13,650
Care homes listed
Care home directory for England
Find and compare the best care homes near you
Search 13,650 CQC-registered care homes across 43 English counties. Compare by care type, location and official CQC rating, then enquire directly with the home.
43
Counties covered
441,357
Beds across England
6,721
Care providers
About Compare Care Homes
Choosing care, made clearer
Finding the right care home for a parent, partner or relative is one of the hardest decisions a family makes, often under time pressure and at a worrying moment. Compare Care Homes brings every CQC-registered care home in England into one place, built on official information from the Care Quality Commission, so you can compare homes on the things that matter: the regulator's rating, the type of care each home is registered to provide, how many beds it has and where it is.
We list 13,650 care homes from 6,721 providers across 43 counties. Whether you need residential care, a nursing home, dementia and memory care, or specialist support for a learning disability or mental health need, you can search by location and care type, shortlist with confidence, and enquire directly with the home. It is free to use and free to enquire.
Browse by care type
What kind of care do you need?
Residential care homes 9,659Nursing homes 4,139Dementia care homes 7,580Learning disability & autism care 4,725Mental health care homes 4,041Physical disability care homes 5,845Visual & hearing impairment care 3,374Care homes for older people 10,428Care homes for younger adults 8,741Children's care homes 293
Understanding care
The main types of care home explained
Residential care homes provide accommodation, meals and personal care, such as help with washing, dressing and medication, for people who can no longer manage safely at home but do not need round-the-clock nursing. Nursing homes add 24-hour care from registered nurses for people with medical or complex needs. Dementia care homes are registered to support people living with dementia or Alzheimer's, with trained staff and a safe, easy-to-navigate environment, and can be either residential or nursing.
Beyond these, homes may be registered for specialist support including learning disability and autism, mental health, physical disabilities and sensory impairment. Many homes hold more than one registration, so they can support someone whose needs change over time. The care-type links above let you compare homes registered for a specific need, anywhere in England.
How it works
A clearer way to choose care
1. Search
Browse by town, county or care type. Every listing carries the home's official CQC rating, bed count and the care it is registered to provide.
2. Compare
See residential, nursing, dementia and specialist homes side by side, with ratings and registered specialisms so you can shortlist with confidence.
3. Enquire
Contact homes directly through the site. It is free to search and free to enquire, with no obligation.
Careers in care
Work in the care sector
Care homes across England are recruiting. Whether you are looking for a rewarding role in care or you run a home and need to fill vacancies, Compare Care Homes connects people with employers across the sector.
Looking for a care job?
From care assistants and senior carers to nurses, home managers, chefs and activities coordinators, care homes are hiring across every county. Register your interest and we will help match you to roles near you.
Find care jobs →Hiring for your care home?
Recruitment is the single biggest challenge facing care providers. We help homes reach qualified, motivated candidates, from individual vacancies to ongoing staffing. Tell us what you need.
Recruit care staff → Built on official data
Trusted, regulator-sourced information
Every care home profile on Compare Care Homes is built from the Care Quality Commission's published care directory, including each home's overall rating, registered beds and the regulated activities it is approved to provide. We link to the official CQC report on every listing so you can read the full inspection findings yourself.
Contains public sector information from the Care Quality Commission, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Ratings and registration details can change between updates, so always confirm current details with the home and on the official CQC website.
FAQ
Common questions about finding care
How do I find a good care home in England?
Start with the type of care needed (residential, nursing or specialist), then compare homes in your area by their official CQC rating and size. Compare Care Homes lists 13,650 CQC-registered care homes so you can shortlist by location and care type, read the regulator's findings, and enquire directly. Always visit a shortlisted home and confirm fees and availability before deciding.
What is the difference between a residential care home and a nursing home?
A residential care home provides accommodation, meals and personal care such as help with washing, dressing and medication. A nursing home does all of that and has registered nurses on site 24 hours a day for people with medical or complex needs. Many homes are registered for both, plus dementia care, so they can support changing needs over time.
How much do care homes cost in England?
Care home fees vary by region, the type of care and the individual home. As a guide, self-funded residential care commonly costs between £3,500 and £5,500 a month, with nursing and specialist dementia care typically higher. Fees are not recorded by the CQC, so confirm the current weekly or monthly fee directly with each home.
Who pays for a care home place?
It depends on the person's needs and finances. Where savings fall below the means-test threshold, the local authority may fund or contribute following a financial assessment. The NHS pays the nursing element of care in a nursing home through NHS-funded nursing care, or the full placement through NHS Continuing Healthcare for those with the highest health needs. Otherwise the resident self-funds.
Is Compare Care Homes free to use?
Yes. It is free to search the directory and free to enquire with any home, with no obligation. We are an independent directory built on official CQC data and we are not affiliated with the CQC.
Looking for care for a loved one?
Tell us what you need and we will help you find the right home. Free, with no obligation.