Worthing has one of the older populations in England and a correspondingly crowded home care market. This guide covers what’s available locally, who funds what, how to check a provider properly, and the free support that exists alongside paid care.
Who provides home care in Worthing
Three routes, and most families end up using more than one:
- West Sussex County Council. Commissions care from contracted agencies and runs its own reablement service, usually triggered on hospital discharge. Start with a free care needs assessment — a legal right regardless of savings.
- Independent CQC-registered agencies. Dozens operate across BN11–BN14. You can buy from them privately or with a direct payment.
- Introductory agencies and directly employed carers. Cheaper per hour, but you become the employer — contracts, payroll, insurance, cover. See how to choose an agency.
Whichever route you take, check the provider on the CQC website before committing. Anyone helping with washing, dressing or medication must be registered. Read the inspection date as well as the rating, and check whether the registered manager named in the report is still in post.
Find care near you
Tell us your postcode and what you need help with. We pass your details to one vetted CQC-registered agency in your area — you are told who they are, and that they pay us a fee, before anything is sent.
What kinds of care are available locally
| If you’re seeing… | The usual starting point |
|---|---|
| Skipped meals, unopened post, a tired-looking home | Domestic care, 2–3 visits a week |
| Struggling to wash or dress safely | Personal care, daily calls |
| Loneliness after a bereavement or giving up driving | Companionship and accompanied outings |
| Memory changes, repeating questions, getting lost | Dementia-trained carers, consistent visit times |
| Night-time falls or wandering | Overnight care — waking or sleeping nights |
| A family carer who is exhausted | Respite care, hourly or live-in |
| Just discharged from Worthing Hospital | Reablement — free for up to six weeks |
Unsure where you are on that list? Our guide to the 10 signs a parent may need home care works through what to look for.
What it costs in Worthing
West Sussex sits in the South East, where rates run above the national average but below London. In 2026:
| Type of care | Typical local cost |
|---|---|
| Hourly visiting care | £28–£38 per hour |
| Sleeping night | ~£210 per night |
| Waking night | ~£260 per night |
| Live-in care | £1,400–£1,700 per week |
| Residential care home (West Sussex) | £1,100–£1,600 per week |
The Homecare Association’s minimum sustainable price for England in 2026/27 is £34.42 an hour — what it calculates a provider needs in order to pay the National Living Wage, cover travel between calls and remain solvent. Treat a quote well below that with scepticism: the gap is being carried somewhere, usually in unpaid travel time or staff turnover.
Full breakdown in the 2026 cost guide.
Help paying
- Attendance Allowance — £76.70 or £114.60 a week, not means-tested, for anyone over State Pension age who needs help. Claim it regardless of savings.
- West Sussex County Council — free needs assessment, then a financial assessment. Capital above £23,250 means self-funding; below £14,250 it’s disregarded. For care at home, your property is not counted.
- NHS Continuing Healthcare — 100% funded, no means test, where there’s a primary health need.
- Disabled Facilities Grant — up to £30,000 through Adur & Worthing Councils towards adaptations.
Full detail in the West Sussex funding guide.
Areas and postcodes
Most Worthing agencies allocate carers by area, so coverage varies street by street. The main clusters:
- Central Worthing, seafront and Broadwater — BN11
- West Worthing and Tarring — BN11, BN14
- Goring-by-Sea, including Goring Hall and the Strand — BN12
- Durrington and Salvington — BN13
- High Salvington, Findon and Findon Valley — BN13, BN14
- Ferring, East Preston and Angmering — BN12, BN16
Just east? See the Adur guide, covering Shoreham, Lancing, Sompting and Southwick.
Free and low-cost local support
Worth exhausting before paying for anything:
- West Sussex County Council adult social care — free care needs assessments and carer’s assessments
- Age UK West Sussex — information, advice and befriending
- Carers Support West Sussex — carer’s assessments, groups, emergency planning. See our carer support directory
- Alzheimer’s Society and local memory cafés — listed in our Dementia-Friendly Worthing guide
- St Barnabas House — hospice at home, day services and bereavement support, all free
- West Sussex Fire & Rescue — free Safe and Well home visits
- Adur & Worthing Councils — community alarms and Disabled Facilities Grants
Frequently asked questions
Who provides home care in Worthing?
West Sussex County Council commissions care from contracted agencies and runs a free reablement service, alongside dozens of independent CQC-registered agencies across BN11–BN14. Whichever you consider, check their CQC registration and latest inspection report first.
How much is home care in Worthing?
Typically £28–£38 an hour in 2026 for managed agency care, above the £32 UK average. Live-in care runs £1,400–£1,700 a week. Evenings, weekends and bank holidays usually carry an uplift of 15–50%.
How do I find a good agency in Worthing?
Search the CQC website for registered providers covering your postcode, read the inspection reports in full — particularly the “well-led” and “responsive” sections — and ask each shortlisted agency how many different carers a typical client sees in a month. A vague answer to that question is itself an answer.
Can care be arranged quickly in Worthing?
Often within 24–48 hours for straightforward packages, and same-day in genuine emergencies such as a sudden hospital discharge or a family carer falling ill. See emergency respite care.
Is home care cheaper than a care home in West Sussex?
For lighter packages, considerably — a few visits a week costs a fraction of residential fees. The two converge as hours increase, and live-in care sits in a similar range to a good local care home. Our comparison guide sets out the numbers.
The Care Panel is an independent publication. We are not a care provider and are not regulated by the Care Quality Commission, because we do not deliver care. Always check a provider’s own CQC registration and inspection report before you commit.
Written and fact-checked by The Care Panel. Last updated September 2026. General information, not financial or medical advice.