Help from your council
Care and support from the council in Hertfordshire
Every adult in Hertfordshire who looks as though they need care can ask Hertfordshire County Council to assess them. Money makes no difference to that right. Main number: 0300 123 4042.
Checked against Hertfordshire County Council's website on 15 October 2026.
1. Ask for a care needs assessment
The assessment is free and is a legal right under the Care Act 2014. It looks at what the person can and cannot manage, and whether they meet the national eligibility criteria. It does not commit you to council-arranged care.
Request an assessment from Hertfordshire County Council or call 0300 123 4042.
Requests for care and support can be made online and the council says it will be in touch within 3 working days.
2. Find out what you will pay
If the person is eligible, the council carries out a financial assessment. In England, someone with savings above £23,250 is usually expected to fund the care in full; below £14,250, savings are not counted at all, and in between a tariff income applies. For care at home, the property they live in is ignored. For a care home it usually is counted, unless it is still home to a partner or to certain relatives, though not for the first 12 weeks of a permanent stay.
What care could cost in Hertfordshire
Here are local price ranges. The calculator below uses them to split the cost between the person and the council; swap in a real quote if you have one.
| Service | Usual price |
|---|---|
| Visiting care | around £32–£34 an hour |
| Live-in care | around £1,540–£1,610 a week |
| Residential care home | £1,250 a week |
| Nursing home | £1,530 a week |
| Council rate | 2026/27 standard weekly rates for new older-people placements: residential £768.02; residential with dementia/mental ill health £919.33; nursing £880.86; nursing with dementia/mental ill health £1,100.02 (nursing excludes FNC) |
Typical 2026 prices across England · Average 2026 self-funder fees in East of England · Lottie Care Index, Q3 2026 · Which?, self-funder fees (Lottie data, January 2026).
This calculator follows the 2026/27 English charging rules (GOV.UK charging circular): £23,250 upper limit, £14,250 lower limit, tariff income of £1 a week per £250, a £241.45 weekly minimum income guarantee for a single pensioner, and a £31.80 weekly personal expenses allowance. It gives an estimate only; the council's assessment is what counts, and some councils charge less.
3. Direct payments
Council funding, whether partial or full, can be paid to you so that you organise support yourself, with the agency of your choice.
If you look after someone
Unpaid carers have a right to be assessed in their own right, free to you.
Hertfordshire County Council: support for carers. Local carers' support: Carers in Hertfordshire.
Council resources
- Local care and support directory: Hertfordshire Directory
- Council rates: 2026/27 standard weekly rates for new older-people placements: residential £768.02; residential with dementia/mental ill health £919.33; nursing £880.86; nursing with dementia/mental ill health £1,100.02 (nursing excludes FNC) (source). A dearer choice needs a top-up to cover the extra.
Hertfordshire in numbers
There are 255 care homes in Hertfordshire, and 76% of the 220 with a rating are Good or Outstanding (below England's 83%). Nursing homes make up 78 of the total, or 31%. 19% of rated care homes in Hertfordshire were rated in the last two years. The typical rating is 65 months old, compared with 47 nationally.
15 home care agencies and 16 care homes in Hertfordshire registered with CQC in the last 12 months. England-wide, 88% of rated home care agencies are Good or Outstanding; in Hertfordshire it is 86%, from 192 rated agencies among the 326 registered.
Hertfordshire has 9 Outstanding care homes; 24% of its rated care homes (52) sit below Good, compared with 17% nationally. Among care homes in Hertfordshire, Well-led is the area most often rated below Good: 61 of the 220 with a Well-led rating. Responsive has the most Outstanding ratings (17 of 218).
In Hertfordshire, CQC has published 40 ratings in the past 12 months: 1 was upgraded, 4 fell, 3 services were rated for the first time; the newest is from 22 October 2026. By CQC registrations, Quantum Care Limited is the biggest operator in Hertfordshire (18 services: 18 care homes). The second largest is London Paramount Care Ltd (17 services).
Figures: CQC register, Oct 2026.
