How do I arrange a care needs assessment in Oxford?

Get in touch with the adult social care team at Oxfordshire County Council and ask for a care needs assessment, which is free to anyone who appears to need care and support. A practitioner will look at health, mobility, daily living, safety at home and the help family members already give, then set out the level of care required. The assessment considers needs alone, and a financial assessment follows separately where funded support may apply. Ask for the outcome in writing, as homes will want to see what has been agreed.

Will Oxfordshire County Council contribute to nursing home fees?

It may, depending on the assessed need and the financial assessment that follows. Oxfordshire County Council considers income, savings and capital, and where these fall below the national thresholds it contributes towards the weekly fee alongside a contribution from the resident. How a property is treated depends on circumstances, so ask about deferred payment arrangements before selling anything. Because nursing care is involved, a contribution towards the nursing element may also come from the health service on top of any local authority support.

Which nursing homes in Oxford are listed here?

Fourteen registered nursing homes match this search, including Brookfield, Wytham House, Oxford Beaumont, Green Gates Care Home, Iffley Residential and Nursing Home and Vale House. Each has a profile setting out the provider, the care type and the most recent Care Quality Commission rating. The homes are listed rather than ranked, so it is worth comparing a few profiles instead of stopping at the first recognisable name. Vacancies change from week to week, so it is always worth asking even where a home appears full.

How does a nursing home differ from a residential care home?

Both provide a permanent home with help for everyday living such as washing, dressing, meals and companionship. The difference is clinical cover, because a nursing home has registered nurses on the premises at all hours while a residential home relies on trained care staff with district nurses visiting. That matters for injected medication, complex wound care and conditions needing close observation. Where health needs are expected to grow, choosing a home registered for nursing at the outset can spare someone a second move later on.

How far ahead should we begin looking for nursing care?

As soon as the need becomes foreseeable, rather than waiting for a crisis to set the pace. Well regarded homes often hold waiting lists, and families who have already seen two or three places make far calmer decisions when the time comes. Where a hospital discharge is being planned the timescale can shrink to a matter of days, which is exactly when a prepared shortlist proves its worth. Reading profiles and inspection reports early costs nothing and rules options in or out quickly.

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

Start with staffing, asking how many registered nurses are on duty by day and by night and how heavily the home relies on agency cover. Ask how care plans are written and reviewed, how quickly a doctor is involved when a resident becomes unwell, and how families are kept informed. Practical questions matter too, such as visiting arrangements, what happens to a room during a hospital stay, and how laundry and personal belongings are handled. Close by asking what the last inspection identified and what has changed since.

Nursing Homes in Oxford

Oxford has 14 CQC registered nursing homes. 9 are rated Good, 1 Outstanding, 4 Requires improvement. 8 of the 14 were last inspected more than three years ago.

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

Oxford at a glance

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

Oxfordshire County Council pays, residential care: £1,184 a week. Self-funders are typically asked £1,640 to £1,825, median £1,700
Care home beds filled across Oxfordshire: 84%. The 12 month average is 82%.
Care home beds per 1,000 people aged 75+: 69. Oxfordshire average is 80.
People aged 75 and over: 10,200. Rising to 12,200 by 2035, up 19%
Care homes, last 12 months: 0 opened, 0 closed
Who pays, across Oxfordshire (estimate): 33% council, 55% self. The rest is NHS funded or other.
Living with dementia, aged 65 and over (estimate): 1,400. Rising to 1,700 by 2035, up 25%
People aged 85 and over: 2,900. Rising to 4,100 by 2035, up 40%

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

Arranging and paying for nursing care in Oxford

Families who understand the assessment and funding process before they start visiting tend to feel far less rushed, which is why this page deals with it first. The homes themselves come afterwards, and the decision is usually better for having the practical groundwork already done.

Requesting a care needs assessment

A free care needs assessment is available to anyone who appears to need care and support, whatever their savings. It is arranged through Oxfordshire County Council, the authority responsible for adult social care assessments and funded support, and it establishes the level of care required before any discussion of who pays. Where the assessment follows a hospital admission it is often coordinated with the ward and can move quickly. A relative giving regular support can request a separate carer's assessment of their own.

Who contributes to the fees

A financial assessment then looks at income, savings and capital to establish whether the local authority contributes to the weekly fee, whether the family pays in full, or whether the cost is shared. Because nursing is the reason for the placement, the health service may pay a contribution towards the nursing element directly to the home. People whose health needs are intense and unpredictable can be assessed separately for fully funded continuing healthcare, which has its own criteria and its own process.

