England has 13,543 CQC-registered home care (domiciliary care) locations, or 12.1 for every 10,000 people aged 65 and over, based on CQC data at 1 October 2026 and ONS mid-2025 population estimates. Of the 8,979 that have a rating, 87.4% (7,849) are rated Good or Outstanding, but 4,564 (33.7%) have no rating yet. By council, registered agencies range from 4.6 per 10,000 people aged 65+ in Northumberland to 66.8 in Barking and Dagenham, though these counts show where agencies have their registered offices, not how much care is available to local residents.
In short
- 13,543 active home care locations are registered with CQC in England: 12.1 per 10,000 people aged 65+ (11,234,391 people).
- 7,849 of 8,979 rated home care services (87.4%) are Good or Outstanding; 437 are Outstanding, 1,084 Requires improvement and 46 Inadequate.
- 4,564 (33.7%) have no rating, far more than for care homes; 2,887 of these registered at least two years ago.
- London has the most registered agency offices per older person (19.8 per 10,000) and the North East the fewest (6.7). This reflects where agencies are based, not how easy it is to get care.
- 12 of 150 councils with at least 10 rated services have every rated home care service rated Good or Outstanding.
How we counted home care agencies
This is our own analysis of the CQC care directory files (with filters, and with ratings) showing the register at 1 October 2026, and ONS mid-2025 population estimates (published 2026) from Nomis.
- Home care: any active, non-dormant CQC location in the social care sector registered for the service type “Domiciliary care service”. Each registered branch counts once, so a provider with three branch offices counts three times. Dual-registered locations are counted once. 210 of these locations are also registered as care homes.
- Rating: the CQC “Homecare” service rating where CQC publishes one; otherwise the location’s latest overall rating. CQC no longer gives a single rating to some locations that run more than one type of service, such as home care and supported living, so for those we used the home care rating. Older location ratings may cover supported living too.
- Rated: Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement or Inadequate. Everything else, including services awaiting a first assessment, “Not rated” and “Insufficient evidence to rate”, is counted as not rated and left out of the percentage.
- Rankings: the City of London and Isles of Scilly are excluded from the per-head rankings because their populations aged 65+ are very small. Councils with fewer than 10 rated services are excluded from the quality ranking. Three home care locations have no council recorded in the CQC file; they are counted in England totals only. The median ranked council has 11.7 agencies per 10,000 people aged 65+.
Important caveat: address is not area served
CQC records where a home care agency is registered, which is usually its office. It does not record the areas the agency covers. Many agencies serve several neighbouring councils, and an office in a town centre may send carers across a whole county. A high count in a council can reflect office locations, not more carers at your parent’s door. A low count does not mean no agency covers the area. The number of locations also says nothing about agency size: one branch may support 10 people and another 500.
Contains CQC data © Care Quality Commission. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0. CQC is not responsible for this analysis or its interpretation.
Councils with the fewest registered home care agencies per older person
The 15 councils with the fewest CQC-registered domiciliary care locations per 10,000 residents aged 65+. A low count does not mean residents cannot get home care: agencies registered in neighbouring councils may cover these areas.
| Rank (lowest first) | Council | Region | Home care locations | Population 65+ | Per 10,000 aged 65+ | Rated | Good or Outstanding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northumberland | North East | 42 | 90,910 | 4.6 | 39 | 92.3% |
| 2 | County Durham | North East | 57 | 120,397 | 4.7 | 46 | 95.7% |
| 3 | North Lincolnshire | Yorkshire and The Humber | 19 | 40,054 | 4.7 | 16 | 81.2% |
| 4 | South Tyneside | North East | 17 | 33,222 | 5.1 | 15 | 93.3% |
| 5 | Halton | North West | 14 | 25,817 | 5.4 | 9 | 77.8% |
| 6 | East Riding of Yorkshire | Yorkshire and The Humber | 54 | 99,256 | 5.4 | 38 | 92.1% |
| 7 | Hartlepool | North East | 11 | 20,214 | 5.4 | 10 | 100.0% |
| 8 | Redcar and Cleveland | North East | 19 | 34,258 | 5.5 | 15 | 93.3% |
| 9 | Kensington and Chelsea | London | 14 | 23,486 | 6.0 | 13 | 92.3% |
| 10 | Wigan | North West | 42 | 67,701 | 6.2 | 32 | 90.6% |
| 11 | Lincolnshire | East Midlands | 122 | 195,402 | 6.2 | 83 | 85.5% |
| 12 | Tameside | North West | 27 | 42,735 | 6.3 | 16 | 81.2% |
| 13 | Devon | South West | 145 | 226,786 | 6.4 | 115 | 91.3% |
| 14 | East Sussex | South East | 102 | 152,307 | 6.7 | 80 | 92.5% |
| 15 | Wirral | North West | 51 | 75,771 | 6.7 | 40 | 90.0% |
Councils with the most home care agency offices per older person
The 15 councils with the most registered locations per 10,000 residents aged 65+. This is not a ranking of access to care. CQC records each agency’s registered office, and a high count most likely reflects where agencies choose to base their offices, not more care being available to residents. Barking and Dagenham’s figure, for example, is more than three times the London rate and probably reflects agencies based there that serve clients across east London and beyond. In Barking and Dagenham, 57 of the 137 registered locations have no CQC rating yet.
