Carers at Home is a family-run care agency established in 2007. From our office in Godalming, Surrey, we provide home care visits and live-in care, and we have delivered around one million care visits since we began. We are registered with and inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the independent regulator of care in England.You can read more about us, meet our management team and see our values.

We provide home care visits across Surrey, Berkshire and East Hampshire from our Godalming office. Our live-in care service covers the south of England — including Surrey, Hampshire, Sussex, Kent, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Wiltshire.See the full list on our where we cover page — and if you're just outside these areas, call us anyway, as we can often still help.

Often within a few days of your first call, and faster when it's urgent — for example when someone is being discharged from hospital. We prioritise urgent situations: where needed, a member of our senior care team can visit the hospital before discharge to prepare the care plan, so support is in place from the moment your relative arrives home. This is how our reablement care service works.For live-in care, matching the right carer usually takes a little longer than arranging visits, but we can often put temporary support in place while that happens.

We tailor visit lengths to what you actually need — from short calls to check you're safe and comfortable, up to several visits a day, full days, overnight care and live-in care. There's no requirement to book a large weekly package: some clients see us once a week for a social visit, others several times a day.We'll agree the right pattern at your assessment, and our fees page shows how visits are priced by length.

A senior member of our care team — not a salesperson — visits you at home, usually with family present if you'd like. We talk through daily routines, health conditions, medication, mobility, what you enjoy, and what you want to stay independent with. We'll also look at practical things like access to the property and any equipment in use.From this we write your personal care plan and give you a clear picture of the costs before anything starts. Read more about the care needs assessment.

No. We are registered and insured to provide care at home for any adult over 18. Alongside older clients we support adults with physical disabilities and sensory disabilities — including hidden disabilities such as severe epilepsy or anxiety that make it harder to get out into the community confidently.

Yes — flexibility is one of the main reasons families choose care at home. Visits can be added, lengthened, shortened or moved as needs change, and home care can step up to overnight care or live-in care if the time comes. Your care plan is reviewed regularly with you, and you can request a review at any point by calling the office.

Most things that keep daily life running comfortably and safely: help getting up and going to bed, washing, bathing and dressing (personal care), preparing meals and keeping an eye on diet, prompting or giving medication, light housework, laundry, shopping and errands.Just as importantly, our care workers provide companionship and human interaction — for many clients the friendly face is as valuable as the practical help. See the full range on our home care page.

Our care workers are trained to respond to emergencies — summoning medical help first, then contacting family and our office. Outside office hours there is an on-call member of the management team, so clients, families and care workers always have someone senior to reach. If a care worker ever finds a client unwell or cannot get an answer at the door, there is a clear procedure they follow immediately.

Continuity matters enormously — to you and to us. We introduce a small, consistent team of care workers matched to you, so visits are made by people you know and who know your routine, rather than a stream of strangers. Where a regular care worker is away, cover comes from within your known team wherever possible, with a proper handover of your care plan.You can read about how we choose and train our team on our care workers page.

Whatever helps you live comfortably at home — personal care such as washing and dressing, preparing meals and snacks, prompting medication, housework and laundry, shopping, and accompanying you to appointments or outings. Every visit follows your personal care plan, so you decide what help looks like.

All care workers are trained in infection prevention and control as part of induction and refresher training, and use appropriate protective equipment such as gloves and aprons for personal care tasks. Good hand hygiene and safe food handling are standard practice on every visit, and our IPC procedures follow current national guidance for care at home.

Care workers record notes at every visit, so there is always an up-to-date picture of how things are going, and with the client's consent we keep nominated family members informed — especially if anything changes or concerns us. Many of our clients' families live at a distance or overseas; knowing that regular visits are happening, monitored and documented is precisely the reassurance they come to us for. And you can always simply ring the office and ask.

Access arrangements are agreed with you at the assessment and recorded in your care plan. Most clients who can't answer the door use a key safe — a small combination box fixed by the door — and we treat the code with strict confidentiality, sharing it only with the care workers who visit you. We never label keys or codes with your name or address.

We cover it — that's a core benefit of using a managed agency rather than employing someone privately. Cover comes from your existing small team wherever possible, so it's a familiar face, briefed from your care plan. You don't have to find anyone, and your visits carry on as normal.

