Home care · Gateshead

Home help in Birtley

Help with housework, shopping, meals and errands, often alongside a chat and a cup of tea: that is home help, and it keeps many older people independent for longer. 132 agencies registered with CQC cover Birtley. Check with each one that it provides this kind of care.

CQC register data as of 27 October 2026 · Prices: Prices typically seen across England in 2026

Written by our editorial team, then checked. Editorial policy and corrections · How the site is paid for

The short version

  • Agencies that have an office within 7 miles of Birtley: 132, with 104 rated Good or Outstanding.
  • 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.
  • Ask each agency about home help; the CQC register has no record of who provides it.
  • Ask Gateshead council for a care needs assessment, which is free.

Reference this page as: The Care Panel, "Home help in Birtley", Oct 2026, based on the CQC register.

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.

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 Gateshead council what low-cost services exist. Requesting an assessment from Gateshead council.

How people pay for home help

Most people pay privately, by the hour. Gateshead 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.

What the register shows for Birtley

In Birtley, 79% of agencies support people with dementia (104 of 131); the Gateshead figure is 77%. Registered specialisms here: 109 of 131 list physical disabilities, 85 of 131 list learning disabilities and 91 of 131 list mental health conditions. CQC registered Tailored Health Care 4 You Limited in August 2026, the newest on this list. Compare Birtley's 95% Good or Outstanding with 96% for the rated agencies among the 195 we list in Gateshead. Counting all listed agencies, not only rated ones, Birtley (79% Good or Outstanding) is 3rd out of 7 local towns, led by Shiney Row (82%). One rating goes back to August 2018: Longworth CMS Ltd. Ask what has changed since.

Home help prices in Birtley

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

What the council pays (Gateshead Council): £22.45 an hour for home care (2025/26 average paid to agencies); £888.39 a week for residential care (2025/26 average, over-65s); £949.98 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. 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 in and around Birtley

Ask each agency whether it provides home help. Ranked by CQC rating and how recent it is, then distance.

  1. Blue Ribbon Community Care (Tyne and Wear)

    6.4 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £32–£39/hr

    OutstandingRated Jun 2026Inspected recently
    View profile (Blue Ribbon Community Care (Tyne and Wear))

  2. St Anthony of Padua Care Services

    5.5 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £32–£39/hr

    OutstandingRated Dec 2023
    View profile (St Anthony of Padua Care Services)

  3. My Home Care Ltd

    2.4 miles · Dementia, Mental health conditions, Learning disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Feb 2026Inspected recently
    View profile (My Home Care Ltd)

  4. Coquet Trust

    2.9 miles · Older people, Physical disabilities, Sensory impairments

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Nov 2024Inspected recently
    View profile (Coquet Trust)

  5. New Vision Care Services

    2.9 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jan 2026Inspected recently
    View profile (New Vision Care Services)

  6. Nupath Care Gateshead

    3.0 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated May 2025Inspected recently
    View profile (Nupath Care Gateshead)

  7. Bluebird Care (Gateshead)

    3.0 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £32–£39/hr

    GoodRated Oct 2026Inspected recently
    View profile (Bluebird Care (Gateshead))

  8. KEYFORT North East

    3.0 miles · Physical disabilities, Sensory impairments, Learning disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Feb 2026Inspected recently
    View profile (KEYFORT North East)

  9. Medsolve (UK) Limited

    3.1 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Feb 2026Inspected recently
    View profile (Medsolve (UK) Limited)

  10. Living Well North Ltd

    3.7 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Sep 2025Inspected recently
    View profile (Living Well North Ltd)

  11. Housing 21 - Fountain Court

    3.8 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Aug 2026Inspected recently
    View profile (Housing 21 - Fountain Court)

  12. SureCare Gateshead

    3.8 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Mar 2026Inspected recently
    View profile (SureCare Gateshead)

  13. Care4u Office

    4.3 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Apr 2025Inspected recently
    View profile (Care4u Office)

  14. Domiciliary Care and PRIME Service

    4.4 miles · Older people

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Sep 2026Inspected recently
    View profile (Domiciliary Care and PRIME Service)

  15. Hales Group Limited - North East

    4.8 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jan 2026Inspected recently
    View profile (Hales Group Limited - North East)

  16. DK Home Support

    4.8 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jan 2026Inspected recently
    View profile (DK Home Support)

  17. ESPA Agency

    4.8 miles · Learning disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Dec 2025Inspected recently
    View profile (ESPA Agency)

  18. Nurtured Care NE

    4.9 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated May 2026Inspected recently
    View profile (Nurtured Care NE)

  19. TLC Community Services Limited

    4.9 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jan 2026Inspected recently
    View profile (TLC Community Services Limited)

  20. Hales Group Limited - Newcastle

    5.0 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jul 2025Inspected recently
    View profile (Hales Group Limited - Newcastle)

Every agency covering Birtley (132) →

Questions about home help in Birtley

Where can I find home help in Birtley?

CQC does not record which agencies provide home help. 132 CQC-registered home care agencies have an office within 7 miles of Birtley; 104 are rated Good or Outstanding. Ask each whether it provides home help.

How much does home help cost in Birtley?

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.

Will the council fund help with housework?

Sometimes, if Gateshead 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.

Are home care agencies in Birtley well rated?

104 of the 109 rated agencies (95%) are Good or Outstanding; 104 list dementia as a specialism and 36 were inspected or rated in the last 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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