24-Hour Care in Hockley: Costs, Funding and 130 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.

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. Getting assessed by Essex council.

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.

Agencies covering Hockley: the data

At 90% Good or Outstanding, Hockley sits in line with the Essex figure of 90% (from 1,315 agencies). Ratings are older than average here: 9% of agencies have one less than two years old, compared with 12% across Essex. 3 are rated Outstanding here, out of 12 across Essex. Counting all listed agencies, not only rated ones, Hockley (56% Good or Outstanding) is 4th out of 7 local towns, led by South Woodham Ferrers (66%). 110 of the 130 agencies (85%) list dementia as a specialism, against 80% across Essex. The oldest current rating dates from May 2018 (Mansion House Residential Home). The newest registration is New Vision Care Services Limited, registered with CQC in August 2026. Registered specialisms here: 111 of 130 list physical disabilities, 71 of 130 list learning disabilities and 79 of 130 list mental health conditions.

What 24-hour care costs in Hockley

Typical 2026 prices across England
Visiting care	around £32–£34 an hour
Live-in care	around £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).

Hourly rates vary between agencies more than between regions; ask each agency for its full price list, including weekend and bank holiday rates. According to the Homecare Association, councils across England should pay no less than £34.42 an hour for home care in 2026/27 if it is to be sustainable. Source: Lottie Care Index, Q3 2026. Work out a weekly cost · What would we pay?

24-hour care in Hockley: common questions

Who provides 24-hour care in Hockley?

Ask each agency: CQC keeps no record of who provides 24-hour care. Of the 130 registered agencies that have an office within 7 miles of Hockley, 73 are rated Good or Outstanding.

How much does 24-hour care cost in Hockley?

Typical 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 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 good are home care agencies around Hockley?

90% Good or Outstanding (73 of 81 rated). 14 were inspected or rated within two years, and 110 are registered for dementia.

Arranging 24-hour care in Hockley?

Tell us what's needed once. Up to three agencies that take enquiries through us reply to you directly, by email.

Get local care prices

Care options in Hockley

24-hour care in nearby towns

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24-hour care in Hadleigh 3.9 mi
24-hour care in Southend-on-Sea 4.2 mi
24-hour care in Wickford 5.6 mi
24-hour care in Canvey Island 6.4 mi
24-hour care in Danbury 8.4 mi

Get local care prices See agencies

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

24-hour care in Hockley