Adult social care
Adult social care in Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight Council is the place to start. Any adult who seems to need help may be assessed, free to you, whatever your savings. Phone 01983 823340.
Last reviewed: 15 October 2026.
1. Ask for a care needs assessment
The assessment is free and is a legal right under the Care Act 2014. It looks at what the person can and cannot manage, and whether they meet the national eligibility criteria. It does not commit you to council-arranged care.
Start a request with Isle of Wight Council or call 01983 823340.
An initial contact form is available online 24 hours a day, after which a social care worker decides whether a formal assessment is needed.
2. Find out what you will pay
If the person is eligible, the council carries out a financial assessment. In England, someone with savings above £23,250 is usually expected to fund the care in full; below £14,250, capital is disregarded, and in between a tariff income applies. For care at home, the value of the person's home is not counted. For a care home it usually is counted, unless a partner, or a relative who qualifies, is still living in it, though not for the first 12 weeks of a permanent stay.
Estimate care costs in Isle of Wight
Use local prices to estimate the person's share and the council's. Figures start at regional typical rates and can be changed to match any quote.
| Service | Usual price |
|---|---|
| Visiting care | around £32–£34 an hour |
| Live-in care | around £1,540–£1,610 a week |
| Residential care home | £1,450 a week |
| Nursing home | £1,695 a week |
| Council rate | 2026/27 contract rates: home care £26.24 per hour; residential banded £673.61–£967.26 per week (low–high); nursing standard £923.30, high £1,065.47 per week (FNC not stated) |
Typical 2026 prices across England · Average 2026 self-funder fees in South East · Lottie Care Index, Q3 2026 · Which?, self-funder fees (Lottie data, January 2026).
Based on the 2026/27 charging rules for England: upper capital limit £23,250, lower £14,250, £1 a week assumed income for every £250 in between, minimum income guarantee £241.45 a week (pension age, single person), personal expenses allowance £31.80 a week. Source: GOV.UK charging circular. This is an estimate, not a financial assessment; your council will do the real one, and some councils are more generous.
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.
If you look after someone
Unpaid carers have a right to be assessed in their own right, free to you.
Isle of Wight Council: support for carers. In the area: Carers IW.
Council resources
- Services directory: Isle of Wight Care Services Directory
- Published council care rates: 2026/27 contract rates: home care £26.24 per hour; residential banded £673.61–£967.26 per week (low–high); nursing standard £923.30, high £1,065.47 per week (FNC not stated) (source). Choosing a pricier provider means paying the gap.
Local picture: Isle of Wight
2 care homes in Isle of Wight are rated Outstanding, and 16 are rated Requires improvement or Inadequate (27% of those rated; England: 17%). 73% of rated care homes in Isle of Wight are Good or Outstanding, short of the England average of 83%. The area has 61 homes, 59 of them rated. 21% (13) are registered to provide nursing care.
In the past year, 23 new CQC ratings came out for Isle of Wight: 1 was upgraded, 4 fell, 2 services were rated for the first time; the latest is dated 22 October 2026. In Isle of Wight, 91% of rated home care agencies are Good or Outstanding (33 rated out of 40 registered). Across England the figure is 88%.
Island Healthcare Limited runs more registered services in Isle of Wight than any other provider: 6 care homes and 3 home care agencies. Isle of Wight Council follows with 5 services. Caring has the most Outstanding ratings (4 of 59).
36% of rated care homes in Isle of Wight were rated in the last two years. The typical rating is 61 months old (England: 47). CQC added 2 home care agencies and 6 care homes in Isle of Wight to its register over the past year; new services may not be rated yet.
Data: CQC, Oct 2026.
