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Home care in South East England – page 101

2,220 agencies

Free, independent advice from Janet, Claire and the AskBart teamHow we check our information

There are 2,220 home care agencies in South East England on AskBart. 86% of those rated by the CQC are Good or Outstanding, against 79% nationally (CQC data, October 2026). The largest is Care & Carers - Buckinghamshire, with 15 beds. The most recent inspection was at Cardea Healthcare – Berkshire in November 2023.

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Berkshire263Buckinghamshire264East Sussex138Hampshire400Isle of Wight28Kent453Oxfordshire162Portsmouth58Surrey266West Sussex189

Type of care

Specialist care

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2,220 agencies

2,220 agencies found

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Key facts: South East England

Home care agencies listed2,220
Rated Good or Outstanding1065 of 1237 (86%)
Rated Outstanding67
Rated Requires improvement or Inadequate172
LargestCare & Carers - Buckinghamshire (15 beds)
Most recently inspectedCardea Healthcare – Berkshire (November 2023)
Outstanding67
Good998
Requires improvement164
Inadequate8
Not yet rated983

Data: CQC register, updated October 2026. Figures are for the homes listed on this page.

Not sure how much care is needed?

Answer a few questions and we’ll estimate the hours a week, a visit schedule and a rough cost for care at home in South East England — in about a minute.

Estimate care needs

Care agency vs a private carer in South East England

A private or introductory-agency carer often charges less per hour than a CQC-regulated agency — but the difference pays for cover, vetting and the legal responsibilities the agency carries for you. Here’s how the two compare.

CQC-regulated home care agency compared with a private or introductory-agency carer
 CQC-regulated agencyPrivate / introductory carer
RegulationRegistered with and inspected by the CQC — a published rating on every profileNot inspected — an individual carer is not CQC-regulated
If your carer is off sickThe agency sends a replacement, so care never stopsYou have to arrange emergency cover yourself
Employment & taxThe agency employs the carer — pay, tax, pension and insurance are handled for youYou may become the carer’s legal employer, with HMRC, pension and insurance duties
Training, DBS & insuranceCarers are trained, DBS-checked and covered by the agency’s insuranceYou check training, references and DBS yourself
Typical hourly rate£22–£28 per hour£15–£19 per hour

The higher agency rate buys the cover, training and liability an agency carries for you — the reassurance most families want when arranging care for a parent. Every agency listed on this page is registered with the CQC.

Rates are typical UK ranges, not local quotes, and vary by provider, timing and the level of care. Employing a carer directly makes you their employer — check your responsibilities on GOV.UK.

The true cost of care at home vs a care home in South East England

Families often compare a care-home fee to home-care hours alone — but a care home already includes the room, meals and bills, while staying at home means paying for those on top of the care. Adjust the figures for an illustrative weekly and yearly comparison, and see where a care home becomes the cheaper choice.

Care home (£/week)

Household costs total £173/week. Attendance Allowance is a non-means-tested benefit (2026/27 rates £76.70 lower / £114.60 higher per week — check the current rate); it is usually payable whether you stay at home or self-fund a care home, so it is applied to every option below.

Home-care visits

35 hrs/week × £23

£978/wk

£50,856/year

£805 care + £173 bills

Lowest total cost

Live-in care

one carer, living with you

£1,573/wk

£81,796/year

£1,400 care + £173 bills

Residential care home

room, meals & bills included

£1,200/wk

£62,400/year

Where it changes over

Once the £173/week of household bills are counted, staying at home works out cheaper only up to about 45 hours of care a week. Beyond that, a residential care home — where the bills are already included — usually costs less.

A guide, not a quote

Every figure is an editable estimate. Household bills vary by home and circumstances; live-in care may need two carers for high or overnight needs; and the right choice depends on the level of care needed, not just the total. Always get real quotes and a care-needs assessment before deciding.

Illustrative only — a transparent model, not a quote. See who should pay towards care in our care funding & means-test calculator, or ask Bart.

Support for staying at home in South East England

Care at home works best alongside local health services, grants and carer support. These are the main routes to help — home adaptations are administered by Kent council.

Home adaptations & grants

Grab rails, stairlifts and level-access showers can be part-funded by a Disabled Facilities Grant — the practical changes that let care at home succeed.

Disabled Facilities Grant

Help paying for care

Attendance Allowance is a non-means-tested benefit that helps with the cost of care at home for people over State Pension age.

Attendance Allowance

District nursing & community health

NHS community teams visit at home for wound care, medication support and ongoing conditions, alongside your care agency.

NHS care & support

Support for family carers

Advice, a carer’s assessment, respite and local support groups for relatives who help with care.

Carers UK advice

Prescription delivery

Local pharmacies can prepare weekly blister packs (dosette boxes) and deliver medicines to the door.

Find a pharmacy

Links open official NHS, GOV.UK and national charity services that localise to your postcode. AskBart is independent and isn’t affiliated with these organisations.

Weighing up your options in South East England?

Care needs change over time. Compare the other kinds of later-life care in South East England:

Need more support than visiting care can give?Compare care homes in South East EnglandThinking about downsizing to an independent community?Explore retirement living in South East England

Guides for families

More in our home care guides.