Arranging care in Wigan Metropolitan Borough
Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council serves communities across the North West of England, covering the towns of Wigan, Leigh, Atherton, Hindley and Standish. As a metropolitan borough, the council is responsible for adult social care across the whole area, meaning families in Leigh work with the same team as those in Standish or central Wigan when it comes to arranging support for an older relative or a loved one with a disability.
Getting a needs assessment
The first step for most families is to contact the Adult Social Care team at Wigan Council and request a needs assessment. This assessment is free, regardless of income or savings, and it is designed to work out what daily support a person needs, whether that is help at home, a move into residential care, or nursing care with round the clock clinical support. If the assessment shows eligible needs, the council will then carry out a financial assessment to work out how much, if anything, the person is expected to contribute towards their care.
Care choices across the borough
There are 103 CQC registered care homes across the Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council area, which gives families a genuine choice between homes in busy town centres such as Wigan and Leigh, and quieter residential settings in places like Standish or Hindley. Alongside residential care homes and nursing homes, home care providers operate across all five main towns, so many people are able to stay in their own home for longer with the right support in place.
Paying for care
Care funding in Wigan can come from several sources: full council funding, part funding with a personal contribution, NHS Continuing Healthcare for those with significant health needs, or self funding where savings and assets are above the national capital threshold. As a rough national guide, home care typically costs around 20 to 30 pounds per hour, residential care homes average around 900 to 1,200 pounds per week, and nursing homes tend to sit higher at around 1,100 to 1,500 pounds per week. Actual fees vary by provider, so it is worth asking each home for a clear written breakdown before making a decision.