Your care is overseen by our office-based care management team, who you can call whenever you need — you're never just left to it. Quality is checked continuously: electronic visit monitoring, regular care plan reviews, spot checks and supervisions of care workers, and client feedback surveys. Our management team is hands-on and local, and you can read what clients say on our testimonials page and on homecare.co.uk.

Employed by us — and this is one of the most important questions you can ask any care provider. Because our care workers are our employees, we are responsible for their training, supervision, insurance, sick and holiday cover, and the quality of their work, all under CQC regulation. Introduction websites and some agencies simply match you with self-employed carers, leaving you as, in effect, the employer — with the legal responsibilities and the risk if things go wrong. With a fully managed service, none of that falls on your family.

Every care worker completes our in-house induction programme leading to the Care Certificate — the national standard developed by Skills for Care, Health Education England and Skills for Health — before working with clients. Training continues throughout their career with us and covers areas including moving and handling, safe medication, dementia awareness, infection prevention and safeguarding. Where a client has specific needs, we train for those specifically.Our standards for managers and staff are based on the National Occupational Standards for the care industry.

Thoroughly, because they'll be trusted in your home. Every care worker completes an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, provides references which we verify, and proves their right to work in the UK before they ever visit a client. Just as importantly, we recruit for character: kindness, patience and reliability can't be trained in, so we interview for values as well as experience.Meet some of the team on our care workers page.

Yes. Carers at Home is registered with the Care Quality Commission, the independent regulator of health and social care in England, and has been since we were established. CQC registration means we are inspected against national standards for safety, effectiveness, leadership and care — something a privately hired carer or an introduction website is not.At our most recent inspection our Godalming service was rated Good overall, with Outstanding for Caring. You can read our inspection reports in full on the CQC website and see our profile on the NHS website.

No — and this matters more than it sounds. Our care workers are fully employed by Carers at Home: we handle their pay, tax, National Insurance, pension, holiday and sick cover, training and insurance, and you receive a single clear invoice from us. With a privately hired carer or an introduction website, those legal responsibilities of being an employer can quietly land on you. With us, they never do.

Yes. We support privately funded clients and clients whose care is funded through their local authority, including those using direct payments to choose their own provider. We have worked on behalf of Surrey Social Services since our early years, so we're very used to the paperwork and will handle it with you. See paying for care for how the funding routes work.

