Home care · East Sussex
24-hour care in Polegate
Round-the-clock care at home comes in two main forms: a live-in carer who stays in the home, or daytime visits combined with a carer who stays awake overnight. If someone needs help at night most nights, two carers usually share the work. Below are the 42 CQC-registered agencies that cover Polegate; ask each whether it offers this.
Agency data: CQC register · Updated 27 October 2026 · Prices: Usual 2026 prices across England
In short
- Of the 42 CQC-registered agencies that have an office within 7 miles of Polegate, 26 have a Good or Outstanding rating.
- 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.
- CQC does not record which agencies provide 24-hour care, so ask each agency directly.
- East Sussex council has to offer a care needs assessment free of charge.
Citation: "24-hour care in Polegate", The Care Panel analysis of CQC register data, 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 £1,555 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
East Sussex 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. Getting assessed by East Sussex council.
Home care in Polegate by the numbers
Most recent to register: Seaford Family Care Limited (July 2026). Registered specialisms here: 31 of 42 list physical disabilities, 11 of 42 list learning disabilities and 23 of 42 list mental health conditions. The share registered for dementia is 79% in Polegate (33 of 42) and 77% across East Sussex. Oldest rating on the list: Park Lodge, September 2018. Outstanding ratings: 1 covering Polegate, 3 across East Sussex. Bexhill-on-Sea has the highest share of listed agencies rated Good or Outstanding nearby (77%); Polegate, at 62%, is 6th of the 7 towns compared. At 90% Good or Outstanding, Polegate sits in line with the East Sussex figure of 91% (from 135 agencies). Ratings are older than average here: 21% of agencies have one less than two years old, compared with 25% across East Sussex.
Paying for 24-hour care in Polegate: typical prices
| Visiting care | around £32–£34 an hour |
|---|---|
| Live-in care | around £1,540–£1,610 a week |
East Sussex County Council's own rates: £28.16 an hour for home care (2025/26 average paid to agencies); £928.72 a week for residential care (2025/26 average, over-65s); £994.24 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. 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. Work out a weekly cost · What would we pay?
Home care agencies covering Polegate
Not confirmed for 24-hour care, so ask. Listed by CQC rating and rating date, then distance.
Home Instead – Eastbourne and Hailsham
Est. £34–£42/hr
Kindred Community Ltd
Est. £30–£37/hr
Apex Prime Care - Hampden Park
Est. £30–£37/hr
13B
Est. £30–£37/hr
Right at Home Eastbourne
Est. £30–£37/hr
Delore Care Eastbourne
Est. £30–£37/hr
Bluebird Care (Eastbourne & Wealden)
Est. £32–£39/hr
East Sussex Community Support Service
Est. £30–£37/hr
Curant Care
Est. £30–£37/hr
A1 Quality Homecare Limited Eastbourne
Est. £30–£37/hr
Quality healthcare Agency Limited
Est. £30–£37/hr
Seaford Family Care
Est. £30–£37/hr
Joint Community Rehabilitation Service
Est. £30–£37/hr
Park Lodge
Est. £30–£37/hr
My Personal Enablement Support Partnership CIC
Est. £30–£37/hr
Caring 4 All
Est. £30–£37/hr
Care at Home Services (South East) Limited – Bentley Grange
Est. £30–£37/hr
Nightingale Homecare East Sussex Ltd
Est. £30–£37/hr
Trinity Homecare
Est. £30–£37/hr
Your questions on 24-hour care in Polegate
Who provides 24-hour care in Polegate?
The CQC register does not show who offers 24-hour care. There are 42 registered agencies that have an office within 7 miles of Polegate, 26 of them rated Good or Outstanding, so ask each one.
How much does 24-hour care cost in Polegate?
Usual 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 East Sussex 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 good are home care agencies around Polegate?
90% Good or Outstanding (26 of 29 rated). 10 were inspected or rated within two years, and 33 are registered for dementia.
Looking for 24-hour care in Polegate?
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Other care in Polegate
24-hour care around Polegate
- 24-hour care in Hailsham 2.9 mi
- 24-hour care in Eastbourne 3.0 mi
- 24-hour care in Seaford 6.8 mi
- 24-hour care in Bexhill-on-Sea 9.7 mi
- 24-hour care in Peacehaven 10.7 mi
- 24-hour care in Lewes 11.3 mi
- 24-hour care in Hastings 14.1 mi
- 24-hour care in Crowborough 16.2 mi
CQC register data (Oct 2026), reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. The Care Panel is independent of every provider listed.