting a care needs assessment

Anyone who appears to need care and support can ask for an assessment, and there is no charge for it whatever someone owns or earns. It looks at washing, dressing, mobility, medication, nutrition and how safely someone manages alone, and produces a written record you can share with any home you approach. Southend-on-Sea City Council carries out that assessment and the separate financial assessment that decides who pays. If you provide care yourself, ask for a carer's assessment at the same time, because your own needs are considered in their own right.

Fees and what they cover

Residential fees are quoted weekly and cover the room, meals, laundry and personal care, with the figure reflecting the level of support needed and the room itself. Where the financial assessment shows that funded support applies, the council may meet part or all of the cost, and above the national threshold fees are paid privately. Ask each home for its rate in writing, ask what is billed separately such as hairdressing, chiropody and transport, and ask how often fees are reviewed, since an annual increase is normal and worth planning for.

Choosing between the homes and what to check

Twelve homes is a list you can work through properly. Start with what the assessment says is needed, then consider how far relatives will be travelling, because regular short visits do more for someone settling in than occasional long ones.

Reading the inspection record

Lighthouse holds the single Outstanding rating on this page and six further homes are rated Good, including Happy Days, Butterfly House, Cherrycroft and Silversea Lodge. Two homes require improvement, and there the report explains precisely what inspectors found and what the provider was asked to put right. Three homes have no published rating, which usually reflects a recent registration rather than a concern, though it does mean you will need to ask more questions yourself. Check the date of every report, since an older inspection may describe a home under different management.

What a visit should tell you

Go at a mealtime and, if you can, return at a different hour on another day. Notice whether residents are occupied or simply seated, whether staff greet people by name and how quickly a call bell is answered. Ask about staff turnover, how care plans are reviewed and who takes part in those reviews. Ask what the home does when someone's needs increase beyond what it is registered to provide.

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