Hertfordshire: guides and lists
- What care costs in Hertfordshire
- Funding care in Hertfordshire
- Care needs assessments in Hertfordshire
- Dementia care in Hertfordshire
- Learning disability care in Hertfordshire
- Mental health care in Hertfordshire
- Physical disability care in Hertfordshire
- Sight and hearing loss care in Hertfordshire
- Top rated care homes in Hertfordshire
- Highest rated home care agencies in Hertfordshire
- Nursing homes in Hertfordshire, ranked
Hertfordshire is part of Hertfordshire. Home care across Hertfordshire · Care homes across Hertfordshire · Top rated in Hertfordshire
Free download
The care home visit checklist (40 points)
Forty questions on staffing, daily life, rooms, fees and the contract, laid out so you can compare three homes.
Towns in Hertfordshire
Bushey
Borehamwood
Cheshunt
Abbots Langley
Bricket Wood
Radlett
Kings Langley
Hatfield
Potters Bar
Welwyn
Hitchin
London Colney
Oaklands
St Albans
Redbourn
Watford
Welwyn Garden City
Chorleywood
Hoddesdon
Stevenage
Letchworth
Hemel Hempstead
Harpenden
Bovingdon
Care in Hertfordshire: common questions
How many care homes are there in Hertfordshire?
There are 255 care homes registered with CQC in Hertfordshire, with 10,029 beds in total (CQC register, Oct 2026). 76% of those with a published rating are Good or Outstanding. Best rated care homes in Hertfordshire.
How many home care agencies are there in Hertfordshire?
326 home care agencies registered with CQC are based in Hertfordshire (Oct 2026). 86% of those rated are Good or Outstanding. Agencies based nearby may also cover the area.
How good are care homes in Hertfordshire?
76% of rated care homes in Hertfordshire are Good or Outstanding, below the England figure of 82.6%. 9 are rated Outstanding and 52 Requires improvement or Inadequate. Council areas ranked for care home quality.
How much does a care home cost in Hertfordshire?
A care home in Hertfordshire costs a typical £1,500 a week for someone paying for themselves: about £1,460 for residential care and £1,690 for nursing care. Figures are modelled from our Care Fees and Quality Index (Q4 2026) and are not quotes. Check what you could be charged.
How much does home care cost per hour in Hertfordshire?
Home care in Hertfordshire costs a typical £33.50 an hour for someone paying privately (Q4 2026). Weekend, evening and bank holiday rates are usually higher, and short visits may not be offered.
Which care homes in Hertfordshire are rated Outstanding?
Cooperscroft Care Home, St Pauls Care Centre, Villa Scalabrini, Kingfisher Nursing Home, Arden House Nursing Home and Fonthill House are rated Outstanding by CQC (9 in total).
How many care homes in Hertfordshire offer nursing or dementia care?
78 care homes in Hertfordshire are registered to provide nursing care and 147 list dementia as a specialism. Many homes offer both. Nursing homes in Hertfordshire.
Is it hard to find a care home bed in Hertfordshire?
Hertfordshire has 45.4 care home beds for every 1,000 people aged 65 and over, against 43.0 across England, which ranks 51 of 151 council areas. A lower figure tends to mean fewer rooms free at any time; begin looking before you need to. Care Access Gap.
How old are care home ratings in Hertfordshire?
62.4% of rated care homes in Hertfordshire were last rated more than four years ago, and the typical rating is 65 months old. Check the date on any rating and ask what has changed since.
How do I ask Hertfordshire County Council for a care needs assessment?
Contact Hertfordshire County Council adult social care on 0300 123 4042. It costs nothing and savings do not affect your right to it (Care Act 2014). Ask for an assessment online.
Which care groups run the most care homes in Hertfordshire?
The largest providers in Hertfordshire are Quantum Care Limited (18), London Paramount Care Ltd (16) and Colleycare Limited (11). Check each home, as CQC rates them individually.
Paying for care in Hertfordshire? One short form reaches up to three providers that handle enquiries through The Care Panel. Your details go only where you say.
Ask about availabilityWhere this comes from
- www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/about-the-council/contact-us/contact-adult-social-services.aspx
- www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/howtogetadultcare
- www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/services/adult-social-services/carers/how-to-get-help.aspx
- www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/services/adult-social-services/care-and-carers/arranging-and-paying-for-care/paying-for-your-care-costs.aspx
- gov.uk: Care Act statutory guidance
Register information from CQC as at Oct 2026; Open Government Licence v3.0 applies. We do not deliver care ourselves.