Home Care in Bellingham, SE6

Tenants, landlords and adaptations

At the 2021 Census, 47.5% of Bellingham ward households were social renters, the highest share in the borough. For care at home that has a practical upside. Council and housing association landlords are expected to fit minor adaptations, such as grab rails, lever taps, half steps and door entry systems, without waiting for a social care assessment, if a tenant is at risk of falls or has a care need. Council tenants can call the customer contact centre on 0800 028 2028. Larger works, such as a level-access shower, usually need a needs assessment and a Disabled Facilities Grant.

We look at the bathroom, the front step and the stairs at the first visit, and help you put the request to the landlord.

An estate built on Bellingham Farm

Bellingham was farmland until the station opened in 1892. Between 1919 and 1923 the London County Council built a cottage estate on the old farm, west of the station: 2,673 homes on 252 acres, laid out around the hexagonal Bellingham Green. East of Bromley Road the streets were mostly built privately in the 1930s. Later came the Passfields flats of 1949 to 1951 and the Excalibur prefab estate, being redeveloped, where six prefabs have been kept and listed. Bellingham and Downham are neighbouring LCC estates; Bellingham is the earlier one.

The cottage houses are two-storey with gardens. The flats, more than four in ten households, include low-rise blocks, where the stair to the front door matters.

What we help with

• Personal care at times that suit the person
• Medication support
• Shopping on Randlesdown Road, meals, light housework and laundry
• Company, a walk round Bellingham Green or into Beckenham Place Park
• Help getting to the GP or Lewisham Hospital

Buses to the hospital, stations without lifts

The 54, 136 and 208 run along Bromley Road from Bellingham through Catford to University Hospital Lewisham, which helps with appointments and visiting. The 336 passes Bellingham Leisure Centre towards Catford one way and Bromley the other. Bellingham station on Randlesdown Road is on the Thameslink Catford Loop, but its platforms are below street level and National Rail lists no step-free access. Beckenham Hill, one stop south, has step-free entrances to its platforms, with a staff ramp to board.

The council's list of controlled parking zones has no Bellingham zone, so a carer who drives can usually park free. Check the signs close to Catford, where the all-day zones begin.

The council route from SE6

Bellingham is in Lewisham's third neighbourhood area, with Catford, Downham, Grove Park and Crofton Park. Its neighbourhood coordinators help with lighter support such as befriending and practical help. For care, start with the online questionnaire on the council's assessment page or ring 020 8314 7777. If you have views on local health and care, Healthwatch Lewisham is on your doorstep at The Green Man, 355 Bromley Road (020 3886 0196).

Around Randlesdown Road

Randlesdown Road is the local parade, with a supermarket and everyday shops, and the Fellowship Inn, the Grade II listed 1920s pub that reopened in 2022. Bellingham Leisure and Lifestyle Centre at 5 Randlesdown Road is an accessible building with classes. Beckenham Place Park, the borough's largest green space, is on the southern side.

Everything our carers can help with →