Home care · Buckinghamshire

Respite care in Chesham

A break for the person who usually provides care is the point of respite care, whether that is a couple of hours a week at home or a short care home stay. Compare the 32 CQC-registered agencies covering Chesham and ask which of them provide it.

Agencies from the CQC register, updated 27 October 2026. Prices: Usual 2026 prices across England

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The short version

  • 32 home care agencies registered with CQC have an office within 7 miles of Chesham, and 18 of them hold a Good or Outstanding rating.
  • At home, respite is usually billed at the normal visiting rate, about around £32–£34 an hour. Short stays in the 10 local care homes are charged weekly.
  • The CQC register does not say who provides respite care: ask the agencies directly.
  • Buckinghamshire council has to offer a care needs assessment free of charge, and a separate carer's assessment for the person who looks after them.

Citation: "Respite care in Chesham", The Care Panel analysis of CQC register data, Oct 2026.

Types of respite care

There are three main routes. A carer can come to the home for a few hours while you get out, or live in for days or weeks (live-in respite) while you are away. A care home can offer a short stay, usually a week or two and often booked well in advance for holidays. Chesham has 10 care homes registered with CQC, so ask which of them offer short stays. Or there are day centres run by charities or the council.

Paying for respite yourself

Paying privately? Check each agency's shortest visit and how much notice it needs, and ask care homes if they hold rooms for short stays. Visit the home first, and pass on the care plan, the list of medicines and daily routines to help the stay go well.

Ask for a carer's assessment

Funded breaks, personal budgets for carers and other support can all follow from a carer's assessment. As a carer you are entitled to one from Buckinghamshire council, free and apart from any assessment of the person you look after; it focuses on how caring affects your life. For advice, call Carers UK free on 0808 808 7777. Requesting an assessment from Buckinghamshire council.

Chesham's agencies in figures

At 82% Good or Outstanding, Chesham sits below the Buckinghamshire figure of 85% (from 315 agencies). Ratings are about as recent as the council average here: 6% of agencies have one less than two years old, compared with 8% across Buckinghamshire. Buckinghamshire has 4 Outstanding agencies, none of them covering Chesham. Of Chesham and the 6 nearest towns we cover, Chesham has the highest share of all listed agencies rated Good or Outstanding (56%); next is Little Chalfont at 55%. In Chesham, 77% of agencies support people with dementia (24 of 31); the Buckinghamshire figure is 85%. One rating goes back to April 2018: Home Independence Team. Ask what has changed since. CQC registered CareYourWay Chilterns and South Buckinghamshire in October 2026, the newest on this list. By specialism, 27 of 31 list physical disabilities, 14 of 31 list learning disabilities and 14 of 31 list mental health conditions.

How much respite care costs in Chesham

Usual 2026 prices across England
Visiting carearound £32–£34 an hour
Live-in carearound £1,540–£1,610 a week
Residential care home£1,555 a week
Nursing home£1,830 a week

What Buckinghamshire Council pays providers: £28.50 an hour for home care (2025/26 average paid to agencies); £1,187.98 a week for residential care (2025/26 average, over-65s); £1,208.70 a week for nursing care (2025/26 average, over-65s) (source).

Ask every agency for a full list of charges, with weekend and bank holiday rates: hourly rates vary more between agencies than between regions. Homecare Association figure for 2026/27: a sustainable council rate for home care in England starts at £34.42 an hour. Source: Lottie Care Index, Q3 2026. Check what you would pay · Weekly cost calculator

Home care agencies that cover Chesham

Ranked on CQC rating, its date and then distance. Ask each one about respite care.

  1. Your Own Home Care

    6.3 miles · Older people, Adults under 65

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jul 2026Inspected recently
    More details (Your Own Home Care)

  2. SYM Care Ltd T/A Visiting Angels South Bucks

    under 0.5 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jan 2023
    More details (SYM Care Ltd T/A Visiting Angels South Bucks)

  3. PAI Healthcare Ltd

    under 0.5 miles · Older people, Physical disabilities, Learning disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Feb 2022
    More details (PAI Healthcare Ltd)

  4. Yourlife (Amersham)

    3.2 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated May 2022
    More details (Yourlife (Amersham))

  5. Appleby Care

    4.7 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Feb 2023
    More details (Appleby Care)

  6. Heronsmere Home Care

    5.6 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Feb 2024
    More details (Heronsmere Home Care)

  7. The Marlowes

    6.7 miles · Physical disabilities, Sensory impairments, Mental health conditions

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jun 2022
    More details (The Marlowes)

  8. Curantis365

    6.7 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Sep 2022
    More details (Curantis365)

  9. Above and Beyond Home Care

    6.8 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Aug 2023
    More details (Above and Beyond Home Care)

  10. Chesham Supported Living

    under 0.5 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Dec 2019
    More details (Chesham Supported Living)

  11. Caremark (Chiltern & Three Rivers)

    0.7 miles · Dementia, Physical disabilities, Sensory impairments

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jan 2019
    More details (Caremark (Chiltern & Three Rivers))

  12. Ashridge Home Care

    3.2 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jul 2019
    More details (Ashridge Home Care)

  13. Care Resource Bureau Ltd

    6.3 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Dec 2019
    More details (Care Resource Bureau Ltd)

  14. Buttercup Care Limited

    6.4 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jun 2021
    More details (Buttercup Care Limited)

  15. Herts Homecare

    6.5 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jun 2019
    More details (Herts Homecare)

  16. Home Independence Team

    6.6 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Apr 2018
    More details (Home Independence Team)

  17. Right at Home Hemel Hempstead

    6.6 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Dec 2019
    More details (Right at Home Hemel Hempstead)

  18. Supported Living and Domiciliary Care Service

    6.8 miles · Older people, Physical disabilities, Learning disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Aug 2019
    More details (Supported Living and Domiciliary Care Service)

  19. St James Court

    5.8 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    Requires improvementRated Sep 2026Inspected recently
    More details (St James Court)

  20. Axiom Home Care Limited

    6.8 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    Requires improvementRated Aug 2023
    More details (Axiom Home Care Limited)

Every agency covering Chesham (32) →

What families ask about respite care in Chesham

Where can I find respite care in Chesham?

32 agencies on the CQC register have an office within 7 miles of Chesham, and 18 hold a Good or Outstanding rating. Which of them provide respite care is not recorded by CQC: ask them.

Is respite care ever free?

Sometimes. Ask Buckinghamshire council for a carer's assessment: if you are eligible, the council can arrange or fund breaks. Charities and carers' centres also run free or low-cost sitting services.

How much notice do care homes need for respite?

Some homes do not hold rooms for short stays, so ask early. Aim for several weeks ahead, and longer for school holiday periods.

Are home care agencies in Chesham well rated?

18 of the 22 rated agencies (82%) are Good or Outstanding; 24 list dementia as a specialism and 2 were inspected or rated in the last two years.

Need respite care in Chesham?

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Source for provider details: CQC, Oct 2026 (Open Government Licence v3.0). The Care Panel is a comparison site, not a care company.

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