We welcome couples at a number of our homes as our larger studios and one bedroom apartments are perfect for couples to share. Where a couple chooses to share an additional 30% will be charged on the weekly accommodation services fee on applicable rooms and the care charged separately in line with our care package pricing structure.

Our Client Liaison Managers/Co-Ordinators will help facilitate the move to the home if required they will be able to share details of removal firms and provide a list of items to pack and bring with you.

Our apartments come unfurnished as standard to allow for them to be personalised as many residents prefer to bring their own items of furniture. We can however arrange the purchase of a furniture package upon request.

At Signature we understand the important connection between humans and their much-loved pets. The benefits of these interactions have been researched and the health advantages of having pets in your life are widely proven and that’s why we love having pets in our homes. We welcome a variety of different animals, be it local pet therapy companies to friends and family pets. In some instances, we can even put together an individualised “Pet Care Plan” to allow new residents and their pets to move in together. We would welcome a chat over a cup of tea and biscuits (pet biscuits included of course!) to see if this could be something we can facilitate. Please be advised that some of our properties do have restrictions regarding pets living at the home.

We encourage our residents where possible to manage their own finances. The responsibility for safe keeping of all cash and valuables is that of the individual, therefore we would endorse residents having their own contents insurance.

Yes we offer a wide range of activities all tailored to meet resident needs and interest. Your hobbies and interests don’t have to change just because you are in our home, we will do our very best to support you maintaining your social life.

Family and friends are an important part of life at our home, and visits are always encouraged. Where in-person visits are not possible, we can support residents to stay in touch through video calls and online communication, with our team available to help every step of the way.

We recognise ethnic, cultural and spiritual diversity at Signature as an important part of life. Wherever possible our home teams reflect the cultural and ethnic mix of our residents. Individuals who for cultural or religious reasons have preferences about how they are cared for should have their wishes met and these should be identified as part of care planning.

Your family is important to us and we welcome them to visit anytime, however we do not have any guest rooms to accommodate an overnight stay. Our friendly reception team will be able to help them find a hotel nearby.

No, you do not need to worry about labelling your clothes, our Laundry team will label these on the day you move in.

• When you email us, unless specified otherwise our Client Liaison Manager will endeavour to make contact with you by phone within 48 hours.
• During the call we will aim to find out more about your personal situation and will give you an overview of how we may be able to support you moving forward.
• We will discuss the different types of care provision we can offer at your chosen location along with the home’s individualised facilities, our pricing structures and the fundamentals of our contract.
• Should you wish, we can send you a brochure by email or post, giving you more information about staying at a Signature care home.
• If you request email correspondence, we will respond within 24 hours with additional information about what our care homes have to offer, including FAQs on pricing and guidance on funding.

• When you phone a Signature Care Home directly, our friendly reception team will help guide you to the most appropriate team member to assist you. This would normally be our Client Liaison Manager but any member of our senior team will be able to support with your enquiry.
• When you get in touch, our team will guide you through our pricing, explain how the assessment process works and talk through our terms and standard contract, giving you the opportunity to ask any questions along the way.
• We will talk you through our pricing structure, assessment process and direct you to our website to enable you to see our terms and conditions which includes our standard contract.
• We will invite you to visit our care home at a convenient time for you, where you can meet our team, explore the home and talk through your individual requirements, care needs and any questions you may have.

• Your visit to our home will be a great opportunity to find out everything you need to make an informed decision on your care needs for yourself or your loved one.
• Our Client Liaison Manager will invite you to have a conversation in the privacy of our family room to discuss your situation in more detail. During your visit, you will have the opportunity to view the different room types we offer, our “In House facilities”, menu choices and full activity programme.
• After your individualised tour we can offer you additional guidance on care assessment and pricing.
• We will also provide details on the type of care we offer, our staffing structure and specific details of the facilities in our individual homes.
• We will talk you through what will happen should you wish to move in, our assessment process and arrange a follow up call or meeting with you.
• If at this stage you would like to progress to an assessment we will talk you through any additional information and arrange a suitable day and time with one of our experienced clinical team.