The true cost of live-in careComparing your live-in care options and feesA transparent guide to employment liabilities, holistic house management, and 24/7 emergency cover.When choosing care for a loved one, looking only at the "headline weekly price" often hides significant legal liabilities, administrative burdens, and wide variations in emergency support. This guide sets out the core differences between the three main care models available.✔Fully covered as standard▲Variable / partial — depends on the provider or arrangement❌Not provided — falls to the familyFeature & liabilityDirect employment(hiring a private carer)Introductory platforms(online introductory services)OUR SERVICECarers at Home(fully managed · CQC-regulated personal care)Free care assessmentGetting started — before you commit.❌ None included as standardNo provider-led assessment is included, though you can ask your local council for a free needs assessment. Any private assessment you commission is at your own cost.▲ Often chargeableMany platforms charge a set-up or matching fee, and any initial assessment may be self-service, remote, or chargeable depending on the provider.✔ Free, no-obligation home visitWe carry out a free, no-obligation home visit and full professional care assessment before you commit to anything — something introductory platforms rarely include.24/7 emergency backupWho handles sudden crises or late-night calls?❌ You are on call 24/7If the carer falls ill or has an emergency, the family typically has to manage the situation and arrange a replacement themselves.▲ Often office-hours onlyMany platforms operate mainly during office hours, so out-of-hours cover can be limited or left to the family. Support arrangements vary significantly between providers.✔ 24/7 office-backed on-call supportWe run a dedicated, fully managed 24/7 on-call service. Our management team is available around the clock, with rapid mobilisation of replacement carers whenever required.House management & PA dutiesRunning the home & lifestyle admin.▲ Depends on the agreementA private carer's duties depend on what's agreed; wider admin, scheduling, or coordinating home maintenance may not be covered.▲ Often limited tasksPlatform carers often focus on personal care and basic meal prep, and may not cover wider lifestyle PA administration, external maintenance, or out-of-home logistics.✔ Full lifestyle PA & running the houseWe can support the day-to-day running of the home and wider lifestyle needs. Carers act as a dedicated lifestyle PA: cooking, cleaning, ordering food, arranging maintenance, managing GP/hospital appointments, organising days out, arranging hairdressers, taking to day centres, and helping to order and collect medication.Carer continuityHow long does a single carer stay?❌ Continuity depends on one personContinuity rests entirely on one individual, so illness, holiday, or their moving on can interrupt care until you find a replacement.▲ Can rotate frequentlyIndependent carers often set their own assignment lengths, which can mean more frequent changes and less day-to-day continuity.✔ 6-week stabilityOne main carer for up to 6 weeks at a time helps build consistency and familiarity. A regular backup carer covers their week off.Care plan & H&S assessmentClinical safety set-up & design.❌ Family responsibilityYou are responsible for the care plan and safety checks, and take on responsibility for health and safety in the home.▲ Often self-serviceMany platforms provide templates rather than carrying out a professional, in-home clinical and safety risk assessment themselves.✔ Full professional set-upIncludes an in-person, professional Health & Safety assessment and a bespoke, clinically sound care plan managed directly by our office.Tax & National InsuranceWho handles HMRC legalities?❌ Your responsibilityYou become a legal employer, responsible for PAYE payroll, Real Time Information filing to HMRC, and pension auto-enrolment contributions on top of the carer's wages.▲ Self-employment statusCarers are usually self-employed and handle their own tax. Employment status can be complex, so families may wish to take independent tax advice where a carer is engaged on a self-employed basis.✔ Handled for youWe employ all staff directly, so payroll, HMRC filing, pensions, and National Insurance are all handled within our managed service.Minimum wage complianceMeeting statutory pay law.❌ Your legal dutyAs the employer, you must ensure the carer is paid at least the National Minimum / National Living Wage, including the complex rules that apply to live-in and on-call hours.▲ Often self-employedWhere carers are engaged as self-employed, minimum-wage rules may not apply directly — but if the arrangement is later treated as employment, the responsibility can pass to you.✔ Fully compliantWe employ our carers directly and ensure full National Minimum / National Living Wage compliance, all included within your fixed weekly fee.Sick pay & holiday leaveFinancial impact of time off.❌ Your liabilityYou fund Statutory Sick Pay — now payable from the first qualifying day and to eligible employees regardless of earnings since the April 2026 reforms — plus 5.6 weeks of paid annual leave, from your own pocket.▲ Cover can lapseThere is often no direct sick pay, and cover can lapse when the carer takes holiday or falls ill until a replacement is arranged.✔ Included in our serviceHoliday and sick pay are handled within our managed service, so you don't pay extra when your regular carer takes leave or is off sick.Ending the arrangementEmployment law when care ends.❌ Employment-law dutiesFamilies who directly employ a carer take on employment-law responsibilities, including notice, potential redundancy pay (usually after two years' service), and the possibility of employment disputes.✔ Lower admin riskContracts typically terminate via the platform's terms, though contract and employment-status risk can remain, and an independent carer may choose to leave at short notice.✔ Liabilities sit with usAs the employer, we absorb the contractual, employment, and redundancy liabilities, so you don't take on employer responsibilities when care scales up or ends.Insurance & assetsProtection against damage / injury.❌ A legal requirementEmployers' Liability insurance is a legal requirement when you employ a carer directly — you'll need to check whether your home policy covers it or arrange it separately, alongside protecting your property and assets.▲ Varies by carerCarers may hold their own public liability insurance, but checking the limits, validity, and exclusions is typically left to you.✔ Corporate protectionCarers at Home carries comprehensive corporate public and employers' liability insurance, so your family isn't left arranging that cover.Active daily care hoursProactive vs passive support.▲ Agreed informallyHours are agreed directly, which can make boundaries harder to manage and may risk carer fatigue over time.▲ Often 8 to 10 hoursIncluded active care is often capped (commonly around 8–10 hours a day), with additional hours potentially incurring surcharges.✔ Up to 11 hours baselineOur baseline rate includes up to 11 hours of active support a day, keeping the effective cost per active hour highly competitive.The daily carer breakCovering the carer's rest period.❌ Family managedA live-in carer needs a daily rest period, and covering it usually falls to the family to arrange, often via a paid visiting agency.▲ Often family managedThe carer's daily rest is required, and arranging safe cover during it is often left to the family.▲ Arranged for you (paid extra)We can arrange cover for the carer's daily break through our local visiting team — available via our Top-Up tier and quoted separately unless included in your agreed package.Fee hikes (“care creep”)If a health condition declines.▲ Pay may increaseIncreased care complexity may lead to requests for higher pay rates or additional support arrangements.▲ Tiered pricingPricing can move to higher “bands” as care needs increase, which may raise the weekly cost.✔ No automatic care-creepWe don't move you to higher pricing bands as care needs change. Where genuinely more support is needed (such as waking-night or double-up care), it's quoted transparently rather than applied as an automatic surcharge.Intended for families arranging live-in care in England; some legal rules differ in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Features and service levels vary between providers. The comparisons shown are based on commonly encountered arrangements within direct-employment and introductory live-in care models, and are not a statement about any specific provider.📄 Reference Copy: You can download a PDF version of this matrix or email this guide to a family member.

