Live-in care in Budleigh Salterton

What a live-in carer does

• Rota: usually one or two weeks living in, then a second carer takes over.
• Tasks: washing, dressing, meals, medicines, housework, getting out, company.
• At home: the person keeps their routine, pets and neighbours.
• The carer needs: their own room, about two hours off each day and proper sleep at night.

When someone needs help on most nights, one live-in carer is not enough: add another carer, or book waking nights as well. Agencies should flag this during their assessment.

Two kinds of live-in agency

Agencies come in two types. With a managed service, the agency employs the carer or supervises them, holds a Care Quality Commission registration and carries responsibility for the care. With an introductory agency, you are matched with a self-employed carer and take on the job of arranging and overseeing the care yourself; such agencies are not usually registered with CQC. Before signing, find out which type you are dealing with, who steps in for holidays and illness, and what happens if the match does not work.

Live-in care against a care home

Here, a residential care home typically costs £1,445 a week and live-in care around £1,540–£1,610 a week. A single person will often pay less in a care home, but a couple may pay less for live-in care than for two care home places, since one carer can look after both.

Ask two questions. Can one carer meet the person's needs safely? Do they want to stay at home? If both answers are yes, live-in care fits. If moving them takes two people around the clock, or they are lonely at home, look at care homes.

Help paying for it

Devon council must offer a free care needs assessment. If it agrees that live-in care is the right way to meet eligible needs, it can contribute after a financial assessment, and for care at home the value of the home is not counted. You can take the council's contribution as a direct payment and use it with an agency you choose. People with a primary health need may qualify for NHS Continuing Healthcare, which pays in full. Requesting an assessment from Devon council.

Agencies covering Budleigh Salterton: the data

Ottery St Mary has the highest share of listed agencies rated Good or Outstanding nearby (82%); Budleigh Salterton, at 80%, is 2nd of the 7 towns compared. 2 Outstanding agencies are covering Budleigh Salterton, against 14 across Devon. Two-year-old ratings or newer: 7% covering Budleigh Salterton, 15% across Devon. 100% of rated agencies covering Budleigh Salterton are Good or Outstanding, compared with 92% of those rated among the 183 we list across Devon. By specialism, 14 of 15 list physical disabilities, 8 of 15 list learning disabilities and 7 of 15 list mental health conditions. RG Setsquare is the most recently registered, joining the CQC register in May 2026. Pinewood Home Care has the oldest rating still in force, from April 2018. Dementia appears on 13 of 15 registrations here (87%), compared with 73% in Devon as a whole.