Home care · Essex

Respite care in Lawford

A break for the person who usually provides care is the point of respite care, whether that is a couple of hours a week at home or a short care home stay. Compare the 56 CQC-registered agencies covering Lawford and ask which of them provide it.

Updated 27 October 2026 (CQC register) · Prices: Typical 2026 prices across England

From The Care Panel's editors; checked before it went live. How we write guides · How we make money

Quick summary

  • 56 home care agencies registered with CQC have an office within 7 miles of Lawford, and 33 of them hold a Good or Outstanding rating.
  • Expect the visiting rate, typically around £32–£34 an hour, for respite at home. For a care home stay, the 3 local homes charge by the week.
  • The CQC register does not say who provides respite care: ask the agencies directly.
  • Essex council must offer a free care needs assessment, and a separate carer's assessment for the person who looks after them.

Cite this: The Care Panel, "Respite care in Lawford", analysis of the CQC register, Oct 2026.

Types of respite care

There are three main routes. A carer can come to the home for a few hours while you get out, or live in for days or weeks (live-in respite) while you are away. A care home can offer a short stay, usually a week or two and often booked well in advance for holidays. Ask the 3 registered care homes in Lawford whether they take short stays. Or there are day centres run by charities or the council.

Ask for a carer's assessment

Funded breaks, personal budgets for carers and other support can all follow from a carer's assessment. As a carer you are entitled to one from Essex council, free and apart from any assessment of the person you look after; it focuses on how caring affects your life. For advice, call Carers UK free on 0808 808 7777. How to ask Essex council for an assessment.

Paying for respite yourself

Paying privately? Check each agency's shortest visit and how much notice it needs, and ask care homes if they hold rooms for short stays. Visit the home first, and pass on the care plan, the list of medicines and daily routines to help the stay go well.

Lawford's agencies in figures

Walton-on-the-Naze has the highest share of listed agencies rated Good or Outstanding nearby (71%); Lawford, at 59%, is 3rd of the 7 towns compared. Essex has 12 Outstanding agencies in total; covering Lawford the figure is 1. Ratings are more recent than average here: 18% of agencies have one less than two years old, compared with 12% across Essex. At 87% Good or Outstanding, Lawford sits below the Essex figure of 90% (from 1,315 agencies). Looking at specialisms, 45 of 56 list physical disabilities, 28 of 56 list learning disabilities and 30 of 56 list mental health conditions. CQC registered AHE SERVICES LIMITED in June 2026, the newest on this list. One rating goes back to May 2018: Quality Care Resourcing Ltd. Ask what has changed since. In Lawford, 79% of agencies support people with dementia (44 of 56); the Essex figure is 80%.

What respite care costs in Lawford

Typical 2026 prices across England
Visiting carearound £32–£34 an hour
Live-in carearound £1,540–£1,610 a week
Residential care home£1,455 a week
Nursing home£1,685 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. 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. Estimate the weekly cost or see what you might pay

Home care agencies serving Lawford

Check with each agency that it offers respite care. Order: CQC rating, then how recent, then distance.

  1. Home Instead Senior Care

    5.3 miles · Dementia, Older people

    Est. £33–£40/hr

    GoodRated Feb 2026Inspected recently
    See details (Home Instead Senior Care)

  2. Aldanat Care

    6.3 miles · Older people, Physical disabilities, Mental health conditions

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Sep 2026Inspected recently
    See details (Aldanat Care)

  3. Prime Care Domiciliary Essex

    6.5 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated May 2025Inspected recently
    See details (Prime Care Domiciliary Essex)

  4. Faiths Care

    6.5 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Sep 2026Inspected recently
    See details (Faiths Care)

  5. Diana’s Quality Care Ltd

    6.5 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Oct 2026Inspected recently
    See details (Diana’s Quality Care Ltd)

  6. Living Ambitions Limited - Essex

    6.5 miles · Older people, Learning disabilities, Adults under 65

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Dec 2025Inspected recently
    See details (Living Ambitions Limited - Essex)

  7. Jadee's Nursing Agency

    6.6 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Oct 2025Inspected recently
    See details (Jadee's Nursing Agency)

  8. Cloud 9 Care Limited

    6.7 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jul 2026Inspected recently
    See details (Cloud 9 Care Limited)

  9. SRP Homecare Ltd

    6.9 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Oct 2026Inspected recently
    See details (SRP Homecare Ltd)

  10. Ann Mason Care Ltd

    4.4 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jun 2022
    See details (Ann Mason Care Ltd)

  11. Colchester HomeCare Ltd North Essex Branch

    4.7 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jul 2023
    See details (Colchester HomeCare Ltd North Essex Branch)

  12. Alina Homecare - Colchester

    4.9 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Oct 2022
    See details (Alina Homecare - Colchester)

  13. Drury Healthcare Limited

    4.9 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Sep 2023
    See details (Drury Healthcare Limited)

  14. Nayland Care Agency Limited.

    5.5 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Oct 2023
    See details (Nayland Care Agency Limited.)

  15. Autism Anglia Supported Living

    5.6 miles · Older people, Learning disabilities, Adults under 65

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Aug 2022
    See details (Autism Anglia Supported Living)

  16. Nurse Plus UK - Colchester

    5.6 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Nov 2021
    See details (Nurse Plus UK - Colchester)

  17. 3HA Care Services

    5.8 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Oct 2024
    See details (3HA Care Services)

  18. St Helena Care and Support Limited

    6.2 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated May 2023
    See details (St Helena Care and Support Limited)

  19. Weston Business Centre

    6.5 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jan 2023
    See details (Weston Business Centre)

  20. Michael Rgis Care Ltd

    6.5 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Nov 2022
    See details (Michael Rgis Care Ltd)

The full list: 56 agencies covering Lawford →

What families ask about respite care in Lawford

Which home care agencies offer respite care in Lawford?

56 agencies on the CQC register have an office within 7 miles of Lawford, and 33 hold a Good or Outstanding rating. Which of them provide respite care is not recorded by CQC: ask them.

Is there free respite care?

Free or low-cost sitting services are run by charities and carers' centres. The council can also arrange or fund breaks when a carer's assessment, which you request from Essex council, shows you are eligible.

When should we book a respite stay in a care home?

Several weeks if you can, and longer for school holidays. Not every home keeps rooms for short stays, so ask when you first call.

How are agencies covering Lawford rated?

Of 38 agencies with a CQC rating, 33 (87%) are Good or Outstanding. Dementia is a specialism for 44, and 10 have a rating or inspection from the past two years.

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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.

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