Yes — and it's often the most compelling case for live-in care. One live-in carer (or more where needs are higher) supports both of you at home together, even when your needs are quite different. Compared with two care home places, the financial case usually speaks for itself, and you stay together in the home you've shared. See live-in care fees for how couples' packages are priced.

More than most families realise. The main routes in England are:Attendance Allowance — a tax-free, non-means-tested benefit for people over State Pension age who need help or supervision. For 2026/27 it pays £76.70 or £114.60 a week, and your savings and income make no difference to eligibility. Local authority funding — if your savings and assets are below £23,250 (2026/27, England) the council may contribute to your care following a care needs and financial assessment; below £14,250 your capital is disregarded entirely. Direct payments — council funding paid to you, so you choose your own care provider. NHS Continuing Healthcare — full NHS funding, not means-tested, for people whose needs are primarily health-based. Our paying for care page explains each route, and we're happy to point you in the right direction when we assess your needs.

Our pricing is deliberately transparent: everything you'll pay is set out in writing before care begins. Where a care worker drives you in their own car, mileage is charged at 45p per mile. Any enhanced rates — for example on bank holidays — are shown on our fees page and in your care agreement, so nothing appears on an invoice that you haven't already seen.

Live-in care is charged at a weekly rate that depends on the level of support needed — one person or a couple, and the complexity of care. Current rates are on our live-in care fees page. For couples especially, live-in care frequently compares favourably with the combined cost of two care home places, and the fee covers a fully managed, regulated service — not just an introduction.

Home care visits are charged by the length of the visit, so you only pay for the time you need — our current rates are published openly on our fees page. After your free care needs assessment we'll give you a clear written cost for your exact package before anything starts, with no hidden charges.

Whatever your day needs: help getting up, washed and dressed; breakfast and other meals cooked to your taste; medication; housework and laundry; shopping and errands; trips out and hobbies; company over a cup of tea; and help getting comfortably to bed. The carer fits around your routine — not the other way round.We've written up a typical day with a live-in carer and the most common live-in services so you can picture how it works.

Live-in carers work in planned rotation — typically a small team of two carers who alternate, so time off is built into the rota rather than being a crisis. Your second carer is someone you know, working from the same care plan, with a proper handover between them. You are never left without cover.

Matching is done with you, not to you. We propose carers based on your care needs, personality, interests and household — including any preferences you have — and you can see their profile and speak with or meet them before care begins. If the match ever doesn't feel right, tell us and we'll change it. The relationship between client and carer is the heart of live-in care, so we take real trouble over it.

With live-in care you keep your home, your routines, your neighbours, your garden and your pets — and you receive one-to-one attention, rather than sharing carers with a whole home of residents. Couples stay together. Family can visit whenever they like, with no visiting hours.Financially it often compares well with a good care home, particularly for couples, where one live-in carer replaces two sets of care home fees. See our live-in care comparison and live-in care fees pages.

