Choose a care home by starting with homes registered for the care the person needs, close to the people who will visit, then reading each one’s latest inspection report and visiting at least three. Before anyone signs, get the weekly fee, what it covers, how it can rise and the notice terms in writing.
Start with the needs assessment
A needs assessment from the council says what care someone needs, and that decides whether you are looking for a residential home or a nursing home. In England, the council must assess anyone who appears to need care and support, whatever their finances. In Scotland, ask the local health and social care partnership.
Get the assessment even if you will pay for the care yourself. It tells you which kind of home to shortlist, and it is the first step to any council or NHS help with the cost.
Build a shortlist from the register
Every care home in England has to register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), and every care home in Scotland with the Care Inspectorate. The register tells you what each home is allowed to provide, so filter on that before anything else.
- Type of care. In England, check whether a home is registered as a nursing home, a residential home or both. Our guide to nursing and residential care explains the difference.
- Needs it is registered for. If the person has dementia, start with homes registered for dementia care.
- Location. The best home is often the one family can visit twice a week. Search by postcode or town, or browse by area.
- Size. The register gives beds for each home. Some people settle better in a small home; others like the extra activity of a large one.
What a CQC rating tells you (England)
The CQC gives four ratings: Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement and Inadequate. It also rates each of five key questions: is the home safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. Newer reports carry a percentage score too, which shows whether a home sits near the top or bottom of its rating.
A rated home must display its latest rating at the home and on its website, with the date it was given. That date matters most. A rating describes the home on the day of its last assessment, and some ratings are several years old.
Some homes have no rating. One reason the CQC gives is that a service has registered but has not been assessed yet, which is the position of many new homes. A missing rating is a reason to ask questions, and it is no mark against the home.
What a Care Inspectorate grade tells you (Scotland)
The Care Inspectorate grades each key question it inspects on a six-point scale: 6 excellent, 5 very good, 4 good, 3 adequate, 2 weak and 1 unsatisfactory. A grade of 4 means important strengths that clearly outweigh areas for improvement. A grade of 3 means strengths only just outweigh weaknesses.
Read the grade for each key question separately, and check the date of the inspection report. A home graded 5 for wellbeing and 3 for leadership is a different prospect from one graded 4 across the board.
What neither tells you
No rating or grade tells you the fee, whether there is a room free, or whether the manager named in the report is still there. It also cannot tell you whether this home suits this person. Only a visit answers that.
Visiting: 42 questions to take with you
Visit each home on your shortlist, ideally at a mealtime, and take someone with you so you can compare notes. Go back unannounced to your favourite at a different time of day. You will not need every question below, so pick the ones that matter for the person moving in.
First impressions
- Were you greeted promptly, and did staff know you were coming?
- Does the home smell clean and fresh in the corridors and lounges?
- Are residents up, dressed and doing something, or mostly asleep in chairs facing a television?
- Do staff talk with residents as they pass, and call them by name?
- Is the home calm, or does it feel rushed and short of hands?
Staff
- How many care staff are on duty during the day, and how many at night?
- How many registered nurses are on shift? (nursing homes)
- How much of the rota is covered by agency staff?
- How long has the manager been in post, and is the manager registered with the regulator?
- How many care staff left in the last year?
- What training do staff get in dementia, moving and handling, and end of life care?
- Will the same staff look after my relative most days?
Care and health
- Who writes the care plan, how often is it reviewed, and can the family be involved?
- Which GP practice looks after residents, and how often does a GP visit?
- How are medicines managed, and who checks them?
- How do you prevent falls and pressure sores, and what happens after a fall?
- Can residents stay here until the end of their life, including if they need nursing care?
- What needs would you not be able to meet, and what happens then?
- How do you support residents who become distressed or confused?
Daily life
- Can residents get up, go to bed and eat when they choose?
- What activities ran last week, and who leads them?
- Are there outings, and how often does each resident go out?
- Can residents use the garden whenever they like, safely?
- Can residents keep up their faith, hobbies and friendships?
- Can residents bring their own furniture, pictures and belongings?
- Are pets allowed, or do animals visit?
Food
- Can I see this week’s menu, and is there a real choice at each meal?
- Can residents have snacks and drinks at any time, including at night?
- How are special diets, textured food and cultural needs handled?
- Who helps residents who need help to eat, and is there time to do it properly?
- Can families join a resident for a meal?