• Should you wish to move into one of our homes, we ask for a reservation deposit equal to 2 weeks’ residence fees which will secure your apartment. We will provide you with a receipt which details the terms and conditions of the reservation deposit. The reservation deposit receipt also confirms that should you move into the home, the deposit will be deducted from your first invoice.
• Upon receipt of the reservation deposit we will ask you to complete a form that will request access to yourself or your loved one’s GP reports and we will detail any further requirements enabling us to better understand who would be the most appropriate contacts.
• When our clinical team have completed your assessment, they will be able to provide your Client Liaison Manager with your final individual pricing.
• We will then send a “Confirmation of Fees letter” and fully completed contract for yourself or your loved one to review.
• We will then discuss a suitable day for you to move into your new home, arrange for contracts to be signed and look forward to welcoming you. Should you decide not to move into the home then we will fully refund your deposit.

If you wish to remain with your current GP, you are more than welcome to, we just ask that you check with your current GP that they will be happy to support you in our home. Most of our residents are registered with our GP and appreciate the ease of having easy access to appointments and our team being able to manage repeat medication and hospital appointments

Residents have the right to choose how they would like to be cared for and such choices will be documented in their own individualised care plan. We will always try to accommodate any special requests and will tailor your care delivery accordingly.

Respite Care or Convalescent Care as its commonly known is short term care designed to help people recover from an operation or illness. Respite stays are from one week to eight weeks. Individual care plans are tailored to each resident’s requirements to aid speedy recovery.

We also offer trial periods for all new residents who are moving in with us. With a trial period, you have the peace of mind that should you wish to leave at any point within the first 28 days, you are entitled to do so by giving written notice that takes immediate effect.

Yes, your contract may be terminated under specific circumstances. This may include situations where:

• A resident’s needs would be better supported in a different type of accommodation.
• A resident requires care or support that the home is not able to provide.
• A resident needs to move into hospital care on a long-term basis.
• A resident’s behaviour changes in a way that means the home can no longer meet their needs safely.
• Care fees have not been paid for a significant period of time.
• It becomes necessary for the home to close.

In any of these situations, we would always discuss matters fully with the resident and their family, provide clear explanations, and work together to agree the best possible next steps, offering support and guidance throughout the process.’

You can end your contract at any time during the 28-day trial period without giving notice. After the trial period, you can end the contract by giving at least 28 days’ written notice to the home management team. If there is a serious issue that breaches the contract and it is not resolved within 28 days of you raising it in writing, you may end the contract by giving 14 days’ written notice.

Your Weekly Residence Fee includes:

• the right to occupy your suite.
• use of our restaurant(s) for breakfast, lunch and evening meal.
• use of our cafe services.
• use of appointed communal areas and gardens.
• optional participation in our activities programmes.
• housekeeping services.
• laundry services.

The Weekly Care Package Fee is a weekly fee which includes all care services delivered by the Provider to a resident pursuant to the Care Plan in place at any point in time. If we determine that you require nursing services, it will be charged in addition to the current care plan. Once FNC is awarded, it will fully offset that nursing charge

Yes, we accept funding from the NHS. If you are found eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) funding, all care must be funded by the NHS, however an Enhanced Amenity Charge may be required for the luxury lifestyle that our homes offer, which is payable by you and/or a third-party contributor. Should funding be withdrawn, you and/ or a third-party contributor will remain liable for the full cost of the Weekly Residence Fee and Weekly Care Package Fee.

Yes, we can accept funding from Local Authorities – subject to approval. If the amount the Local Authority is willing to pay is not enough to cover the total of our Weekly Residence Fee and Weekly Care Package Fee, a third party top up will be required. This top up cannot come from you, as your income will be paid to the Local Authority as your Client Contribution.

