Adult social care
Adult social care in Dudley: how to get help
Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council is the place to start. Any adult who seems to need help may be assessed, at no cost, regardless of savings. Adult social care: 0300 555 0055.
Last reviewed: 15 October 2026.
1. Request an assessment
The Care Act 2014 gives this right to anyone who appears to need care and support, at no cost. An assessor works through daily tasks and compares any difficulties with national eligibility rules. Nothing obliges you to accept services afterwards.
Start a request with Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council, or phone 0300 555 0055.
The Adults Front of House Service is the starting point for adult social care, and the online Dudley Adults Portal lets you complete a self-assessment and refer yourself. Carers can get advice and help arranging a carer's assessment from the council-run Dudley Carers Hub adviceline on 01384 818723, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.
2. Work out your contribution
Eligible people then have their finances checked. The national limits: above £23,250 the person generally pays for all of it; under £14,250, capital is disregarded; between the two, a notional "tariff income" is added. With help at home, the property they live in is ignored; in residential care, property usually counts unless a partner, or a relative who qualifies, is still living in it, but is ignored for the first 12 weeks of a permanent stay.
What care could cost in Dudley
Here are local price ranges. The calculator below uses them to split the cost between the person and the council; swap in a real quote if you have one.
| Kind of care | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Visiting care | around £32–£34 an hour |
| Live-in care | around £1,540–£1,610 a week |
| Residential care home | £1,206 a week |
| Nursing home | £1,400 a week |
Typical 2026 prices across England · Average 2026 self-funder fees in West Midlands · Lottie Care Index, Q3 2026 · Which?, self-funder fees (Lottie data, January 2026).
This calculator follows the 2026/27 English charging rules (GOV.UK charging circular): £23,250 upper limit, £14,250 lower limit, tariff income of £1 a week per £250, a £241.45 weekly minimum income guarantee for a single pensioner, and a £31.80 weekly personal expenses allowance. It gives an estimate only; the council's assessment is what counts, and some councils charge less.
3. Take the funding yourself
A direct payment puts you in charge: you hire the agency or carer. You can ask for one whenever the council contributes to the cost.
Support for family carers
Carers are entitled to their own free carer's assessment, separate from the person they look after.
Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council: support for carers. Carers' service locally: Dudley Carers Hub and Wellbeing Service.
More from the council
- Services directory: Dudley Marketplace
Local picture: Dudley
0 care homes in Dudley are rated Outstanding, and 25 are rated Requires improvement or Inadequate (30% of those rated, compared with 17% nationally). In the last 12 months, Dudley gained 4 newly registered home care agencies and 3 new care homes.
29 of 84 care homes in Dudley are rated Requires improvement or Inadequate for Well-led, the weakest of CQC's five areas locally. The strongest area is Responsive, where 1 of 84 care homes are Outstanding. England-wide, 88% of rated home care agencies are Good or Outstanding; in Dudley it is 81%, from 36 rated agencies among the 64 registered.
CQC published 20 ratings for services in Dudley in the last 12 months (3 moved to a higher rating, 3 went down, 2 were first ratings). The most recent was on 15 October 2026. Alphonsus Services Limited and Fairmont Residential Limited jointly run the most registered services in Dudley, 3 each.
Ratings for care homes in Dudley are a median 59 months old, compared with 47 nationally, and 23% were given in the last two years. There are 92 care homes in Dudley, and 70% of the 84 with a rating are Good or Outstanding (short of England's 83%). 21% (19) are registered to provide nursing care.
Based on the register as of Oct 2026.
Guides for Dudley
- What care costs in Dudley
- Paying for care in Dudley
- Care needs assessments in Dudley
- Dementia care in Dudley
- Learning disability care in Dudley
- Mental health care in Dudley
- Physical disability care in Dudley
- Sight and hearing loss care in Dudley
- Best rated care homes in Dudley
- Dudley: best rated home care agencies
- Nursing homes in Dudley
Dudley sits within Dudley. Home care across Dudley · Care homes across Dudley
Free download
Free printable: 40 things to check in a care home
Forty questions on staffing, daily life, rooms, fees and the contract, laid out so you can compare three homes.
Towns in Dudley
Coseley
Sedgley
Dudley
Halesowen
Brierley Hill
Kingswinford
Stourbridge
Frequently asked
How many care homes are there in Dudley?
There are 92 care homes registered with CQC in Dudley, with 2,463 beds in total (CQC register, Oct 2026). 70% of those with a published rating are Good or Outstanding. Best rated care homes in Dudley.
How many home care agencies are there in Dudley?
64 home care agencies registered with CQC are based in Dudley (Oct 2026). 81% of those rated are Good or Outstanding. Agencies based nearby may also cover the area.
How good are care homes in Dudley?
70% of rated care homes in Dudley are Good or Outstanding, below the England figure of 82.6%. 0 are rated Outstanding and 25 Requires improvement or Inadequate. How every council area compares.
How much does a care home cost in Dudley?
A care home in Dudley costs a typical £1,340 a week for someone paying for themselves: about £1,340 for residential care and £1,540 for nursing care. These are modelled typical prices from our Care Fees and Quality Index (Q4 2026), not quotes. See what you might pay.
How much does home care cost per hour in Dudley?
Home care in Dudley costs a typical £33.50 an hour for someone paying privately (Q4 2026). Out-of-hours and bank holiday visits normally cost extra; many agencies also set a minimum visit time.
Which care homes in Dudley are rated Outstanding?
No care homes in Dudley are currently rated Outstanding. 59 are rated Good. See the best rated.
How many care homes in Dudley offer nursing or dementia care?
19 care homes in Dudley are registered to provide nursing care and 58 list dementia as a specialism. Some homes do both. Nursing homes in Dudley.
Is it hard to find a care home bed in Dudley?
Dudley has 37.6 care home beds for every 1,000 people aged 65 and over, against 43.0 across England, which ranks 103 of 151 council areas. With fewer beds per older resident, expect less choice and start early. Care Access Gap.
How old are care home ratings in Dudley?
63.1% of rated care homes in Dudley were last rated more than four years ago, and the typical rating is 57 months old. Always look at when a home was rated and ask about changes since.
How do I ask Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council for a care needs assessment?
Contact Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council adult social care on 0300 555 0055. The Care Act 2014 gives a free assessment to anyone who seems to need care, whatever their money. Request an assessment online.
Which care groups run the most care homes in Dudley?
The largest providers in Dudley are Fairmont Residential Limited (3), Alphonsus Services Limited (3) and SCL Care Limited (2). Ratings apply home by home, not to the group.
Paying privately, or topping up? Tell us what's needed and we'll pass your request to up to three providers in Dudley that take enquiries through us. Only the ones you tick see your details.
Find care with spaceReferences
- www.dudley.gov.uk/residents/care-and-health/adult-health-and-social-care/adults-front-of-house-service/
- www.dudley.gov.uk/residents/care-and-health/adult-health-and-social-care/request-an-assessment/social-care-assessment/
- www.dudley.gov.uk/residents/care-and-health/adult-health-and-social-care/do-you-look-after-someone/support-for-carers-dudley-carers-hub/
- www.dudley.gov.uk/residents/care-and-health/adult-health-and-social-care/housing-with-care-and-support/care-homes-residential-and-nursing/
- www.dudley.gov.uk/residents/care-and-health/adult-health-social-care/paying-for-care/costs-of-care/
- www.dudley.gov.uk/residents/care-and-health/adult-health-and-social-care/paying-for-care/personal-budgets/
- gov.uk: Care Act statutory guidance
CQC register data (Oct 2026), reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. The Care Panel is independent of every provider listed.