Arranging care in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames sits in south west London and covers Kingston town centre, Surbiton, New Malden and Tolworth. Families looking into care here are usually balancing the pace of London life with the wish to keep a loved one close to familiar streets, riverside walks and local GP surgeries, and the borough has a mix of provision to reflect that.
How adult social care works locally
As a London Borough, Kingston upon Thames is the single local authority responsible for adult social care across all four towns. The first step for most families is to contact the council's Adult Social Care team and request a free needs assessment. A social worker looks at daily living, mobility, memory and safety at home, and puts together a support plan. If care is likely to be needed, a separate financial assessment then looks at income, savings and property to work out how much the council will contribute. National capital thresholds apply, so households with higher savings are usually expected to self fund, while those with lower means receive more support from Kingston upon Thames.
Local choice and the care market
There are 91 CQC registered care homes serving the borough, giving families a reasonable choice of residential care homes and nursing homes across Kingston, Surbiton, New Malden and Tolworth. Alongside these, a wide range of home care agencies operate locally for people who want to stay in their own property with visiting support or live in care.
Paying for care and typical fees
Funding options in Kingston upon Thames usually include local authority funded care after a means test, NHS Continuing Healthcare for those with significant health needs, NHS funded nursing contributions in nursing homes, and self funding topped up where appropriate by attendance allowance or deferred payment agreements on a property.
- Home care: around £25 to £32 per hour, depending on the provider and time of day.
- Residential care homes: roughly £1,200 to £1,600 per week.
- Nursing homes: typically £1,400 to £1,900 per week, reflecting the higher clinical staffing.
Fees in this part of London tend to sit above the national average, so it is worth comparing several homes and asking each provider for a full written breakdown before making a decision.