Yes — a daily break is part of every live-in arrangement, and it's agreed with you in advance so it falls at a time that suits your routine. If you need support during the carer's break, we can arrange a visiting care worker to cover it. Well-rested carers give better care, so we plan this properly rather than leaving it to chance.

A private bedroom of their own, access to bathroom and washing facilities, and meals — most clients simply share food shopping with their carer, and we'll agree the arrangement that suits you at the assessment. Wi-Fi is appreciated so carers can keep in touch with their own family in their downtime. That's essentially it: no special adaptations are needed for the carer themselves.

Live-in care means a dedicated, trained carer comes to live with you in your own home, providing support throughout the day shaped entirely around your routine — from personal care and medication to cooking, housekeeping, companionship and getting out and about. It's a genuine one-to-one alternative to moving into a care home.A full care needs assessment happens before care begins, and every client has their own bespoke care plan. Our live-in care page explains the service, the types of live-in care available, and what a typical day looks like.

Yes — pets are part of the family, and many of our clients have them. We carry out a simple risk assessment when setting up your care, and we keep pets in mind when matching your carer so you're introduced to someone comfortable around animals.

Yes. When someone wishes to spend their final months, weeks or days in their own home, our care workers provide sensitive, dignified support for them and for their family — working alongside district nurses, GPs and hospice teams. Many families tell us afterwards that being cared for at home, surrounded by familiar things and the people they love, meant everything. Read more about our palliative care.

Yes. Short-term support works well in lots of situations: giving a family carer a proper break, extra help while recovering after an operation or illness, or a trial of live-in care before committing long term. Short-term packages run from our minimum initial period of six weeks, which suits most recovery and respite situations well. Our reablement care service is designed specifically to help someone regain independence at home after a hospital stay.

Yes. Getting out and about is often the part of the week clients look forward to most — medical appointments, the shops, the hairdresser, a garden centre, lunch with a friend. Where it's agreed in your care plan and the right insurance is in place, a care worker can drive your own car; otherwise they can accompany you in theirs, with mileage charged at 45p per mile. See our social visits page.

Yes, and it's one of the great advantages of care at home: couples stay together, in their own home, even when their needs differ. One care package can support both people — whether that's daily visits or a live-in carer — which usually costs considerably less than two places in a care home, and avoids the heartbreak of separation.

Yes. For many clients we prompt or administer prescribed medication as part of their visits. Our care workers are trained in safe medication handling, everything given or prompted is recorded, and the arrangements are agreed in your care plan — including liaising with your GP or pharmacist where helpful.

Yes — dementia care is one of our core services. All our care workers are trained to understand the different stages of living with dementia as part of their induction and ongoing training, and familiar routines in a familiar home are one of the most powerful ways to support someone living with dementia. We support people with Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal dementia and mixed dementia.Visit our dementia care page to learn more, including our dementia workshop.

Yes — we offer two kinds of [overnight care]: sleeping nights, where your carer sleeps at your home and is on hand if needed, and waking nights, where your carer stays awake throughout the night providing continuous support. Overnight care helps with things like getting to the bathroom safely, night-time medication, repositioning, and reassurance during the hours people often feel most vulnerable — and it works on its own or alongside daytime visits. If you need someone there day and night, [live-in care] may be the better fit. Overnight rates are shown on our [fees] page.

Every visit is electronically monitored. Our care workers tap in on arrival and tap out on departure using a secure NFC tag in your home, so the office can see in real time that visits have happened, started on time and lasted their full length. If a care worker is running late or a visit is missed, our system flags it and the office acts immediately.This isn't just reassurance for families — it's part of how we evidence safe care to the CQC.

All new care packages — home care visits and live-in care alike — begin with a minimum initial period of six weeks. Setting care up properly takes real time and effort — the home assessment, writing your care plan, and carefully matching and introducing your care team — and the six-week minimum reflects that investment while giving the arrangement a fair chance to settle in.Beyond that there's no long-term tie-in: care continues for as long as you want it, and you can end it with a short notice period set out plainly in your care agreement before anything begins, so there are no surprises. Care can also be paused, for example during a hospital stay or a family holiday.

