For professionals: care home referrals and discharge
Information on care home referrals for social workers, hospital discharge teams, GPs and other professionals arranging care for someone. For a quick conversation about a referral, call the home directly.
At a glance
- Five small, family-run homes across the North East and North Yorkshire
- Residential care, dementia care and short stays [LENORE CARE TO CONFIRM: by home]
- Each home has its own manager and direct number
- Current CQC ratings shown below
Our homes at a glance: where to make care home referrals
Availability changes quickly, so please call to confirm. [LENORE CARE TO CONFIRM: how often availability is updated here]
Melbury House
Seaham- CQC rating
- Good
- Places now
- Vacancies now Availability checked 10 October 2026
- Manager
- Laureen Stevenson
Kendal House
Whitley Bay- CQC rating
- Good
- Places now
- Limited availability Availability checked 9 October 2026
- Manager
- Joanne Barker
Arden House
Pickering- CQC rating
- Awaiting CQC Rating
- Places now
- Waiting list Availability checked 10 October 2026
- Manager
- Fay Hugill
Birch Hill
Norham- CQC rating
- Outstanding
- Places now
- Waiting list Availability checked 10 October 2026
- Manager
- Jennifer Mackie
Carntyne
Hexham- CQC rating
- Good
- Places now
- Waiting list Availability checked 10 October 2026
- Manager
- Diane Chrichard
How care home referrals work
A short, clear route from your first call about a referral to the person moving in.
Call the home
Ring the manager at the home you have in mind. They can talk through the person’s needs and tell you whether a place is likely to be available.
We arrange an assessment
[LENORE CARE TO CONFIRM: who carries out the assessment, where, and how quickly we can usually do it]
Agree the care plan
Together we agree what support the person needs and how we will give it, so the person and their family know what to expect.
Planning the move
[LENORE CARE TO CONFIRM: how we plan a move in, including out-of-hours and weekend admissions]
Making care home referrals: what helps us when you call
Having these to hand lets the manager give you a quick answer. If you do not have everything, call anyway.
- The person’s name, date of birth and current location
- Why the referral is being made and how urgent it is
- A summary of care needs, including mobility, continence, nutrition and any dementia or memory needs
- Current medication and any known allergies
- Mental capacity and any deprivation of liberty safeguards in place
- Who is funding the care, and the contact at the funder
- Next of kin, or the person with lasting power of attorney
- Your name, role, organisation and best phone number
Download our referral form (PDF) [LENORE CARE TO CONFIRM: form to be supplied]
Funding
For background on one funding route, see the NHS guide to NHS continuing healthcare. [LENORE CARE TO CONFIRM: funding routes accepted, such as local authority funding, NHS continuing healthcare and self-funded places, and which local authorities we hold contracts with] How fees and funding work, for families
Quality and safeguarding
Every home page links to its latest report from the Care Quality Commission (CQC). [LENORE CARE TO CONFIRM: safeguarding lead, and links to the safeguarding and complaints policies]
Request a call from a manager about a referral
Leave your details and the home’s manager will phone you back. [LENORE CARE TO CONFIRM: usual call-back time]
Please do not put personal details about the person in this form. We will take those securely when we speak to you.
Prefer to phone? Each home has its own manager and direct number. Find a number
Your details
We use your details only to reply to your request.
Questions professionals ask about care home referrals
Can you take a discharge from hospital at short notice?
[LENORE CARE TO CONFIRM: our usual notice, weekend and out-of-hours arrangements, and any trusted-assessor arrangement]
Do you accept people funded by the council or the NHS?
[LENORE CARE TO CONFIRM: which funders, local authorities and NHS routes we work with at each home]
Can you care for someone living with dementia?
Yes. [LENORE CARE TO CONFIRM: which homes, and the level of dementia support at each]
Can someone come for a short stay first?
Short stays are available at all five homes, subject to availability. [LENORE CARE TO CONFIRM: minimum length and how to arrange one]
How do I find out the latest CQC rating?
Each home page shows its current rating with a link to the full CQC report. Ratings are also summarised in the table above.