More guides for Isle of Wight
- The cost of care in Isle of Wight
- Funding care in Isle of Wight
- Getting a care needs assessment in Isle of Wight
- Dementia care in Isle of Wight
- Learning disability care in Isle of Wight
- Mental health care in Isle of Wight
- Physical disability care in Isle of Wight
- Sight and hearing loss care in Isle of Wight
- Isle of Wight: best rated care homes
- Top rated home care agencies in Isle of Wight
- Nursing homes in Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight is part of Isle of Wight. Home care across Isle of Wight · Care homes across Isle of Wight · Top rated in Isle of Wight
Free download
Visiting care homes? Take this 40-point checklist
Forty questions on staffing, daily life, rooms, fees and the contract, laid out so you can compare three homes.
Care by town in Isle of Wight
Ryde
Newport
Sandown
Shanklin
Freshwater
Ventnor
Frequently asked
How many care homes are there in Isle of Wight?
There are 61 care homes registered with CQC in Isle of Wight, with 1,798 beds in total (CQC register, Oct 2026). 73% of those with a published rating are Good or Outstanding. Best rated care homes in Isle of Wight.
How many home care agencies are there in Isle of Wight?
40 home care agencies registered with CQC are based in Isle of Wight (Oct 2026). 91% of those rated are Good or Outstanding. Agencies based nearby may also cover the area.
How good are care homes in Isle of Wight?
73% of rated care homes in Isle of Wight are Good or Outstanding, below the England figure of 82.6%. 2 are rated Outstanding and 16 Requires improvement or Inadequate. See how other areas compare.
How much does a care home cost in Isle of Wight?
A care home in Isle of Wight costs a typical £1,620 a week for someone paying for themselves: about £1,620 for residential care and £1,850 for nursing care. These typical prices are modelled in our Care Fees and Quality Index (Q4 2026); ask homes for actual quotes. Work out what you would pay.
How much does home care cost per hour in Isle of Wight?
Home care in Isle of Wight costs a typical £33.50 an hour for someone paying privately (Q4 2026). Evenings, weekends and bank holidays usually cost more, and many agencies have a minimum visit length.
Which care homes in Isle of Wight are rated Outstanding?
Newport Residential Care Limited and Highfield House are rated Outstanding by CQC.
How many care homes in Isle of Wight offer nursing or dementia care?
13 care homes in Isle of Wight are registered to provide nursing care and 45 list dementia as a specialism. Plenty of homes are registered for both. Nursing homes in Isle of Wight.
Is it hard to find a care home bed in Isle of Wight?
Isle of Wight has 41.2 care home beds for every 1,000 people aged 65 and over, against 43.0 across England, which ranks 78 of 151 council areas. Where beds are scarce, vacancies are too, so it pays to start the search early. Care Access Gap.
How old are care home ratings in Isle of Wight?
57.6% of rated care homes in Isle of Wight were last rated more than four years ago, and the typical rating is 61 months old. An older rating may not reflect today, so ask about recent changes.
How do I ask Isle of Wight Council for a care needs assessment?
Contact Isle of Wight Council adult social care on 01983 823340. Anyone who appears to need care can have one free of charge, regardless of savings: it is a right under the Care Act 2014. Online assessment request.
Which care groups run the most care homes in Isle of Wight?
The largest providers in Isle of Wight are Island Healthcare Limited (6), Isle of Wight Council (4) and Ryde House Homes Ltd (4). Each home is rated separately by CQC.
Paying privately, or topping up? Tell us what's needed and we'll pass your request to up to three providers in Isle of Wight that take enquiries through us. Only the ones you tick see your details.
Find care with spaceReferences
- www.iow.gov.uk/asc
- www.iow.gov.uk/article/2554/Adult-social-care-general-enquiries
- www.iow.gov.uk/article/1806/Adult-social-care-contact-details
- www.iow.gov.uk/article/1795/Your-care-assessment
- www.iow.gov.uk/article/1618/How-much-does-it-cost
- www.iow.gov.uk/article/1742/Financial-assessment-estimate-calculator
- www.iow.gov.uk/article/1745/Direct-payments
- www.iow.gov.uk/article/1784/Support-for-carers
- gov.uk: Care Act statutory guidance
Provider details from the Care Quality Commission register, updated Oct 2026. Contains CQC data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. The Care Panel is not a care provider.