It starts with a conversation. Call 01483 899 350 for home care or 0330 633 4455 for live-in care, or use our contact page, and we'll talk through what's happening and what kind of help might suit. There's no obligation and no charge for this.If you'd like to go ahead, one of our senior care team visits you at home for a free, confidential care needs assessment. From that we build a personalised care plan, agree the visits or live-in arrangement, and match you with the right care worker. Our arranging care page walks through the whole process.

Your care records, health information and personal details are held securely and handled in line with UK data protection law (UK GDPR). Information is shared only with the people who need it to care for you safely — your care team, and where appropriate health professionals such as your GP — and with anyone else only with your consent.

Yes — this is one of the most common reasons families first call us, and we prioritise hospital discharges. Where needed, a senior member of our care team can visit the hospital before discharge to prepare your care plan, so support is in place from the moment you arrive home. Care can then reduce as strength and confidence return — this is how our reablement care works.

No — you can arrange care directly with us. Call 01483 899 350 for home care or 0330 633 4455 for live-in care and we'll take it from there. We're also very happy to work alongside discharge teams, GPs and social workers if they're already involved.

Yes — companionship is at the heart of what we do. Our social visits range from a cup of tea and a good chat to trips out, hobbies and gentle exercise. Company and conversation matter as much to wellbeing as practical help.

Yes — short welfare check visits are among our most valued services. We call in to make sure all is well, medication has been taken and there's a meal ready — and we let you know straight away if anything doesn't seem right. Families who live further away find these visits give real peace of mind.

Yes. Round-the-clock support can be arranged through live-in care, where a carer lives with you in your home, or through a combination of daytime visits and overnight care. We'll recommend the right arrangement at your free care needs assessment.

A live-in carer lives in your home and is on hand day and night, so someone is always there. [Overnight care] is a visiting service where a care worker comes just for the night — often the right choice when night-times are the main concern. Which suits best depends on the support you need across the whole day, and we'll help you weigh it up.

It depends on how much care you need. For a few visits a week, home care usually costs far less than a care home. As needs increase, full-time live-in care becomes broadly comparable in cost with a good care home — and for couples it can work out better value, since one live-in arrangement replaces two care home places. Unlike many providers, our fees are published openly so you can compare for yourself.

Live-in carers typically work a rota of three to six weeks in your home followed by a week's break. Wherever possible we introduce a second carer who covers those breaks — and any holiday or sickness — so care continues seamlessly with faces you already know.

Yes — many of our clients use Attendance Allowance, a non-means-tested benefit for people over State Pension age who need help at home, to contribute towards their care. Depending on your circumstances, local authority funding or NHS Continuing Healthcare may also apply. Our paying for care page explains the options.

Tell us — we genuinely want to know, and acting on feedback is how we've stayed good at this since 2007. Every client receives a copy of our complaints procedure when care starts: raise anything with your care worker, the office or a manager, and it will be taken seriously, investigated and responded to properly. If you're ever unsatisfied with our response, you can escalate to the relevant ombudsman, and you can contact the CQC at any time.Compliments are welcome too — they reach the care workers concerned, and they matter to them. You can read some on our testimonials page.

Yes — families arrange care on a relative's behalf every week. If you hold a Lasting Power of Attorney we'll work with you on decisions and paperwork, and even without one we can involve family fully with your relative's agreement.

Tell us — you won't offend anyone. The relationship with your care worker matters enormously, and if it isn't quite right we can make a change quickly. Any concern, large or small, can be raised with the office; we also have a formal complaints procedure, and we're regulated by the CQC.

Yes — we hold public liability, employers' liability and professional liability insurance covering all the care we provide, so you don't need to arrange anything yourself.

As involved as you'd like. Family are welcome at the assessment and at care plan reviews, our care workers keep detailed notes at every visit, and the office is always a phone call away — if anything changes, you'll hear from us first.

No — and it's an important distinction. A live-in carer lives in your home and is on hand throughout the day, with occasional help available at night. Like anyone, they need daily breaks and a proper night's sleep. If someone needs frequent or continuous night-time support, we combine live-in care with a waking night carer, or recommend overnight care, so day and night are both properly covered. We'll recommend the right arrangement at your free care needs assessment.