| Position (highest count first) | Council | Region | Home care locations | Population 65+ | Per 10,000 aged 65+ | Rated | Good or Outstanding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barking and Dagenham | London | 137 | 20,520 | 66.8 | 80 | 87.5% |
| 2 | Slough | South East | 66 | 16,780 | 39.3 | 24 | 70.8% |
| 3 | Milton Keynes | South East | 166 | 44,895 | 37.0 | 82 | 87.8% |
| 4 | Peterborough | East of England | 118 | 32,673 | 36.1 | 52 | 94.2% |
| 5 | Leicester | East Midlands | 167 | 47,719 | 35.0 | 101 | 78.2% |
| 6 | Tower Hamlets | London | 67 | 20,317 | 33.0 | 41 | 92.7% |
| 7 | Nottingham | East Midlands | 131 | 39,820 | 32.9 | 64 | 85.9% |
| 8 | Thurrock | East of England | 80 | 24,842 | 32.2 | 45 | 88.9% |
| 9 | Greenwich | London | 102 | 33,428 | 30.5 | 52 | 63.5% |
| 10 | Redbridge | London | 125 | 41,272 | 30.3 | 67 | 92.5% |
| 11 | Newham | London | 86 | 29,303 | 29.3 | 50 | 90.0% |
| 12 | Wolverhampton | West Midlands | 122 | 45,574 | 26.8 | 64 | 75.0% |
| 13 | Derby | East Midlands | 115 | 45,389 | 25.3 | 69 | 89.9% |
| 14 | Reading | South East | 56 | 22,678 | 24.7 | 32 | 71.9% |
| 15 | Lewisham | London | 80 | 32,532 | 24.6 | 46 | 58.7% |
Councils with the lowest share of Good or Outstanding home care
Councils with at least 10 rated home care services, ranked by the share rated Good or Outstanding. The final column shows services with no rating yet.
| Rank (lowest first) | Council | Region | Rated services | Good or Outstanding | Share | Not yet rated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luton | East of England | 38 | 22 | 57.9% | 29 |
| 2 | Lewisham | London | 46 | 27 | 58.7% | 34 |
| 3 | Bexley | London | 32 | 20 | 62.5% | 29 |
| 4 | Greenwich | London | 52 | 33 | 63.5% | 50 |
| 5 | Medway | South East | 47 | 30 | 63.8% | 52 |
| 6 | Southwark | London | 25 | 16 | 64.0% | 28 |
| 7 | West Northamptonshire | East Midlands | 91 | 62 | 68.1% | 69 |
| 8 | Sandwell | West Midlands | 57 | 39 | 68.4% | 27 |
| 9 | Windsor and Maidenhead | South East | 19 | 13 | 68.4% | 10 |
| 10 | Bath and North East Somerset | South West | 20 | 14 | 70.0% | 7 |
| 11 | Slough | South East | 24 | 17 | 70.8% | 42 |
| 12 | Reading | South East | 32 | 23 | 71.9% | 24 |
| 13 | Birmingham | West Midlands | 178 | 132 | 74.2% | 118 |
| 14 | Wolverhampton | West Midlands | 64 | 48 | 75.0% | 58 |
| 15 | Portsmouth | South East | 32 | 24 | 75.0% | 23 |
Home care by region
| Region | Home care locations | Per 10,000 aged 65+ | Rated | Good or Outstanding | Share Good or Outstanding | Requires improvement | Inadequate | Not yet rated | Share not yet rated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North East | 392 | 6.7 | 328 | 313 | 95.4% | 14 | 1 | 64 | 16.3% |
| South West | 1,256 | 9.2 | 921 | 843 | 91.5% | 76 | 2 | 335 | 26.7% |
| North West | 1,479 | 9.9 | 1,005 | 915 | 91.0% | 84 | 6 | 474 | 32.0% |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 1,172 | 10.5 | 875 | 779 | 89.0% | 93 | 3 | 297 | 25.3% |
| South East | 2,370 | 12.1 | 1,491 | 1,283 | 86.0% | 195 | 13 | 879 | 37.1% |
| West Midlands | 1,505 | 12.7 | 937 | 759 | 81.0% | 175 | 3 | 568 | 37.7% |
| East of England | 1,741 | 13.0 | 1,105 | 948 | 85.8% | 148 | 9 | 636 | 36.5% |
| East Midlands | 1,345 | 13.1 | 835 | 698 | 83.6% | 131 | 6 | 510 | 37.9% |
| London | 2,280 | 19.8 | 1,481 | 1,310 | 88.5% | 168 | 3 | 799 | 35.0% |
| England | 13,543 | 12.1 | 8,979 | 7,849 | 87.4% | 1,084 | 46 | 4,564 | 33.7% |
What this means for families
The number of agencies in a council is a rough guide to choice, not a promise of a care package. What matters is whether an agency has carers free at the times your parent needs them, in their street.