Understanding what the weekly charge covers

Nursing fees sit above residential fees because registered nurses are employed on site at every hour of the day. The weekly charge normally includes the room, all meals, laundry, personal care and nursing, while hairdressing, chiropody, escorted appointments and outings are usually billed on top. Ask each home for a written schedule, the notice period, and how often fees are reviewed. Anyone funding a placement privately should also ask what happens when savings fall to the level at which local authority support begins.

Choosing between the nursing homes in Oxford

Working out what level of care is needed

A nursing home differs from residential care in one decisive way, which is the presence of registered nurses at all hours. That cover matters for complex wound care, medication by injection, support with feeding tubes and the monitoring of conditions that change without warning. Several homes on this listing provide residential places alongside nursing beds, which can suit someone whose needs are still settling. Confirm what each home is registered to provide before arranging a visit.

Reading the inspection findings

Eleven homes here are rated Good, among them Brookfield, Wytham House, The Headington Care Home, Cumnor Hill House and Chawley Grove. The Albany Care Home, The Triangle Care Home and Oaken Holt Nursing and Residential Home were told at their most recent inspections that they require improvement. That is a reason to read the report rather than to strike a home off, because concerns are often specific and may already have been acted on. Check the publication date too, since an older report describes a staff team that may since have changed.

What a visit will tell you that a report cannot

Go at a busy hour, ideally around a mealtime, and stay long enough to watch an ordinary stretch of the day. Ask how many registered nurses are on duty overnight, how much agency cover the home uses and how long the manager has been in post. Watch whether call bells are answered while you are there, whether staff speak to residents by name, and how quickly a doctor is called when someone becomes unwell.

14 nursing homes in Oxford

St Luke's Hospital · Oxford, Oxfordshire · CQC Good
Brookfield · Oxford, Oxfordshire · CQC Good
Iffley Residential and Nursing Home · Oxford, Oxfordshire · CQC Good
The Albany Care Home · Oxford, Oxfordshire · CQC Requires improvement
Chawley Grove · Oxford, Oxfordshire · CQC Good
Beaumont · Oxford, Oxfordshire · CQC Outstanding
Wytham House · Oxford, Oxfordshire · CQC Good
Green Gates Care Home · Oxford, Oxfordshire · CQC Good
The Headington Care Home · Oxford, Oxfordshire · CQC Requires improvement
The Triangle Care Home · Oxford, Oxfordshire · CQC Requires improvement
Cumnor Hill House · Oxford, Oxfordshire · CQC Good
Oaken Holt Nursing and Residential Home · Oxford, Oxfordshire · CQC Requires improvement
Vale House · Oxford, Oxfordshire · CQC Good
Shrublands · Oxford, Oxfordshire · CQC Good

What care costs in Oxfordshire, per week

Type of care	What the council pays	What self-funders are typically asked
Residential care Middle half of prices from 13 Oxfordshire homes. Median £1,700.	£1,184	£1,640 to £1,825
Nursing care South East figure, because too few Oxfordshire homes publish this price. 63 homes. Median £1,933.	£1,231	£1,617 to £2,080
Residential dementia care Middle half of prices from 12 Oxfordshire homes. Median £1,894.	Not published separately	£1,760 to £2,007
Nursing dementia care South East figure, because too few Oxfordshire homes publish this price. 37 homes. Median £2,050.	Not published separately	£1,975 to £2,226

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

Oxford Beaumont, 30 July 2026, Outstanding
The Headington Care Home, 24 June 2026, Requires improvement
Brookfield, 25 September 2025, Good

Longest since a report

Iffley Residential and Nursing Home, 19 October 2019, Good
Green Gates Care Home, 6 March 2020, Good
St Luke's Hospital - Oxford, 16 September 2020, Good

Frequently asked questions about nursing homes in Oxford

How many nursing homes are there in Oxford?

Oxford has 14 CQC registered nursing homes: 1 Outstanding, 9 Good, 4 Requires improvement. Counts come from the CQC register and are kept up to date as ratings change.

How much does a nursing home cost in Oxford?

Oxfordshire County Council pays an average of £1,184 a week for residential care. Self-funders are typically asked £1,640 to £1,825 a week. Middle half of prices from 13 Oxfordshire homes. Median £1,700. 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 Oxford were inspected most recently?

Oxford Beaumont (30 July 2026), The Headington Care Home (24 June 2026) and Brookfield (25 September 2025) have the most recent CQC reports.

Local care news in Oxfordshire

Abingdon Court Care Home registered as a 64 bed care home in Vale of White Horse (5 November 2026)

More local care news for Oxfordshire