Can Durham County Council pay for a nursing home placement in Crook?

It can, where a care needs assessment finds the person eligible for support and a financial assessment shows they qualify for help with the fees. Durham County Council is responsible for both stages, and the contribution depends on the person's income and capital. Anyone in a nursing home who needs care from a registered nurse should also receive NHS funded nursing care towards the nursing part of the fee, whoever pays the remainder. Where health needs are the main reason for the placement, NHS continuing healthcare may meet the cost in full.

How do I arrange a care needs assessment in Crook?

Contact Durham County Council adult social care and ask for an assessment of needs, which you may request for a relative with their consent. It is free and commits you to nothing afterwards. The assessor will look at what the person can manage day to day, what help is already in place, and whether nursing care is the right level of support. Note the reference number you are given, as it saves going over the same ground at every later stage.

How far in advance should I start looking for a nursing home in Crook?

Begin as soon as nursing care looks likely, because nursing beds are fewer than residential places and this is a small list. A month or two of notice lets you visit all three homes and read their inspection reports without rushing. Where a hospital discharge is setting the pace, involve the ward team and the social care team together and be explicit about what you need. An assessment already completed is the greatest single help when time is short.

Which nursing homes are there in Crook?

Three nursing homes in Crook are listed on this page: Brancepeth Court, Bradbury House, and Richmond Court. All three are registered with the Care Quality Commission to provide nursing care, and each profile sets out the registration details and the most recent inspection judgement. With only three to consider, visiting each of them is entirely practical. Whether a bed is free will depend on occupancy at the time you enquire.

What should I ask when visiting a nursing home in Crook?

Ask how many registered nurses are on duty by day and at night, and what happens when one is unexpectedly absent. Ask how medication is checked and recorded, how pressure care and continence needs are met, and how swiftly medical help is summoned when someone becomes unwell. Ask how care plans are reviewed and how families are told about changes. Pay attention to whether residents appear comfortable and properly attended to.

What is the difference between a nursing home and a residential care home?

A residential care home provides personal care, help with daily living, supervision, and company from trained care staff. A nursing home offers the same support but has registered nurses on duty, so it can meet clinical needs a residential home cannot. All three providers on this page are registered as nursing homes. The difference affects the weekly fee and the funding routes open to you, including NHS funded nursing care.

Nursing Homes in Crook

Crook has 3 CQC registered nursing homes. 3 are rated Good. 1 of the 3 was last inspected more than three years ago.

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

Crook at a glance

What the local numbers say about care for older people in Crook, to help you judge the options below.

Durham County Council pays, residential care: £857 a week. Self-funders are typically asked £1,331 to £1,392, median £1,369
Care home beds filled across County Durham: 89%. The 12 month average is 88%.
Care home beds per 1,000 people aged 75+: 85
People aged 75 and over: 58,300. Rising to 68,700 by 2035, up 18%
Care homes, last 12 months: 0 opened, 1 closed. 20 changed owner, covering 844 beds.
Who pays, across County Durham (estimate): 51% council, 26% self. The rest is NHS funded or other.
Living with dementia, aged 65 and over (estimate): 7,500. Rising to 9,300 by 2035, up 24%
People aged 85 and over: 14,200. Rising to 20,600 by 2035, up 44%

Powered by Orrery Intelligence. Market model built 22 October 2026 (ONS 2022 based population projections, CQC register), published care home prices, council planning records.

Planning and paying for care in Crook

Nursing care brings two questions to the surface at once: whether this is the right level of care, and how the fees will be met. Nursing homes cost more than residential homes because registered nurses are part of the staffing, and that makes the funding conversation one to start early rather than leave until a home has been chosen.

Starting with a care needs assessment

A care needs assessment is free and available to any adult who appears to need care and support, and a relative may request one with that person's agreement. Durham County Council carries out the assessment and arranges funded support for those found eligible. One purpose of the assessment is to establish whether nursing care is genuinely needed, so it is worth requesting even while you are still weighing the options. Where the person is in hospital, the discharge team normally sets it in motion.

Fees and the help available

Where support is agreed, a financial assessment of income and capital decides the authority's share and the person's own contribution. Separately, anyone assessed as needing care from a registered nurse in a nursing home is entitled to NHS funded nursing care, a payment made to the home towards the nursing element whoever meets the rest of the fee. Where the dominant need is a health need, NHS continuing healthcare may cover the whole cost. Ask each home for its weekly fee in writing and for a note of what falls outside it.

Choosing a provider and what to check

Reading the inspection record

Bradbury House holds an Outstanding rating, while Brancepeth Court and Richmond Court have both been judged Good. That is an encouraging picture, and with only three reports to read there is no reason not to read all of them. Look at how recent each inspection was and at what was said about staffing and medication, since those are the areas where nursing homes most often come under strain.

What to ask and what to watch

Ask how many registered nurses are on duty during the day and overnight, and how the home covers sickness and leave. Ask how pressure care, continence, and pain relief are managed, and how quickly a doctor is called when a resident deteriorates. Ask what the home would do if needs increased beyond what it can meet. Then spend time in the communal rooms, because how comfortable the residents look will tell you as much as any answer.

3 nursing homes in Crook

Brancepeth Court · Crook, County Durham · CQC Good
Bradbury House - Care Home with Nursing Physical Disabilities · Crook, County Durham · CQC Good
Richmond Court · Crook, County Durham · CQC Good

What care costs in County Durham, per week

Type of care	What the council pays	What self-funders are typically asked
Residential care North East figure, because too few County Durham homes publish this price. 13 homes. Median £1,369.	£857	£1,331 to £1,392
Nursing care England figure, because too few County Durham homes publish this price. 140 homes. Median £1,916.	£890	£1,600 to £2,071
Residential dementia care North East figure, because too few County Durham homes publish this price. 14 homes. Median £1,458.	Not published separately	£1,268 to £1,548
Nursing dementia care England figure, because too few County Durham homes publish this price. 75 homes. Median £2,050.	Not published separately	£1,890 to £2,221

Published prices are often starting prices, and come from homes that publish fees, so treat them as a guide. Ask the home for its own price. Powered by Orrery Intelligence.

Inspected most recently

Bradbury House - Care Home with Nursing Physical Disabilities, 11 June 2026, Good
Richmond Court, 15 January 2026, Good
Brancepeth Court, 21 December 2022, Good

Longest since a report

Brancepeth Court, 21 December 2022, Good
Richmond Court, 15 January 2026, Good
Bradbury House - Care Home with Nursing Physical Disabilities, 11 June 2026, Good

Frequently asked questions about nursing homes in Crook

How many nursing homes are there in Crook?

Crook has 3 CQC registered nursing homes: 3 Good. Counts come from the CQC register and are kept up to date as ratings change.

How much does a nursing home cost in Crook?

Durham County Council pays an average of £857 a week for residential care. Self-funders are typically asked £1,331 to £1,392 a week. North East figure, because too few County Durham homes publish this price. 13 homes. Median £1,369. Published prices are often starting prices, and come from homes that publish fees, so treat them as a guide. Ask the home for its own price.

Which nursing homes in Crook were inspected most recently?

Bradbury House - Care Home with Nursing Physical Disabilities (11 June 2026), Richmond Court (15 January 2026) and Brancepeth Court (21 December 2022) have the most recent CQC reports.

Local care news in County Durham

New 48 bed care home registered with CQC in County Durham: Willowdene Care Home (5 November 2026)

More local care news for County Durham