Arranging care in Brighton and Hove
Brighton and Hove City Council is the unitary authority covering the seaside city of Brighton, neighbouring Hove, and the outlying communities of Rottingdean and Woodingdean on the South East coast. As a unitary authority, it is the single point of contact for all adult social care matters across the city, so families do not need to navigate a separate county tier.
If you or a relative are starting to think about care, the first step is to contact Brighton and Hove City Council's adult social care team to request a needs assessment. This assessment is free, regardless of income or savings, and looks at how someone is managing day to day, from washing and dressing to preparing meals and staying safe at home. Where support is recommended, the council then carries out a separate financial assessment to work out how much, if anything, the person needs to contribute towards their care.
Local care choices and funding
The city has a well established care market, with 144 CQC registered care homes across Brighton, Hove and the surrounding villages. That gives families a genuine choice between smaller residential care homes closer to the seafront and larger nursing homes with on site clinical support, as well as a wide network of home care agencies for those who would prefer to stay in familiar surroundings.
How care is paid for depends on the financial assessment. People with savings and assets above the national upper threshold usually fund their own care, those below the lower threshold may have most costs met by Brighton and Hove City Council, and many fall somewhere in between with a shared contribution. NHS Continuing Healthcare, direct payments and deferred payment agreements are also worth exploring with the council.
As a guide, home care in Brighton and Hove typically costs around £20 to £30 an hour, residential care homes tend to sit between £900 and £1,300 a week, and nursing homes are generally £1,100 to £1,600 a week, with the NHS Funded Nursing Care contribution reducing the nursing element for eligible residents.
