Funded by families
No care home funds our rankings or advice
Independent Care Home Guidance for Families
Whatever stage you’re at — first search, funding worries, or a final check on one home — get clear, evidence-based answers so you can decide with confidence. And because we’re funded by families, not care homes, no home can pay to look better than it is.
14,599 care homes in our databaseUses CQC, Companies House and GOV.UK dataFunded by families, not care homes
Every family is differentEvery family arrives at a different stage.
Every family arrives at a different stage.
We have the right tool for yours.
Most families move through these stages in order — money first, then finding the right homes, then a final check before signing. Start wherever you are now. Not sure yet? Begin with the free first step.
Worried about money
You've heard the numbers and they're frightening
Someone mentioned £1,100 a week. You don't know what the council pays, whether the house needs to be sold, or what NHS funding your parent might qualify for.
Recommended next step
We calculate your likely means-test result, CHC eligibility, and DPA options — giving you a full funding picture before you commit to anything.
Care Home Funding Report£69
Get funding reportOne-time payment · Ready within 24 hours · No subscription
Need certainty
You want an objective comparison, not a gut feeling
There are dozens of homes within reach and no reliable way to tell them apart. You want someone to cut through the brochures and ratings — and tell you which homes are genuinely suited to your parent's needs.
Recommended next step
Most families visit 2–3 homes and still worry whether they chose well. We match your parent's needs against the UK register, surface the 5 strongest fits, and check each one for financial health, staffing stability, care suitability, and food standards. Walk in knowing. Decide with confidence.
Care Home Matching Report£119
Get matched reportOne-time payment · Ready within 24 hours · No subscription
Almost decided
You've found a home — but something feels uncertain
The home looks good on the surface. The CQC rating is decent. But you want to know about the finances, the ownership, the enforcement history, the things that aren't on their website.
Recommended next step
We show the full picture the brochure and CQC don't: the finances behind the home, who really owns it, enforcement history, and whether the quoted fee is fair for the area — usually within 1 hour.
Care Home Check£49
Check a homeOne-time payment · Usually ready within 1 hour · No subscription
Not ready to choose a paid route yet? Start with the free first step and come back to these reports once your family knows which question matters most.
Try the free first stepIndependenceMost care home websites are funded by care homes.
Most care home websites are funded by care homes.
We are funded by families.
It means every ranking and recommendation here is built around one question: what’s genuinely right for your family — not which home paid to be seen.
Most placement platforms
- Are funded by the care homes they recommend
- Placement is often free to families because homes pay for referrals
- The incentive is to fill beds, not to find the right fit
- No reason to share findings that might slow your decision
RightCareHome
- Funded entirely by families — no home can pay for better visibility, ever
- A home's position is based solely on independent evidence, not payments
- The incentive is to help families make the right decision, not a fast one
- We share everything we find — including things that give you pause
No paid rankings
Position is based purely on independent data
No commercial relationship
With any care home or placement service
Why families still feel unsure
A listing can help you browse. It cannot help you decide properly.
Ratings, brochures, and directory pages only show part of the picture. We check the evidence families actually need before they commit.
A listing can help you discover homes. It cannot tell you whether the picture holds up when you check the evidence behind it.
What browsing alone leaves hidden
What our analysis helps you see
What browsing alone leaves hidden
Over 6,000 care homes haven’t been fully inspected since 2020. A rating from four years ago tells you what was true then — not now.
What our analysis helps you see
5-year quality timeline showing if a home is improving, stable, or declining
What browsing alone leaves hidden
Self-funders pay 41% more than council-funded residents for the same room.
What our analysis helps you see
Company accounts analysis flagging financial concerns early
What browsing alone leaves hidden
Many families who may have a case for NHS funding never request the first screening step.
What our analysis helps you see
Staff satisfaction data from employee review platforms
What browsing alone leaves hidden
No single review shows the full picture — patterns only emerge across hundreds.
What our analysis helps you see
Fair cost comparison showing what your council considers a reasonable rate
What browsing alone leaves hidden
A home's brochure shows you what it wants you to see. Independent records show you what is real.
What our analysis helps you see
Funding route screening — NHS care funding, council support and Deferred Payment options
Result: Key information stays hidden across company filings, staff reviews, and funding rules. Most families are left to piece it together themselves.
