Your residency agreement, explained
When someone moves into one of our homes, the resident, or someone acting for them, signs a residency agreement. It is a legal contract, so we want you to understand it before you sign. These pages explain it in plain English.
A guide, not the contract. This page explains the agreement in plain English. The agreement you sign is the legal document, and it is the agreement that applies if the two ever differ. You are welcome to ask the home manager for a copy to read before you decide, and you may want to take independent legal advice.
The agreement at a glance
One agreement, filled in for each home
The same terms and conditions apply to a permanent place. [CONFIRMATION REQUIRED: check that the same residency agreement is used at all five homes]
A four-week trial
The first four weeks are a trial period, so everyone can see whether the home is right. Either side can end it with one week’s notice.
Clear charges
The weekly fee, what it includes, and what is extra are set out in the agreement, and the manager will go through them with you.
Notice, in writing
After the trial, you give four weeks’ written notice to leave. We explain how and when a home can end the agreement, and why.
How the agreement is laid out
- Part 1, key information. Who the agreement is with, the home and the resident, who is paying what, the declaration to sign, and a table of key terms.
- Part 2, charges. What the fees cover, how they are paid, what happens when funding is involved or changes, how fees are reviewed, and what happens during an absence or a hospital stay.
- Part 3, ending the agreement. The trial period, cancelling within 14 days, and how you or the home can end the agreement.
- Part 4, general terms. Your room, medication, care plans, laundry, personal finances, accidents, visitors, complaints and changes to the agreement.
- Annexes. The notice of the right to cancel, the reservation agreement, the third party top-up agreement and the date fees are reviewed each year.
Who signs the agreement
More than one person may sign, depending on who is paying and who is acting for the resident.
- The resident, if they have the capacity to sign. They are personally bound by the agreement.
- A representative who has agreed to pay all or part of the fees. They are personally bound by the agreement.
- An attorney or deputy: someone validly appointed under a lasting or enduring power of attorney for property and financial affairs, or a deputy appointed by the Court of Protection. They are not personally liable under the agreement, but agree to pay the fees on the resident’s behalf, and to tell us straight away if their appointment ends.
- A guarantor, if one is asked for: someone who agrees to guarantee payment of the fees.
- A third party paying a top-up. They sign a separate agreement. Read how top-ups work.
Before you sign
- Read the whole agreement. It is a legally binding contract.
- Ask the home manager anything you are unsure about. If you think there is a mistake, tell us straight away.
- You may want independent legal advice. We cannot recommend a particular adviser, but we can help you find one.
- You can ask for changes in writing. We will tell you whether they are possible.
Keep reading
What the weekly fee includes
What is covered by the weekly fee, and what is an extra.
Fees, reviews and top-ups
How fees are paid and reviewed, and how funding and top-ups work.
Trial period, notice and leaving
The four-week trial, how notice works, and what happens when someone leaves.
Your rights and how to complain
Your room, your information, visiting, and what to do if something is wrong.
Common questions
Do I have to sign before I move in?
You should read and sign the agreement before moving in. If someone moves in without signing, but was given the terms in good time beforehand, the terms still apply.
Is there a cooling-off period?
There is a 14-day right to cancel if the agreement was signed during a visit somewhere other than the home, such as your own home or a hospital. There is also a four-week trial period for everyone. Read about both.
Does the resident become a tenant?
No. A place in a care home is not a tenancy. Read about your room.
Can I change the agreement?
You can ask. Tell us in writing what you would like changed, and we will let you know whether it is possible.
Want to talk it through?
The manager at your nearest home can go through the agreement with you, with no pressure to decide.