Help from your council

Getting help with care in Northumberland

Every adult in Northumberland who looks as though they need care can ask Northumberland County Council to assess them. Money makes no difference to that right. Call 01670 536 400 (Onecall).

Checked against Northumberland County Council's website on 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.

Request an assessment from Northumberland County Council or call 01670 536 400 (Onecall).

Onecall is the council's single 24-hour telephone contact for all adult social care and children's services, including requests for carer's assessments.

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, savings are not counted at all, 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 it is still home to a partner or to certain relatives, though not for the first 12 weeks of a permanent stay.

Northumberland County Council: paying for care.

Get prices from 3 care providers near Northumberland

Two quick questions and a postcode. You see which rated services near you fit, then choose who may contact you.

Care at home, or a care home?

No sign-up. You see your matches before giving any contact details.

What kind of care at home?

When is it needed?
Where is care needed?

The home address of the person who needs care, or where you would like the care home to be. Not where you are now.

So providers can call you back with prices and availability, often the same day.

How will care be paid for? (optional, helps providers quote)

Add who it's for or a note (optional)

Who needs care?

By sending, you agree we will contact you by phone and email about your request and share your name, email, phone and care needs with the providers you have ticked, so they can contact you. Privacy notice.

Free · No obligation · Only CQC-registered providers · Only the ones you tick see your details

Providers pay us a fee for each enquiry, never to rank higher in our lists.

Estimate care costs in Northumberland

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.

ServiceUsual price
Visiting carearound £32–£34 an hour
Live-in carearound £1,540–£1,610 a week
Residential care home£1,185 a week
Nursing home£1,305 a week
Council rate£28.24 an hour for home care (2025/26 average paid to agencies); £881.86 a week for residential care (2025/26 average, over-65s); £883.09 a week for nursing care (2025/26 average, over-65s)

Typical 2026 prices across England · Average 2026 self-funder fees in North East · Lottie Care Index, Q3 2026 · The Care Panel regional fee benchmarks, October 2026 (how we estimate).

What kind of care?

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. 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.

Northumberland County Council: direct payments.

If you look after someone

Unpaid carers have a right to be assessed in their own right, free to you.

Northumberland County Council: support for carers. Nearby help for carers: Carers Northumberland.

Council resources

  • Published council care rates: £28.24 an hour for home care (2025/26 average paid to agencies); £881.86 a week for residential care (2025/26 average, over-65s); £883.09 a week for nursing care (2025/26 average, over-65s) (source). A dearer choice needs a top-up to cover the extra.

Northumberland in numbers

43 home care agencies are registered with CQC in Northumberland. Of the 38 with a rating, 97% are Good or Outstanding, above the England figure of 88%. Northumberland has 4 Outstanding care homes; 10% of its rated care homes (9) sit below Good; England: 17%.

CQC registers 93 care homes in Northumberland. 92 are rated, and 90% of these are Good or Outstanding; the England figure is 83%. Nursing homes make up 35 of the total, or 38%. New in the past year: 2 agencies and 3 care homes joined the CQC register in Northumberland.

Among care homes in Northumberland, Well-led is the area most often rated below Good: 14 of the 92 with a Well-led rating. Caring has the most Outstanding ratings (11 of 92). Over the last 12 months CQC published 25 ratings for services in Northumberland: 5 were upgraded, 4 services were rated for the first time, most recently on 6 October 2026.

One company, Northumberland County Council, runs more services in Northumberland than any other: 5 (1 care home and 4 home care agencies). The second largest is Barchester Healthcare Homes Limited (4 services). 41% of rated care homes in Northumberland were rated in the last two years. The typical rating is 40 months old (England: 47).

Source: our analysis of CQC data (Oct 2026).

Care guides for Northumberland

Northumberland is part of Northumberland. Home care across Northumberland · Care homes across Northumberland · Top rated in Northumberland

Free download

Visiting care homes? Take this 40-point checklist

Use it to compare up to three homes on the same questions, from CQC reports and staffing to the room, fees and contract terms.

So providers can call you back with prices and availability, often the same day.

Care by town in Northumberland

Care in Northumberland: common questions

How many care homes are there in Northumberland?

There are 93 care homes registered with CQC in Northumberland, with 3,462 beds in total (CQC register, Oct 2026). 90% of those with a published rating are Good or Outstanding. Best rated care homes in Northumberland.

How many home care agencies are there in Northumberland?

43 home care agencies registered with CQC are based in Northumberland (Oct 2026). 97% of those rated are Good or Outstanding. Agencies based nearby may also cover the area.

How good are care homes in Northumberland?

90% of rated care homes in Northumberland are Good or Outstanding, above the England figure of 82.6%. 4 are rated Outstanding and 9 Requires improvement or Inadequate. Council areas ranked for care home quality.

How much does a care home cost in Northumberland?

A care home in Northumberland costs a typical £1,230 a week for someone paying for themselves: about £1,230 for residential care and £1,370 for nursing care. Figures are modelled from our Care Fees and Quality Index (Q4 2026) and are not quotes. Check what you could be charged.

How much does home care cost per hour in Northumberland?

Home care in Northumberland costs a typical £33.50 an hour for someone paying privately (Q4 2026). Weekend, evening and bank holiday rates are usually higher, and short visits may not be offered.

Which care homes in Northumberland are rated Outstanding?

Birch Hill Care Centre, Jane Percy House, Tynedale House and Percy House are rated Outstanding by CQC.

How many care homes in Northumberland offer nursing or dementia care?

35 care homes in Northumberland are registered to provide nursing care and 69 list dementia as a specialism. Many homes offer both. Nursing homes in Northumberland.

Is it hard to find a care home bed in Northumberland?

Northumberland has 38.4 care home beds for every 1,000 people aged 65 and over, against 43.0 across England, which ranks 99 of 151 council areas. A lower figure tends to mean fewer rooms free at any time; begin looking before you need to. Care Access Gap.

How old are care home ratings in Northumberland?

33.3% of rated care homes in Northumberland were last rated more than four years ago, and the typical rating is 39 months old. Check the date on any rating and ask what has changed since.

How do I ask Northumberland County Council for a care needs assessment?

Contact Northumberland County Council adult social care on 01670 536 400 (Onecall). It costs nothing and savings do not affect your right to it (Care Act 2014). Ask for an assessment online.

Which care groups run the most care homes in Northumberland?

The largest providers in Northumberland are Barchester Healthcare Homes Limited (4), HC-One No.2 Limited (3) and Roseberry Care Centres (England) Ltd (3). Check each home, as CQC rates them individually.

Paying for care in Northumberland? One short form reaches up to three providers that handle enquiries through The Care Panel. Your details go only where you say.

Ask about availability

Where this comes from

Data: CQC register, Oct 2026, used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. We are an independent directory and do not provide care.

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