Result: One independent view with finances, quality trends, staff data and funding options — before you decide.
By the numbers
14,600+
Care homes analysed
206
Data points per home
15
Official sources
30–40 hrs
Research per family
152
Councils covered
We answer the concerns families worry about most
The same concerns come up again and again. Here is what our analysis shows.
Is this care home financially stable?
Company accounts analysed from official records. Financial concerns flagged clearly.
Am I paying a fair price — or more than I should be?
Our fair cost comparison shows what your council considers a reasonable rate for the same level of care.
Could NHS or council funding apply?
NHS CHC, council funding, and DPA routes screened for your area. Many families don't know these options exist.
How has the quality changed over time?
Inspection ratings can be 2–3 years old. We show the 5-year quality trend — whether a home is improving, stable, or declining.
Official and independent public sources, cross-referenced and explained.
What we check — and where the data comes from
Every finding in your report comes from an official, independent source — regulatory inspections, company accounts, food hygiene records, national statistics, and 152 local council databases. No care home can edit, influence, or improve their position in our analysis.
Evidence signal
5-year regulatory historyWhat it tells the family
Whether quality is improving, stable, or declining — and what changedEvidence signal
Company accounts & ownershipWhat it tells the family
Early warning signs 6–12 months before potential closuresEvidence signal
Staff review platformsWhat it tells the family
Signs of burnout, high turnover, or heavy agency relianceEvidence signal
Food hygiene & safety recordsWhat it tells the family
Whether day-to-day standards match inspection promisesEvidence signal
Council rates & funding criteriaWhat it tells the family
Whether you're being overcharged — and funding routes worth exploringWhat families say after checking the evidence
What families tell us after using the reports
Families use the evidence to challenge assumptions, ask better questions, and make calmer decisions.
We nearly committed to a home that looked fine on the surface. The financial analysis flagged a problem we'd never have found ourselves.
Margaret T., Surrey
The CQC rating said Good. But the quality trend showed three years of declining outcomes. That changed our thinking completely.
David H., Yorkshire
We were researching a dementia specialist home. Staff stability, specialist training, five years of inspections — all in one place. That's what made the decision feel solid.
Caroline B., London
I'd assumed NHS funding wasn't relevant to us. The screening flagged a route worth formally pursuing with our ICB. We hadn't known to ask.
Peter W., Essex
The questions you're probably asking right now
Choosing care for someone you love is one of the hardest decisions a family makes. These are the questions we're asked most often.
How long does the assessment take?
About 2 minutes. We ask a few questions about care needs, location, and budget, then generate your Free Shortlist or Care Home Matching Report, depending on the service you choose.
How quickly will I get my results?
Free Shortlist: within 10 minutes. Care Home Matching Report: within 24 hours. The Free Shortlist gives you 3 homes to review first. The Care Home Matching Report goes further with deeper independent comparison before you commit.
How is this different from carehome.co.uk or other care home websites?
Most care home websites earn their income from care homes — through paid listings, featured placements, or referral fees. This means the homes that appear most prominently are often the ones that pay the most, not necessarily the ones that suit you best. Our reports are funded entirely by families. No care home can pay to appear, improve their ranking, or influence a recommendation. Our analysis covers 14,000+ care homes, drawing on official inspections, company accounts, food hygiene records, staff review data, and local council information.
What's included in the Free Shortlist?
3 care homes to review first, an initial funding screening, local area analysis, and a checklist of questions for visits. It is designed to give you a useful starting point, not a final verdict.
What additional analysis is in the Care Home Matching Report?
The Care Home Matching Report takes your detailed questionnaire and uses it to identify the strongest-fit homes for your situation. It then adds financial stability assessment, multi-year quality trends, staff satisfaction indicators, initial funding guidance for your council, fair cost comparison, and personalised visit questions. You can also share it securely with family.
Still have questions?
Most families start by understanding the likely cost before they compare homes in detail.
Or email us at hello@rightcarehome.co.uk if you want help choosing the right route.
Still unsure where to begin?
Start with the route that matches the question your family needs to answer next.
- Independent and family-funded
- No subscriptions
- Clear next step in minutes
Not sure which route is right? Start with the funding report, then move deeper only if you need Care Home Check or Care Home Matching Report.