Home care · Hertfordshire

Respite care in London Colney

Respite care is short-term care that gives a family carer a break, from a few hours a week at home to a short stay in a care home. Compare the 154 CQC-registered agencies covering London Colney and ask which of them provide it.

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

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The short version

  • Agencies that have an office within 7 miles of London Colney: 154, with 71 rated Good or Outstanding.
  • Expect the visiting rate, typically around £32–£34 an hour, for respite at home. For a care home stay, the 6 local homes charge by the week.
  • CQC does not record which agencies provide respite care, so ask each agency directly.
  • Hertfordshire council has to offer a care needs assessment free of charge, and a separate carer's assessment for the person who looks after them.

Citation: "Respite care in London Colney", The Care Panel analysis of CQC register data, Oct 2026.

Ways to get a break

Day centres, run by charities or the council, are one choice. A short care home stay, typically one to two weeks and best booked early for holidays, is another. Ask the 6 registered care homes in London Colney whether they take short stays. At home, a visiting carer can cover a few hours, or a live-in carer can stay for a few days or weeks (live-in respite) so you can go away.

Arranging a private respite break

A smooth short stay starts with a visit to the care home and with sharing the care plan, medicines list and routines in advance. When paying yourself, also ask homes whether they set aside rooms for short stays, and ask agencies about minimum visit lengths and notice periods.

A carer's assessment comes first

Anyone who looks after another person can ask Hertfordshire council for a carer's assessment of their own. It is free, it is separate from the cared-for person's assessment, and it considers how caring affects you. The outcome can include funded breaks, a personal budget for carers or other help. Free advice is available from the Carers UK helpline, 0808 808 7777. Requesting an assessment from Hertfordshire council.

London Colney's agencies in figures

One rating goes back to February 2018: R4R Home Care Services Ltd/Watford. Ask what has changed since. In London Colney, 79% of agencies support people with dementia (121 of 154); the Hertfordshire figure is 78%. On their CQC registrations, 124 of 154 list physical disabilities, 78 of 154 list learning disabilities and 81 of 154 list mental health conditions. CQC registered Journey Up Ltd in October 2026, the newest on this list. Two-year-old ratings or newer: 8% covering London Colney, 8% across Hertfordshire. 87% of rated agencies covering London Colney are Good or Outstanding, compared with 87% of those rated among the 981 we list across Hertfordshire. Counting all listed agencies, not only rated ones, London Colney (46% Good or Outstanding) is 6th out of 7 local towns, led by Potters Bar (59%). Hertfordshire has 11 Outstanding agencies in total; covering London Colney the figure is 4.

What respite care costs in London Colney

Usual 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

What Hertfordshire County Council pays providers: £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. 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. Check what you would pay · Weekly cost calculator

Home care agencies serving London Colney

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

  1. Abbots Care Limited (Hertfordshire)

    2.0 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £32–£39/hr

    OutstandingRated Oct 2025Inspected recently
    See details (Abbots Care Limited (Hertfordshire))

  2. Medow Care Services Limited

    3.9 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Aug 2026Inspected recently
    See details (Medow Care Services Limited)

  3. A2Z Home Care Services Limited

    4.9 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Feb 2025Inspected recently
    See details (A2Z Home Care Services Limited)

  4. Marina Homecare Ltd T/A Visiting Angels Barnet and Enfield

    5.9 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £34–£42/hr

    GoodRated Jul 2026Inspected recently
    See details (Marina Homecare Ltd T/A Visiting Angels Barnet and Enfield)

  5. Iris Care Services Limited

    5.9 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Aug 2026Inspected recently
    See details (Iris Care Services Limited)

  6. Sugarman Health and Wellbeing - Watford

    6.1 miles · Dementia, Physical disabilities, Sensory impairments

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Mar 2026Inspected recently
    See details (Sugarman Health and Wellbeing - Watford)

  7. Blueberry Hill Care Limited

    6.6 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Aug 2026Inspected recently
    See details (Blueberry Hill Care Limited)

  8. Barnet Supported Living Service

    6.9 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £34–£42/hr

    GoodRated Apr 2026Inspected recently
    See details (Barnet Supported Living Service)

  9. Realm Staffing Solutions

    2.2 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Aug 2022
    See details (Realm Staffing Solutions)

  10. Nyadowa Care

    3.2 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated May 2022
    See details (Nyadowa Care)

  11. Living Plus Care Services

    4.1 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jul 2022
    See details (Living Plus Care Services)

  12. Your Life (Borehamwood)

    4.5 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jan 2022
    See details (Your Life (Borehamwood))

  13. Luna Care Services

    5.0 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Nov 2021
    See details (Luna Care Services)

  14. Home Instead Cuffley, Cheshunt & Harlow

    5.5 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £33–£40/hr

    GoodRated Nov 2021
    See details (Home Instead Cuffley, Cheshunt & Harlow)

  15. Registered Office

    5.7 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Aug 2023
    See details (Registered Office)

  16. Sarah's Home Care Ltd

    6.1 miles · Dementia, Older people

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Oct 2023
    See details (Sarah's Home Care Ltd)

  17. HF Trust London Barnet

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

    Est. £34–£42/hr

    GoodRated May 2023
    See details (HF Trust London Barnet)

  18. New Shepherd Care Limited

    6.3 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Dec 2021
    See details (New Shepherd Care Limited)

  19. Compassionate Herts Ltd

    6.6 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Dec 2023
    See details (Compassionate Herts Ltd)

  20. Doves Care Agency Ltd

    6.6 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated May 2023
    See details (Doves Care Agency Ltd)

Every agency covering London Colney (154) →

What families ask about respite care in London Colney

Where can I find respite care in London Colney?

CQC does not record which agencies provide respite care. 154 CQC-registered home care agencies have an office within 7 miles of London Colney; 71 are rated Good or Outstanding. Ask each whether it provides respite care.

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 Hertfordshire 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.

Are home care agencies in London Colney well rated?

71 of the 82 rated agencies (87%) are Good or Outstanding; 121 list dementia as a specialism and 15 were inspected or rated in the last two years.

Arranging respite care in London Colney?

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

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