London Borough of Lewisham

Adult social care contact details, funding information, and care home listings for Lewisham.

Arranging care in the London Borough of Lewisham

The London Borough of Lewisham sits in south east London and covers neighbourhoods including Lewisham itself, Catford, Deptford, Forest Hill and Sydenham. If you are starting to think about support for an older relative or someone with a disability, Lewisham Council is the first point of contact, with its adult social care team based at Laurence House in Catford handling enquiries from residents and families across the borough.

Needs and financial assessments

The starting point is a free needs assessment from Lewisham's adult social care team. A social worker or assessor talks through daily life, health, mobility and the kind of help that would make a real difference, whether that is short visits at home or a permanent move into a care setting. If eligible needs are identified, a separate financial assessment looks at income and savings to work out how much the council will contribute. National capital thresholds apply, so people with savings above the upper limit are usually expected to fund their own care, while those below may receive help from Lewisham Council towards the cost.

Choice of homes across the borough

Lewisham has a reasonably broad local care market, with around 133 CQC-registered care homes across the borough. That includes residential care homes offering personal support with everyday tasks, nursing homes with qualified nurses on site for more complex health needs, and home care agencies providing visiting support so people can stay in their own homes in areas like Forest Hill, Sydenham and Deptford for longer.

Paying for care

Funding can come from several routes: local authority support following a financial assessment, NHS Continuing Healthcare where needs are primarily health related, Attendance Allowance, or self funding using savings, pensions and sometimes property. Weekly fees vary by provider and level of need, with home care typically charged by the hour, residential care homes priced as a weekly rate, and nursing homes usually costing more because of the clinical staffing involved. It is worth asking each provider in Lewisham for a clear written breakdown before making any decisions.