Home care · County Durham
24-hour care in Bishop Auckland
Care at any hour, at home: either a live-in carer, who needs a daily break and a proper night's sleep, or visits by day with a waking night carer. Heavier needs mean two carers working in shifts. None has confirmed it to us yet, so ask the 21 CQC-registered agencies covering Bishop Auckland directly.
Agency data: CQC register · Updated 27 October 2026 · Prices: Typical 2026 prices across England
The short version
- 21 home care agencies registered with CQC have an office within 7 miles of Bishop Auckland, and 12 of them hold a Good or Outstanding rating.
- Which agencies provide 24-hour care is not on the CQC register, so ask each one.
- Typical prices here: live-in care around £1,540–£1,610 a week. Live-in care is usually the cheapest way to cover day and night.
- County Durham council must offer a free care needs assessment.
Cite this: The Care Panel, "24-hour care in Bishop Auckland", analysis of the CQC register, Oct 2026.
Live-in care or waking nights?
Live-in care is usually the most affordable way to have someone there day and night: one carer lives in, but needs about two hours off each day and an unbroken night's sleep. Waking nights put a carer in the home who stays awake all night; combined with daytime visits, that covers all 24 hours. If help is needed most nights, one live-in carer is not enough: add waking nights or a second carer.
Typical local prices: live-in care around £1,540–£1,610 a week; a residential care home £1,185 a week.
When 24-hour care is needed
Families usually look for it after a hospital stay, when dementia means someone cannot be left alone or wanders at night, after repeated falls, or at the end of life. A care home is the alternative to compare: for one person it often costs less than staffing every hour at home, but many people want to stay in their own home.
Help paying for 24-hour care
County Durham council must offer a free care needs assessment; if it finds eligible needs by day and night, care at home can be part of a council care plan, and the value of the home is not counted for care at home. Attendance Allowance pays its higher rate of £114.60 a week to people over State Pension age who need help both day and night, whatever their savings. When the main need is a health need, NHS Continuing Healthcare may pay in full. How to ask County Durham council for an assessment.
Agencies covering Bishop Auckland: the data
Registered specialisms here: 15 of 21 list physical disabilities, 12 of 21 list learning disabilities and 12 of 21 list mental health conditions. The newest registration is County Durham Office, registered with CQC in October 2026. The oldest current rating dates from July 2019 (Human Support Group Limited - Appleton Lodge). 10 of the 21 agencies (48%) list dementia as a specialism, against 72% across County Durham. Counting all listed agencies, not only rated ones, Bishop Auckland (57% Good or Outstanding) is 7th out of 7 local towns, led by Darlington (80%). 1 is rated Outstanding here, out of 3 across County Durham. 5% of agencies covering Bishop Auckland have a CQC rating from the last two years, against 15% across County Durham. Compare Bishop Auckland's 86% Good or Outstanding with 97% for the rated agencies among the 189 we list in County Durham.
Paying for 24-hour care in Bishop Auckland: typical prices
| Visiting care | around £32–£34 an hour |
|---|---|
| Live-in care | around £1,540–£1,610 a week |
What Durham County Council pays providers: £22.83 an hour for home care (2025/26 average paid to agencies); £857 a week for residential care (2025/26 average, over-65s); £890 a week for nursing care (2025/26 average, over-65s) (source).
Hourly rates vary between agencies more than between regions; ask each agency for its full price list, including weekend and bank holiday rates. 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. Work out a weekly cost · What would we pay?
Home care agencies covering Bishop Auckland
Not confirmed for 24-hour care, so ask. Listed by CQC rating and rating date, then distance.
ROC Support Network
Est. £32–£39/hr
RCS Domiciliary Agency Ltd
Est. £30–£37/hr
Positive Care and Support Ltd
Est. £30–£37/hr
Deaconstar Limited
Est. £30–£37/hr
Premier Community Care
Est. £30–£37/hr
Beechfield Care & Support Limited
Est. £30–£37/hr
Extra Care
Est. £30–£37/hr
Blossom Home Care Durham
Est. £30–£37/hr
Blue Mile Care Ltd
Est. £30–£37/hr
Perfect Care - Durham Home Care
Est. £30–£37/hr
Human Support Group Limited - Appleton Lodge
Est. £30–£37/hr
Supportive SRC Ltd
Est. £30–£37/hr
Portland Domiciliary Service
Est. £30–£37/hr
Butterwick Hospice
Est. £30–£37/hr
Guardian Alliance
Est. £29–£36/hr
County Durham Office
Est. £29–£36/hr
Highlea Care Limited
Est. £29–£36/hr
AVE Integrated Health Care Limited
Est. £29–£36/hr
Provider247 Durham
Est. £29–£36/hr
Compassionate Care and Support (North East) Ltd
Est. £29–£36/hr
24-hour care in Bishop Auckland: common questions
Which home care agencies offer 24-hour care in Bishop Auckland?
21 agencies on the CQC register have an office within 7 miles of Bishop Auckland, and 12 hold a Good or Outstanding rating. Which of them provide 24-hour care is not recorded by CQC: ask them.
How much does 24-hour care cost in Bishop Auckland?
Typical 2026 prices across England: live-in care typically costs around £1,540–£1,610 a week. Covering every hour with separate day and night carers costs much more, because each hour is paid.
Is 24-hour care the same as live-in care?
Not quite. A live-in carer is there day and night but needs a daily break and a full night's sleep. If help is needed through the night most nights, true 24-hour care means adding waking nights or a second carer.
Can the council pay for 24-hour care at home?
It can, if County Durham council's care needs assessment finds eligible needs by day and night and care at home is a suitable way to meet them. A financial assessment follows; for care at home the home is not counted. NHS Continuing Healthcare pays in full when the main need is a health need.
How are agencies covering Bishop Auckland rated?
Of 14 agencies with a CQC rating, 12 (86%) are Good or Outstanding. Dementia is a specialism for 10, and 2 have a rating or inspection from the past two years.
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Other care in Bishop Auckland
24-hour care around Bishop Auckland
- 24-hour care in Spennymoor 4.5 mi
- 24-hour care in Newton Aycliffe 4.7 mi
- 24-hour care in Ferryhill 5.7 mi
- 24-hour care in Esh Winning 8.3 mi
- 24-hour care in Bowburn 8.7 mi
- 24-hour care in Darlington 9.7 mi
- 24-hour care in Durham 9.9 mi
- 24-hour care in Sacriston 11.8 mi
Data: CQC register, Oct 2026, used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. We are an independent directory and do not provide care.