Home care · Essex

Home help in Braintree

Home help means practical support around the house, such as cleaning, washing, shopping, preparing meals and running errands, often with some companionship too. Compare the 38 CQC-registered agencies covering Braintree and ask which of them provide it.

Agency data: CQC register · Updated 27 October 2026 · Prices: Typical prices across England in 2026

From The Care Panel's editors; checked before it went live. Our editorial standards · How we make money

Quick summary

  • Agencies that have an office within 7 miles of Braintree: 38, with 26 rated Good or Outstanding.
  • A care needs assessment from Essex council costs nothing.
  • Which agencies provide home help is not on the CQC register, so ask each one.
  • Home help is usually charged by the hour; visiting care here typically costs around £32–£34 an hour, and housework-only help can cost a little less.

To cite: "Home help in Braintree", The Care Panel, Oct 2026, from CQC register analysis.

Home help: the usual tasks

  • Cleaning, laundry, ironing and changing beds
  • Shopping and collecting prescriptions
  • Preparing meals
  • Post, bills and appointments
  • Company and trips out

Washing, dressing and medication are personal care, which must come from a CQC-registered home care agency.

How people pay for home help

Most people pay privately, by the hour. Essex council can fund practical help only where it is part of meeting eligible needs after an assessment, which housework alone rarely is. Many older people use Attendance Allowance to cover it. More: home help for the elderly and the difference between home help and home care.

Who provides home help

Choose a home care agency if personal care may be needed later, because the same carers can take it on. For housework alone, a cleaner or a local help-at-home scheme may cost less, though these are not CQC-regulated. Ask local charities and Essex council what low-cost services exist. Getting assessed by Essex council.

Braintree's agencies in figures

Across Essex we list 1,315 agencies, and 90% of those rated are Good or Outstanding; covering Braintree the figure is 90%. Across Essex, 12% of agencies have a rating under two years old; covering Braintree it is 13%. Essex has 12 Outstanding agencies in total; covering Braintree the figure is 2. Coggeshall has the highest share of listed agencies rated Good or Outstanding nearby (76%); Braintree, at 68%, is 3rd of the 7 towns compared. In Braintree, 76% of agencies support people with dementia (29 of 38); the Essex figure is 80%. One rating goes back to September 2018: Crossroads Braintree & Chelmsford. Ask what has changed since. CQC registered Firmly Care in September 2026, the newest on this list. Looking at specialisms, 30 of 38 list physical disabilities, 21 of 38 list learning disabilities and 18 of 38 list mental health conditions.

Paying for home help in Braintree: typical prices

Typical prices across England in 2026
Visiting carearound £32–£34 an hour
Live-in carearound £1,540–£1,610 a week

Essex County Council's own rates: £28.04 an hour for home care (2025/26 average paid to agencies); £849.45 a week for residential care (2025/26 average, over-65s); £1,102.68 a week for nursing care (2025/26 average, over-65s) (source).

Agencies differ more than regions do on hourly rates, so request a complete tariff from each one, covering weekends and bank holidays too. For 2026/27, the Homecare Association says council-funded home care in England is only sustainable at £34.42 an hour or more. Source: Lottie Care Index, Q3 2026. Estimate the weekly cost or see what you might pay

Home care agencies covering Braintree

Not confirmed for home help, so ask. Listed by CQC rating and rating date, then distance.

  1. DCA Essex

    2.2 miles · Physical disabilities, Learning disabilities, Adults under 65

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jan 2025Inspected recently
    Full profile (DCA Essex)

  2. JJR Care Ltd

    4.1 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Feb 2026Inspected recently
    Full profile (JJR Care Ltd)

  3. SureCare Colchester & Braintree

    6.0 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Feb 2026Inspected recently
    Full profile (SureCare Colchester & Braintree)

  4. St Georges Ltd

    6.6 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Aug 2026Inspected recently
    Full profile (St Georges Ltd)

  5. Helping Hands Braintree

    0.7 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £29–£35/hr

    GoodRated Apr 2022
    Full profile (Helping Hands Braintree)

  6. Home Instead Braintree

    1.1 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £33–£40/hr

    GoodRated Jul 2023
    Full profile (Home Instead Braintree)

  7. Good Life Care Limited

    1.2 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Apr 2022
    Full profile (Good Life Care Limited)

  8. Filcare Ltd

    2.6 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jun 2023
    Full profile (Filcare Ltd)

  9. CO9 Senior Homehelp Limited

    5.5 miles · Dementia, Older people, Adults under 65

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Feb 2023
    Full profile (CO9 Senior Homehelp Limited)

  10. Fitzpatrick Total Home Care Limited

    6.5 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jun 2023
    Full profile (Fitzpatrick Total Home Care Limited)

  11. A PL+US Caring Service

    6.7 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Nov 2023
    Full profile (A PL+US Caring Service)

  12. Support Hands Domiciliary Care Ltd

    6.7 miles · Older people, Adults under 65

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Nov 2022
    Full profile (Support Hands Domiciliary Care Ltd)

  13. Radis Community Care (Helen Court)

    6.9 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Apr 2023
    Full profile (Radis Community Care (Helen Court))

  14. Great Bradfords House

    under 0.5 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Oct 2018
    Full profile (Great Bradfords House)

  15. Crossroads Braintree & Chelmsford

    0.5 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Sep 2018
    Full profile (Crossroads Braintree & Chelmsford)

  16. Christchurch Cares

    0.7 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jun 2019
    Full profile (Christchurch Cares)

  17. Creative Support - Thistley Green

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

    Est. £32–£39/hr

    OutstandingRated Apr 2020
    Full profile (Creative Support - Thistley Green)

  18. Bocking

    1.3 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jan 2020Previous provider's rating
    Full profile (Bocking)

  19. Meadows

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

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated May 2019
    Full profile (Meadows)

  20. Essex Dementia Care

    3.1 miles · Dementia, Older people

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Oct 2019
    Full profile (Essex Dementia Care)

See all 38 agencies covering Braintree →

What families ask about home help in Braintree

Who provides home help in Braintree?

CQC does not record which agencies provide home help. 38 CQC-registered home care agencies have an office within 7 miles of Braintree; 26 are rated Good or Outstanding. Ask each whether it provides home help.

What does home help cost in Braintree?

Home help is usually charged by the hour, at or a little below the local rate for visiting care. Ask each agency for its hourly rate, minimum visit length and any weekend charges in writing.

Does the council pay for home help?

Sometimes, if Essex council's care needs assessment finds eligible needs and practical help is part of meeting them. Help with housework alone often does not qualify, so many people use Attendance Allowance, which is not means-tested, to pay privately.

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 good are home care agencies around Braintree?

90% Good or Outstanding (26 of 29 rated). 6 were inspected or rated within two years, and 29 are registered for dementia.

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Register information from CQC as at Oct 2026; Open Government Licence v3.0 applies. We do not deliver care ourselves.

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