Home care · Gateshead

Live-in care in Birtley

With live-in care, a trained carer moves into the home to give support around the clock, and families often choose it instead of a move to a care home. 132 agencies registered with CQC cover Birtley. Check with each one that it provides this kind of care.

CQC register data as of 26 October 2026 · Prices: Prices typically seen across England in 2026

Written by our editorial team, then checked. Our editorial standards · How the site is paid for

The short version

  • Of the 132 CQC-registered agencies that have an office within 7 miles of Birtley, 104 have a Good or Outstanding rating.
  • Expect live-in care to cost about around £1,540–£1,610 a week, compared with £1,185 a week for a residential care home (prices typically seen across England in 2026).
  • Ask each agency about live-in care; 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, "Live-in care in Birtley", Oct 2026, based on the CQC register.

What a live-in carer does

  • Rota: usually one or two weeks living in, then a second carer takes over.
  • Tasks: washing, dressing, meals, medicines, housework, getting out, company.
  • At home: the person keeps their routine, pets and neighbours.
  • The carer needs: their own room, about two hours off each day and proper sleep at night.

When someone needs help on most nights, one live-in carer is not enough: add another carer, or book waking nights as well. Agencies should flag this during their assessment.

Two kinds of live-in agency

Agencies come in two types. With a managed service, the agency employs the carer or supervises them, holds a Care Quality Commission registration and carries responsibility for the care. With an introductory agency, you are matched with a self-employed carer and take on the job of arranging and overseeing the care yourself; such agencies are not usually registered with CQC. Before signing, find out which type you are dealing with, who steps in for holidays and illness, and what happens if the match does not work.

Live-in care against a care home

Price check for this area: live-in care around £1,540–£1,610 a week, residential care home £1,185 a week. Couples are where live-in care can come out cheaper, with one carer supporting two people instead of two care home places; for one person, the care home often costs less.

Ask two questions. Can one carer meet the person's needs safely? Do they want to stay at home? If both answers are yes, live-in care fits. If moving them takes two people around the clock, or they are lonely at home, look at care homes.

Help paying for it

Gateshead council must offer a free care needs assessment. If it agrees that live-in care is the right way to meet eligible needs, it can contribute after a financial assessment, and for care at home the value of the home is not counted. You can take the council's contribution as a direct payment and use it with an agency you choose. People with a primary health need may qualify for NHS Continuing Healthcare, which pays in full. Getting assessed by Gateshead council.

What the register shows for Birtley

In Birtley, 80% of agencies support people with dementia (105 of 132); the Gateshead figure is 78%. Registered specialisms here: 110 of 132 list physical disabilities, 85 of 132 list learning disabilities and 92 of 132 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 196 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.

Live-in care 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
Residential care home£1,185 a week
Nursing home£1,305 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. The Homecare Association puts the minimum sustainable price for council-funded home care in England at £34.42 an hour for 2026/27. Source: Lottie Care Index, Q3 2026. Work out a weekly cost · What would we pay?

Home care agencies in and around Birtley

Ask each agency whether it provides live-in care. 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)

See all 132 agencies covering Birtley →

Questions about live-in care in Birtley

Who provides live-in care in Birtley?

The CQC register does not show who offers live-in care. There are 132 registered agencies that have an office within 7 miles of Birtley, 104 of them rated Good or Outstanding, so ask each one.

What is the weekly price of live-in care in Birtley?

Live-in care is typically around £1,540–£1,610 a week here (prices typically seen across England in 2026); short placements, couples and complex needs usually push the price up.

Is live-in care cheaper than a care home?

Usually not for a single person, since a residential home averages £1,185 a week here. A couple, though, may pay less for live-in care than for two care home places.

Can live-in care be council funded?

With savings under £23,250, you may get help. The council must first find eligible needs and agree that live-in care would meet them suitably; Gateshead council then carries out a financial assessment that ignores the home when care is at home.

How good are home care agencies around Birtley?

95% Good or Outstanding (104 of 109 rated). 36 were inspected or rated within two years, and 105 are registered for dementia.

Live-in care in Birtley: ask who can help

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Data: CQC register, Oct 2026, used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. We are an independent directory and do not provide care.

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