Home Help in Stourbridge: Costs, Funding and 69 Local Agencies (Oct 2026)

What home help includes

Typical tasks are cleaning and tidying, laundry and ironing, changing beds, food shopping and collecting prescriptions, preparing meals, help with post and bills, and getting out to appointments or the shops. Many people also value the company. Home help does not include personal care such as washing, dressing or help with medication: for that you need a home care agency registered with the Care Quality Commission.

Agency, cleaner or council?

Many home care agencies in Stourbridge provide home help as well as personal care, which is useful if needs grow. A cleaner or a local "home help" service can be cheaper for housework alone, but is not regulated by CQC. Some councils and charities run low-cost help-at-home or shopping services. How to ask Dudley council for an assessment.

Paying for home help

Home help is usually charged by the hour, at or just below the rate for visiting care. Dudley council may include practical help in a care plan if a care needs assessment finds eligible needs, though help with housework alone often does not qualify. Attendance Allowance, which is not means-tested, is often used to pay for it. See home help for the elderly and home help vs home care.

Home care in Stourbridge by the numbers

Registered specialisms here: 58 of 69 list physical disabilities, 40 of 69 list learning disabilities and 45 of 69 list mental health conditions. In Stourbridge, 75% of agencies support people with dementia (52 of 69); the Dudley figure is 79%. One rating goes back to April 2018: Taylor Made Care Ltd. Ask what has changed since. Counting all listed agencies, not only rated ones, Stourbridge (46% Good or Outstanding) is 3rd out of 7 local towns, led by Kinver (62%). At 76% Good or Outstanding, Stourbridge sits in line with the Dudley figure of 76% (from 351 agencies). CQC registered Deus Community Services CIC in August 2026, the newest on this list.

How much home help costs in Stourbridge

Prices typically seen across England in 2026
Visiting care	around £32–£34 an hour
Live-in care	around £1,540–£1,610 a week

What the council pays (Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council): £21.92 an hour for home care (2025/26 average paid to agencies); £725 a week for residential care (2025/26 average, over-65s); £984 a week for nursing care (2025/26 average, over-65s) (source).

The gap between agencies is bigger than the gap between regions. Ask for prices in writing, and check what weekends and bank holidays cost. The Homecare Association puts the minimum sustainable price for council-funded home care in England at £34.42 an hour for 2026/27. Source: Lottie Care Index, Q3 2026. Tools: weekly cost calculator and what would we pay?

Your questions on home help in Stourbridge

Which home care agencies offer home help in Stourbridge?

The CQC register does not show who offers home help. There are 69 registered agencies that have an office within 7 miles of Stourbridge, 32 of them rated Good or Outstanding, so ask each one.

What does home help cost in Stourbridge?

Expect an hourly charge close to the local visiting care rate, sometimes slightly less for housework only. Check the minimum visit length and weekend rates before you book.

Does the council pay for home help?

Only as part of meeting eligible needs after an assessment by Dudley council; housework on its own rarely qualifies. Attendance Allowance, which ignores savings, is often used to pay for home help.

Is home help the same as home care?

No. Home help is practical help with housework, shopping and errands. Home care, or personal care, includes help with washing, dressing, eating and medication, and must be provided by an agency registered with the Care Quality Commission.

How are agencies covering Stourbridge rated?

Of 42 agencies with a CQC rating, 32 (76%) are Good or Outstanding. Dementia is a specialism for 52, and 10 have a rating or inspection from the past two years.

Need home help in Stourbridge?

One short form: featured partners and a maximum of three rated agencies working with us will contact you directly by email.

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CQC register data (Oct 2026), reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. The Care Panel is independent of every provider listed.

Home help in Stourbridge