Home care · Hertfordshire
Respite care in Oaklands
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. Below are the 108 CQC-registered agencies that cover Oaklands; ask each whether it offers this.
Agencies from the CQC register, updated 27 October 2026. Prices: Prices typically seen across England in 2026
Key points
- 108 home care agencies registered with CQC have an office within 7 miles of Oaklands, and 52 of them hold a Good or Outstanding rating.
- Ask Hertfordshire council for a care needs assessment, which is free, plus a carer's assessment of its own for whoever looks after them.
- Ask each agency about respite care; the CQC register has no record of who provides it.
- At home, respite is usually billed at the normal visiting rate, about around £32–£34 an hour. A short stay in one of the 9 local care homes is charged by the week.
Reference this page as: The Care Panel, "Respite care in Oaklands", Oct 2026, based on the CQC register.
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. Oaklands has 9 care homes registered with CQC, so ask which of them offer short stays. Or there are day centres run by charities or the council.
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.
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 Hertfordshire 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 Hertfordshire council for an assessment.
Home care in Oaklands by the numbers
84 of the 108 agencies (78%) list dementia as a specialism, against 78% across Hertfordshire. The oldest current rating dates from April 2018 (Lead Care Services Limited). The newest registration is Journey Up Ltd, registered with CQC in October 2026. Looking at specialisms, 85 of 108 list physical disabilities, 53 of 108 list learning disabilities and 64 of 108 list mental health conditions. Compare Oaklands's 87% Good or Outstanding with 87% for the rated agencies among the 981 we list in Hertfordshire. 6% of agencies covering Oaklands have a CQC rating from the last two years, against 8% across Hertfordshire. 4 are rated Outstanding here, out of 11 across Hertfordshire. Hertford has the highest share of listed agencies rated Good or Outstanding nearby (63%); Oaklands, at 48%, is 5th of the 7 towns compared.
How much respite care costs in Oaklands
| Visiting care | around £32–£34 an hour |
|---|---|
| Live-in care | around £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).
The gap between agencies is bigger than the gap between regions. Ask for prices in writing, and check what weekends and bank holidays cost. 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. Tools: weekly cost calculator and what would we pay?
Home care agencies that cover Oaklands
Ranked on CQC rating, its date and then distance. Ask each one about respite care.
Look Ahead Domiciliary Care (Hertfordshire)
Est. £30–£37/hr
Blueberry Hill Care Limited
Est. £30–£37/hr
Destiny Support Care
Est. £30–£37/hr
Medow Care Services Limited
Est. £30–£37/hr
Bluebird Care (East Hertfordshire)
Est. £32–£39/hr
YourLife (Knebworth)
Est. £30–£37/hr
Shadz Care
Est. £30–£37/hr
Jubilee Domiciliary Care Agency
Est. £30–£37/hr
Taks Healthcare Services
Est. £30–£37/hr
Rainbow Care Solutions (Hertfordshire)
Est. £30–£37/hr
Bridgecare Solutions Ltd
Est. £30–£37/hr
Sandton Healthcare Limited
Est. £30–£37/hr
Fortis Care Hertfordshire
Est. £30–£37/hr
Greenleaves Homecare Services Limited
Est. £30–£37/hr
Heriitage Care Ltd
Est. £30–£37/hr
Serve Homecare
Est. £30–£37/hr
GJU Services Limited
Est. £30–£37/hr
Stevenage
Est. £30–£37/hr
Helping Hands Hertford
Est. £29–£35/hr
Living Plus Care Services
Est. £30–£37/hr
Your questions on respite care in Oaklands
Which home care agencies offer respite care in Oaklands?
108 agencies on the CQC register have an office within 7 miles of Oaklands, and 52 hold a Good or Outstanding rating. Which of them provide respite care is not recorded by CQC: ask them.
Is respite care ever free?
Sometimes. Ask Hertfordshire council for a carer's assessment: if you are eligible, the council can arrange or fund breaks. Charities and carers' centres also run free or low-cost sitting services.
How much notice do care homes need for respite?
Some homes do not hold rooms for short stays, so ask early. Aim for several weeks ahead, and longer for school holiday periods.
How are agencies covering Oaklands rated?
Of 60 agencies with a CQC rating, 52 (87%) are Good or Outstanding. Dementia is a specialism for 84, and 7 have a rating or inspection from the past two years.
Need respite care in Oaklands?
One short form: a maximum of three agencies working with us will contact you directly by email.
More about care in Oaklands
Nearby towns for respite care
- Respite care in Welwyn 1.3 mi
- Respite care in Welwyn Garden City 3.1 mi
- Respite care in Stevenage 4.5 mi
- Respite care in Hertford 5.7 mi
- Respite care in Hatfield 5.9 mi
- Respite care in Harpenden 7.0 mi
- Respite care in Ware 7.2 mi
- Respite care in Hitchin 8.1 mi
Built from the Care Quality Commission's register (Oct 2026) under Open Government Licence v3.0. The Care Panel lists and compares services but runs none.