If you have assets that exceed the upper capital limit (£23,250), you will be responsible for covering the entire cost of your care in a care home. If your assets fall between the lower capital limit (£14,250) and the upper capital limit (£23,250), you will contribute what you can afford from your income, in addition to a means-tested amount calculated at a rate of £1 per week for every £250 of capital that falls between the upper and lower capital limits. If your assets are below the lower capital limit, you will only need to contribute based on what you can afford from your income, with no additional contribution from your assets.

Services provided which are not included within the Weekly Residence Fee or the Weekly Care Package Fee are charged for separately. Such services may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• hairdressing services.
• alcoholic beverages.
• newspapers.
• chiropody.
• physiotherapy.
• taxi services and other transportation.
• costs associated with the accompaniment to offsite professional appointments.
• tray services to rooms and guest meals.
• call charges.
• beauty treatments.

Depending on your individual circumstances you may be eligible for either Local Authority Funding or NHS Funding (Funded Nursing Care or Continuing Health Care). Our experienced Client Liaison Managers will be able to advise you about the options which may be available. We strongly suggest that you seek independent financial advice to explore any potential funding opportunities.

It is crucial that we are informed as soon as you start to have concerns about a depletion of your funds. This will help us to support you around the potential options available whether that be evaluating alternative sources of funding, transfer to a smaller suite within the home or transfer to an alternative provider. You may be eligible for financial support from your local authority when your savings meet threshold (currently £23,250).

The Local Authority will conduct assessments on your care and financials to see whether you meet the criteria for funding assistance. As part of this assessment, the Local Authority may determine you need to pay a certain amount towards your care, referred to as a Client Contribution. If the amount the Local Authority is willing to pay is not enough to cover our weekly fee, a third party top up will be required. This can come from a family member or a friend but must not come from you as your income will be paid to the Local Authority as your Client Contribution. We recommend you reach out to your Local Authority when your funds are ~6 months above the capital threshold amount.

Providing reasonable notice has been given by you to the home (28 days absence notice) or in the event of an emergency hospitalisation you will remain liable for the first five days of the Weekly Care Package Fee. For the avoidance of doubt the Weekly Residence Fee remains payable throughout any period of absence from the home.

When you reserve your apartment, you will be required to pay a deposit equal to 2 week’s residence fees, which will secure your apartment for 28 days. The reservation deposit will be deducted from your first fee invoice. Should you decide not to move in, the deposit will be refunded within 28 days of the receipt of written notice.

There is a 28 day notice period within your agreement which must be provided to the General Manager in writing.

It is very important that your move to Signature is affordable to you and our experienced Client Liaison Managers will be able to help you when assessing affordability by providing you with estimated fees for different timeframes. We will require you to complete a pre-admission financial affordability form. It is important to note that this form is not a simple pass or fail, each case is thoughtfully assessed, considering a variety of individual factors. We strongly recommend seeking guidance from a SOLLA-accredited financial adviser to explore all available options to yourself and family members. Should a Guarantor be necessary in the form of a family member or other suitable individual, we can help you through that process.

If your property is on the market and you need care, we may be able to accept a Deferred Payment Agreement with the Local Authority whereby the Local Authority pays Signature and claims back the money from you once the property is sold. Please note that each Local Authority has their own eligibility criteria, and we would need to be satisfied that you are eligible for this source of funding before admission.

Care fees are reviewed annually in line with inflation and may be adjusted should a resident require more tailored or specialist support, allowing care to evolve seamlessly as needs change.

Annual room and care fee increases of no more than 5.5% apply or aligned to CPIH* when greater than 6%.
*CPIH is defined as the Consumer Prices Index including owner occupiers’ housing costs.

All fee charges relating to the Care Agreement will cease from the date of death. Accommodation costs will be charged from the date of death until such time as the apartment is cleared of all personal belongings up to a maximum of ten days. Should a longer period than ten days be required to remove personal belongings from the room then this should be agreed in writing with the General Manager and additional day charges will apply.
Should your possessions not be collected within the agreed timeframe then they will be transferred to an offsite storage facility at a cost to yourself. After a period of 28 days in storage, if your possessions remain uncollected then we will arrange for them to be sold/disposed of and any surplus funds after associated costs will be paid back into your estate.