Home care · Hertfordshire

Home help in Bishop's Stortford

Home help means practical support around the house, such as cleaning, washing, shopping, preparing meals and running errands, often with some companionship too. 31 agencies registered with CQC cover Bishop's Stortford. Check with each one that it provides this kind of care.

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

Written and checked by The Care Panel editorial team. Editorial policy and corrections · How the site is paid for

Key points

  • 31 home care agencies registered with CQC have an office within 7 miles of Bishop's Stortford, and 16 of them hold a Good or Outstanding rating.
  • CQC does not record which agencies provide home help, so ask each agency directly.
  • 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.
  • Hertfordshire council has to offer a care needs assessment free of charge.

Citation: "Home help in Bishop's Stortford", The Care Panel analysis of CQC register data, Oct 2026.

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.

How people pay for home help

Most people pay privately, by the hour. Hertfordshire 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.

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

What the register shows for Bishop's Stortford

The share registered for dementia is 90% in Bishop's Stortford (28 of 31) and 78% across Hertfordshire. Oldest rating on the list: Diamond Unique Care Limited, June 2017. Most recent to register: RJN Care Solutions Limited (August 2026). By specialism, 27 of 31 list physical disabilities, 16 of 31 list learning disabilities and 15 of 31 list mental health conditions. Compare Bishop's Stortford's 89% Good or Outstanding with 87% for the rated agencies among the 981 we list in Hertfordshire. 16% of agencies covering Bishop's Stortford have a CQC rating from the last two years, against 8% across Hertfordshire. Outstanding ratings: 1 covering Bishop's Stortford, 11 across Hertfordshire. Counting all listed agencies, not only rated ones, Bishop's Stortford (52% Good or Outstanding) is 7th out of 7 local towns, led by Great Dunmow (69%).

What home help costs in Bishop's Stortford

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

Council rates in Hertfordshire County Council: £31.82 an hour for home care (2025/26 average paid to agencies); £905.57 a week for residential care (2025/26 average, over-65s); £1,036.29 a week for nursing care (2025/26 average, over-65s) (source).

Ask every agency for a full list of charges, with weekend and bank holiday rates: hourly rates vary more between agencies than between regions. 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 Bishop's Stortford

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

  1. Kindherts Care Ltd

    0.8 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Oct 2026Inspected recently
    See details (Kindherts Care Ltd)

  2. St Elizabeth's Domiciliary Care Agency

    4.0 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jul 2025Inspected recently
    See details (St Elizabeth's Domiciliary Care Agency)

  3. Violet Care Agency Ltd

    5.6 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jun 2025Inspected recently
    See details (Violet Care Agency Ltd)

  4. Care Just 4U

    6.1 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Nov 2024Inspected recently
    See details (Care Just 4U)

  5. Central Care Recruitment Limited

    6.1 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Mar 2022
    See details (Central Care Recruitment Limited)

  6. Lehope Care Limited

    6.1 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Apr 2023
    See details (Lehope Care Limited)

  7. Universal Complex Care

    6.1 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated May 2023
    See details (Universal Complex Care)

  8. At Home Support Services Limited

    6.1 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jul 2024
    See details (At Home Support Services Limited)

  9. HF Trust Herts and Essex

    under 0.5 miles · Older people, Learning disabilities, Adults under 65

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Nov 2018
    See details (HF Trust Herts and Essex)

  10. Professional Nursing Services Limited - 25A White Horse Court

    under 0.5 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Feb 2019
    See details (Professional Nursing Services Limited - 25A White Horse Court)

  11. Sierra Homecare

    2.2 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Oct 2021
    See details (Sierra Homecare)

  12. Home Instead East Hertfordshire and Uttlesford

    3.9 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £33–£40/hr

    GoodRated Oct 2019
    See details (Home Instead East Hertfordshire and Uttlesford)

  13. Helping Hands Harlow

    6.0 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £29–£35/hr

    GoodRated Oct 2021
    See details (Helping Hands Harlow)

  14. North London Homecare & Support Limited

    6.0 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £32–£39/hr

    OutstandingRated Apr 2019
    See details (North London Homecare & Support Limited)

  15. Diamond Unique Care Limited

    6.1 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jun 2017
    See details (Diamond Unique Care Limited)

  16. Manorcourt Homecare

    7.0 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Oct 2019
    See details (Manorcourt Homecare)

  17. Caremark (Harlow & Epping Forest)

    6.0 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    Requires improvementRated Dec 2025Inspected recently
    See details (Caremark (Harlow & Epping Forest))

  18. Sagecare (Biggleswade)

    0.5 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    Requires improvementRated Apr 2020
    See details (Sagecare (Biggleswade))

  19. Care By Us Limited

    0.5 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £29–£36/hr

    Not yet ratedNot yet rated
    See details (Care By Us Limited)

  20. RTS Healthcare Services

    1.1 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £29–£36/hr

    Not yet ratedNot yet rated
    See details (RTS Healthcare Services)

Every agency covering Bishop's Stortford (31) →

Questions about home help in Bishop's Stortford

Where can I find home help in Bishop's Stortford?

31 agencies on the CQC register have an office within 7 miles of Bishop's Stortford, and 16 hold a Good or Outstanding rating. Which of them provide home help is not recorded by CQC: ask them.

What does home help cost in Bishop's Stortford?

Expect an hourly charge close to the local visiting care rate, sometimes slightly less for housework only. Check the minimum visit length and weekend rates before you book.

Will the council fund help with housework?

Only as part of meeting eligible needs after an assessment by Hertfordshire council; housework on its own rarely qualifies. Attendance Allowance, which ignores savings, is often used to pay for home help.

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 Bishop's Stortford well rated?

16 of the 18 rated agencies (89%) are Good or Outstanding; 28 list dementia as a specialism and 6 were inspected or rated in the last two years.

Arranging home help in Bishop's Stortford?

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

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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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