Residential care

There are lots of places you can look at online to help make a decision about a care home. Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (SCSWIS) inspects all care homes, so their website is a good resource.

To find information on individual council care homes in your area you can also check the list of Care Homes that we own.

Each home should provide information about what they offer, including information about the:

• qualifications and experience of the staff
• number of places available
• most recent inspection report.

Some care homes also have registered nurses. They are for people with an illness or health problem that requires regular medical care. A qualified nurse will be on duty 24 hours a day.

If you think a care home is the answer, you need to contact our Social Work Contact Centre to arrange an assessment.

Each care home will provide you with information on the fees they set. They will explain what services are provided and the costs of all services.

How much you pay depends on your financial situation. We will discuss all of this at the assessment.

We will only contribute towards your care costs after you have been allocated a Social Worker, and they have undertaken a full care assessment which has resulted in you meeting the criteria for long term care.

If your savings and investments are below the current threshold, your Social Worker will organise a financial assessment. This will tell you how much you will pay towards your care home costs.

We take a number of factors into account, including:

• ownership of property
• pensions
• benefits
• savings

As part of that process, we make sure you are claiming all the benefits to which you are entitled from the Department for Work and Pensions.

Will I be entitled to Free Personal Care?

On July 2002, a Free Personal Care allowance was introduced for people aged 65 and over. Free nursing care was also introduced for care homes residents of all ages.

Your assessment will decide whether you need residential or nursing care and any allowances you are entitled to.

We pay any free personal and nursing care payments directly to your care home.

Care Homes

If you have assets valued at below £21,500, the contribution you pay will be based on your income.

If you have assets valued at between £21,500 and £35,000, you will definitely have to contribute to some of the costs.

If you have assets of over £35,000, you will have to pay all of the costs of care yourself.

Subject to an assessment, personal care can include:

• help with bathing and showering
• toileting or changing the bed
• food preparation
• help to move around
• counselling and support
• help with medication
• dressing or help going to bed

There's a flat rate payment of £248.70 per week for personal care. A flat rate of £360.60 applies for nursing care.

If you have savings of more than £35,000 and are paying all the costs yourself, you may be receiving or entitled to receive the Free Personal/Nursing Care Allowance from the Council.

If you are self-placed in a care home before the Free Personal/Nursing Care allowance is agreed, you will still be liable to pay the full care costs until Social Work carries out an assessment.

Funding will not be backdated to the day you self-placed.

Fees

We have set levels of weekly fees for accommodation in private and voluntary care homes:

Residential Care - Single Room: £881.98 (2025/26)

Nursing Care - Single Room: £1,013.05 (2025/26)

Local Authority Care Home – Single Room: £1,302 (2025/26)

The rates are reviewed in April every year. These prices are correct as of April 2025.

All care homes must be registered by the Social Care & Social Work Improvement Scotland. It registers and inspects homes against a set of National Care Standards. These standards outline the quality of service you have the right to expect and they were developed so that the quality of care provided and received throughout Scotland is consistent.

The Social Care & Social Work Improvement Scotland produces inspection reports for each home once an inspection has taken place.

If things go wrong, you can refer to the standards to help you raise concerns or make a complaint.

The registration process is there to make sure:

• Buildings are safe and suitable;
• Care Managers are suitably qualified and experience
• There are enough staff to provide the right level of care and support for all residents;
• Facilities and services are of good quality and suitable for the needs of residents