Help from your council
Getting help with care in Norfolk
Every adult in Norfolk who looks as though they need care can ask Norfolk County Council to assess them. Money makes no difference to that right. Call 0344 800 8020.
Checked against Norfolk County Council's website on 15 October 2026.
1. Get assessed
Which daily tasks are hard, and do they meet the national threshold? That is the question the assessment answers. It is free, a statutory right, and carries no obligation to take council services.
Request an assessment from Norfolk County Council; alternatively, 0344 800 8020.
The adult social care line is open 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday, with urgent out-of-hours support available on the same number.
2. What you pay towards care
Next, finances, if needs qualify. Staying at home? Then the value of the person's home is not counted. Moving into residential care? Property normally counts unless it is still home to a partner or to certain relatives, from week 13 of a permanent stay. Capital over £23,250 means the person usually pays the full cost, under £14,250 savings are not counted at all, and in between tariff income is used.
Estimate care costs in Norfolk
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.
| Type of care | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Visiting care | around £32–£34 an hour |
| Live-in care | around £1,540–£1,610 a week |
| Residential care home | £1,250 a week |
| Nursing home | £1,530 a week |
Typical 2026 prices across England · Average 2026 self-funder fees in East of England · Lottie Care Index, Q3 2026 · Which?, self-funder fees (Lottie data, January 2026).
Rules applied (2026/27, England): savings above £23,250 usually mean paying in full; below £14,250 they are ignored; in between, every £250 adds £1 a week of assumed income. Allowances: minimum income guarantee £241.45 a week (single, pension age) and personal expenses allowance £31.80 a week. Official source: GOV.UK charging circular. Your council does the real calculation and may be more generous.
3. Direct payments
Council funding, whether partial or full, can be paid to you so that you organise support yourself, with the agency of your choice.
Help for carers
Looking after someone? You can be assessed separately, free.
Norfolk County Council: support for carers. Nearby help for carers: Carers Matter Norfolk.
Useful from the council
- Local care and support directory: Norfolk Community Directory
Norfolk in numbers
Look closely at Well-led when you read reports for care homes in Norfolk: 122 of the 294 rated for it fall below Good. Outstanding ratings are most common for Responsive: 19 of 294. Over the last 12 months CQC published 64 ratings for services in Norfolk, and 8 went up, 10 moved to a lower rating, 6 were new services getting a first rating, most recently on 20 October 2026.
One company, Norse Care (Services) Limited, runs more services in Norfolk than any other: 18 (17 care homes and 1 home care agency). The second largest is Black Swan International Limited (11 services). CQC registers 318 care homes in Norfolk. 293 are rated, and 66% of these are Good or Outstanding; the England figure is 83%. Nursing homes make up 58 of the total, or 18%.
New in the past year: 10 agencies and 22 care homes joined the CQC register in Norfolk. 174 home care agencies are registered with CQC in Norfolk. Of the 119 with a rating, 76% are Good or Outstanding, below the England figure of 88%.
How recent are the ratings? For care homes in Norfolk, the median age is 58 months (England: 47); 24% are under two years old. Norfolk has 18 Outstanding care homes; 34% of its rated care homes (100) sit below Good; England: 17%.
Source: our analysis of CQC data (Oct 2026).
Care guides for Norfolk
- The cost of care in Norfolk
- Who pays for care in Norfolk
- Care needs assessments in Norfolk
- Dementia care in Norfolk
- Learning disability care in Norfolk
- Mental health care in Norfolk
- Physical disability care in Norfolk
- Sight and hearing loss care in Norfolk
- Top rated care homes in Norfolk
- Highest rated home care agencies in Norfolk
- Nursing homes in Norfolk
Norfolk is in Norfolk. Home care across Norfolk · Care homes across Norfolk · Top rated in Norfolk
Free download
Choosing a care home: the 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 Norfolk
Norwich
Poringland
Taverham
Horsford
Hethersett
Brundall
Dereham
King's Lynn
Cromer
Great Yarmouth
Attleborough
Sheringham
Hunstanton
Thetford
Wymondham
Diss
Heacham
Martham
Watton
Aylsham
Downham Market
Fakenham
Hemsby
Mundesley
Care in Norfolk: common questions
How many care homes are there in Norfolk?
There are 318 care homes registered with CQC in Norfolk, with 10,290 beds in total (CQC register, Oct 2026). 66% of those with a published rating are Good or Outstanding. Best rated care homes in Norfolk.
How many home care agencies are there in Norfolk?
174 home care agencies registered with CQC are based in Norfolk (Oct 2026). 76% of those rated are Good or Outstanding. Agencies based nearby may also cover the area.
How good are care homes in Norfolk?
66% of rated care homes in Norfolk are Good or Outstanding, below the England figure of 82.6%. 18 are rated Outstanding and 100 Requires improvement or Inadequate. See how other areas compare.
How much does a care home cost in Norfolk?
A care home in Norfolk costs a typical £1,500 a week for someone paying for themselves: about £1,500 for residential care and £1,690 for nursing care. Our Care Fees and Quality Index (Q4 2026) models these prices; real quotes will vary. Work out what you would pay.
How much does home care cost per hour in Norfolk?
Home care in Norfolk costs a typical £33.50 an hour for someone paying privately (Q4 2026). Expect higher rates for evenings, weekends and bank holidays, and check the shortest visit each agency offers.
Which care homes in Norfolk are rated Outstanding?
Cascade (Hurst House), St John's House, Nightingale Lodge, The Beeches, Faldonside Lodge and Oak Trees (Respite) are rated Outstanding by CQC (18 in total).
How many care homes in Norfolk offer nursing or dementia care?
58 care homes in Norfolk are registered to provide nursing care and 185 list dementia as a specialism. The two often overlap. Nursing homes in Norfolk.
Is it hard to find a care home bed in Norfolk?
Norfolk has 43.0 care home beds for every 1,000 people aged 65 and over, against 43.0 across England, which ranks 62 of 151 council areas. Fewer beds usually means fewer vacancies to choose from, so start looking early. Care Access Gap.
How old are care home ratings in Norfolk?
58.5% of rated care homes in Norfolk were last rated more than four years ago, and the typical rating is 58 months old. Note the rating date and ask the home what is different now.
How do I ask Norfolk County Council for a care needs assessment?
Contact Norfolk County Council adult social care on 0344 800 8020. The assessment is free for anyone who appears to need care, whatever their savings, and is a legal right under the Care Act 2014. Online assessment request.
Which care groups run the most care homes in Norfolk?
The largest providers in Norfolk are Norse Care (Services) Limited (17), Black Swan International Limited (11) and Healthcare Homes Group Limited (11). CQC rates every home on its own.
Paying for care in Norfolk? One short form reaches up to three providers that handle enquiries through The Care Panel. Your details go only where you say.
Ask about availabilityWhere this comes from
- www.norfolk.gov.uk/care-support-and-health
- www.norfolk.gov.uk/article/41762/Contact-our-adult-social-care-team
- www.norfolk.gov.uk/article/41741/How-adult-social-care-works
- www.norfolk.gov.uk/article/41769/Getting-care-and-support
- www.norfolk.gov.uk/payingforcare
- www.norfolk.gov.uk/article/41854/If-we-contribute-to-your-care-costs
- www.norfolk.gov.uk/dpss
- www.norfolk.gov.uk/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.