- Ask about coverage and capacity first. Ask each agency which postcodes it covers and whether it can staff the visit times you need, including weekends. Rural areas often have fewer agencies and longer travel times between visits.
- Do not rely on ratings alone. A third of agencies have no rating. A new agency can be good, but ask how long the manager has been in post, how carers are trained and checked, and how the agency handles missed visits. Our guide to choosing a home care agency and agency checklist cover the questions.
- Read the CQC report for any agency you shortlist. Check the date and the safe and well-led ratings. Our CQC ratings explainer shows how to read it.
- Get the council involved if you may need funding. A care needs assessment is free. If the council arranges care it must meet eligible needs, and direct payments let you choose your own agency.
- Check costs. Hourly rates vary by area. See home care costs in England and the funding checker.
If home care becomes hard to arrange, compare it with other options in our home care vs care home guide and see local bed supply in our care home beds access gap report. If something goes wrong with an agency, our guide on how to complain about home care explains the steps.
Frequently asked questions
How many home care agencies are there in England?
At 1 October 2026 there were 13,543 active CQC-registered home care (domiciliary care) locations in England, or 12.1 per 10,000 people aged 65 and over. Each registered branch office counts separately, so the number of separate companies is lower. Agencies vary widely in size.
What percentage of home care agencies are rated Good or Outstanding?
87.4% of rated home care services in England (7,849 of 8,979) were rated Good or Outstanding by CQC at 1 October 2026. Another 4,564 services (33.7% of all registered locations) had no rating, often because they are new or have not yet had a first assessment.
Why do so many home care agencies have no CQC rating?
4,564 of 13,543 registered home care locations had no rating at 1 October 2026. Many registered in recent years and CQC has not yet assessed them. 2,887 of the unrated locations registered at least two years ago. Some may provide little or no care yet.
Which area has the fewest home care agencies?
Relative to its population aged 65+, Northumberland had the fewest CQC-registered home care locations (4.6 per 10,000), followed by County Durham (4.7) and North Lincolnshire (4.7). Agencies based in neighbouring councils may also cover these areas, as CQC records office addresses, not areas served.
Does an agency registered in another council cover my parent’s area?
It might. CQC registers the address of the agency’s office, not the areas it serves. Many agencies cover several councils from one branch. Ask each agency directly which postcodes and visit times it can cover, and whether it has carers available now.
Which council has the lowest-rated home care?
Among councils with at least 10 rated home care services, Luton had the lowest share rated Good or Outstanding, at 57.9% (22 of 38). Lewisham (58.7%) and Bexley (62.5%) followed. 12 councils had every rated service Good or Outstanding. Check individual agency reports, as one council can have both strong and weak providers.
Sources
- CQC: Using CQC data (care directory with filters and with ratings, 1 October 2026)
- ONS: Population estimates for the UK, England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
- Nomis: Population estimates, local authority based by single year of age
- CQC: How we assess providers
- Open Government Licence v3.0
Data correct as of the CQC 1 October 2026 release. Download the table: a CSV of the full council-level table is available on request through our contact page, as we cannot host downloadable files yet.
General information, not legal or financial advice. Figures checked October 2026.
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Reviewed by The Care Panel team on 29 October 2026. This guide is general information about care in England, not legal, medical or financial advice. Rules and rates change; check with your council or an adviser before making decisions.