24-Hour Care in Brentwood: Costs, Funding and 147 Local Agencies (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 £1,455 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

Essex 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 Essex council for an assessment.

Brentwood's agencies in figures

The newest registration is Care Champions London Limited, registered with CQC in September 2026. Registered specialisms here: 134 of 147 list physical disabilities, 75 of 147 list learning disabilities and 93 of 147 list mental health conditions. 127 of the 147 agencies (86%) list dementia as a specialism, against 80% across Essex. The oldest current rating dates from November 2017 (Ebony Healthcare Services Limited). 4 are rated Outstanding here, out of 12 across Essex. Of Brentwood and the 6 nearest towns we cover, Brentwood ranks 5th for the share of all listed agencies rated Good or Outstanding (54%); Ingatestone is highest at 58%. At 91% Good or Outstanding, Brentwood sits in line with the Essex figure of 90% (from 1,315 agencies). Ratings are about as recent as the council average here: 14% of agencies have one less than two years old, compared with 12% across Essex.

What 24-hour care costs in Brentwood

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 Essex County Council pays providers: £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).

The gap between agencies is bigger than the gap between regions. Ask for prices in writing, and check what weekends and bank holidays cost. 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. Tools: weekly cost calculator and what would we pay?

What families ask about 24-hour care in Brentwood

Which home care agencies offer 24-hour care in Brentwood?

147 agencies on the CQC register have an office within 7 miles of Brentwood, and 80 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 Brentwood?

Prices typically seen across England in 2026: 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 Essex 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 Brentwood rated?

Of 88 agencies with a CQC rating, 80 (91%) are Good or Outstanding. Dementia is a specialism for 127, and 20 have a rating or inspection from the past two years.

Arranging 24-hour care in Brentwood?

Tell us what's needed once. Featured partners and up to three rated agencies that take enquiries through us reply to you directly, by email.

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Care options in Brentwood

24-hour care in nearby towns

24-hour care in Ingatestone 4.4 mi
24-hour care in Billericay 5.1 mi
24-hour care in Havering 5.7 mi
24-hour care in Basildon 7.6 mi
24-hour care in Aveley 8.9 mi
24-hour care in Rainham, Havering 9.0 mi
24-hour care in Stanford-le-Hope 9.1 mi
24-hour care in Wickford 9.6 mi

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Source for provider details: CQC, Oct 2026 (Open Government Licence v3.0). The Care Panel is a comparison site, not a care company.

24-hour care in Brentwood