Rooms and the building
- Is the room I would be offered available to see today?
- Does it have its own toilet and shower, and how close is the nearest bathroom if not?
- How do residents call for help, and how quickly is a call answered?
- Is the building easy to get around for someone with a walking frame or wheelchair?
- Are there quiet places to sit with visitors, away from the main lounge?
Family and visiting
- Are there any limits on visiting times or numbers?
- How and when will you tell the family about a fall, an illness or a change in care?
- Is there a residents’ and relatives’ meeting, and can I see the last minutes?
- How do I raise a concern, and who will deal with it?
- Can I see the latest inspection report, and what changed after it?
- May I come back unannounced at a different time of day?
What to get in writing before anyone signs
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) says care homes must give key information when you first get in touch, including what you will pay, and should show it clearly on their website. You should also get a copy of the standard contract terms before you agree to anything. Ask for these in writing:
- The weekly fee for the room you are being offered, and whether it changes after the care needs assessment.
- What the fee includes, and a price list for anything extra, such as hairdressing, chiropody, newspapers, toiletries, trips and escorts to hospital appointments.
- How fees can rise. The contract should explain when and how fees change. The CMA says an unlimited right to raise fees is likely to be unfair, and you should usually get at least 28 days’ notice of a change.
- Deposits and upfront payments. The CMA says an upfront payment is likely to be fair only if it is a fair deposit or an advance payment of the regular fees. Ask when and how it is returned.
- Notice. How much notice you must give to leave, and the reasons the home could ask the resident to leave. The CMA says residents should be given at least 28 days’ written notice to leave.
- Any trial period, and what happens at the end of it.
- Fees after death: how long fees are charged for after a resident dies. The CMA says charging for an extended period may be unfair.
- If the money runs out. If you are paying yourself and savings may fall to the council’s limit, ask whether the home accepts the council’s rate or would need a top-up. Our guide to paying for a care home explains the limits.
- The complaints procedure, including who to go to outside the home.
If the council is arranging the place, it must offer at least one home that costs no more than the personal budget it sets. You can pick a dearer one, but then someone has to pay the difference as a top-up. Our guide to care home fees covers what drives the price.
Common questions
How many care homes should I visit before choosing?
Visit at least three, so you have something to compare. See each one at least once at a mealtime, and go back unannounced to your favourite at a different time of day. A home that looks the same on the second visit as on the first is telling you something useful.
Is a care home rated Good by the CQC a safe choice?
A Good rating means that at its last assessment the home was performing well and meeting the CQC’s expectations. Check the date on the report, because a rating can be several years old. Then visit, ask about staff turnover and agency use, and read what the report says about the safe and well-led key questions.
What does a Care Inspectorate grade of 4 mean?
In Scotland, a grade of 4 means good: the Care Inspectorate found important strengths that clearly outweigh areas for improvement, though improvements are still needed. Grades run from 1 (unsatisfactory) to 6 (excellent), and each key question is graded separately, so read the grades for wellbeing and leadership, and the date of the inspection.
Can a care home ask for a deposit?
The Competition and Markets Authority’s guidance says an upfront payment is likely to be fair only if it is a fair deposit or an advance payment of the regular fees. The home should tell you about any deposit before you commit. Ask in writing what it covers, where it is held and when it is returned.
How much notice must a care home give before raising fees?
The Competition and Markets Authority’s guidance says residents should usually get at least 28 days’ notice of changes, and that the contract should explain when and how fees can change. A term giving the home an unlimited right to raise fees is likely to be unfair. Ask for the home’s fee review policy in writing.
Sources
Every figure and rule in this guide comes from these pages. The date is when we last read each one.
- Care Quality Commission: Our ratings and scores (updated 8 January 2026) (checked 13 October 2026)
- Care Quality Commission: The 5 key questions we ask (updated 8 January 2026) (checked 13 October 2026)
- legislation.gov.uk: Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, regulation 20A (checked 13 October 2026)
- Care Inspectorate: What our evaluations (grades) mean (updated 17 August 2026) (checked 13 October 2026)
- Competition and Markets Authority: Care homes, consumer rights for residents and their families (checked 13 October 2026)
- NHS: Dementia and care homes (reviewed 2 January 2026) (checked 13 October 2026)
- Department of Health and Social Care: Care and support statutory guidance (updated 22 July 2025), chapters 8 and 9 and annexes A, B and F (checked 13 October 2026)