384 care employers in East Sussex could find you

Working in care in East Sussex

Why are there so many care homes along the East Sussex coast?

Walk along the seafront from Eastbourne to Hastings and you pass some of the oldest communities in the South East. The 2021 Census found that half of Rother's residents, in the district that includes Bexhill, were over 53, a higher middle age than anywhere else in the South East, while Hastings saw its 65 to 74 age band expand by around 30% in a decade. That explains the care map: residential care homes make up more than half of all local employers, and they cluster along the coast. Eastbourne has the most, followed by Bexhill and St Leonards, then Hastings, Seaford and Hailsham, with Lewes and Crowborough further inland.

For a carer that means a lot of choice within a short distance on the coast, and more driving the further you go into the Weald, where villages are spread out and home care rounds get longer.

Independent Lives is East Sussex County Council's chosen partner for people hiring a PA with a direct payment, which gives free help with recruiting, checks, employment law and ongoing support. Three direct payment support services also offer payroll. In short, families here are actively helped to take on their own PA.

East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust runs the Conquest Hospital in Hastings and Eastbourne District General Hospital, plus community hospitals in Bexhill, Rye and Uckfield. East Sussex College lists a Level 3 Social Care Technical Occupational Entry Diploma in Eastbourne and short part time certificates for adults on dementia and end of life care.

87% of the inspected care employers in East Sussex are rated Good or Outstanding by the CQC, above the 84% across the South East and in line with England as a whole (85%).