Home care · Kent
Learning disability care at home in Dover
10 of the 22 home care agencies covering Dover offer learning disability care. Among the 9 with a CQC rating, 89% are Good or Outstanding, against 89% for learning disability care across England. 1 is Outstanding. Typical fees here come to about £33.50 an hour for visiting care and £1,610 a week for live-in careestimated. 7 home care agencies were last rated over four years ago. The most recent rating was Scodef Care, rated Requires improvement on 27 April 2026.
Updated 27 October 2026 from the CQC register (Open Government Licence)
In short
- New and changed CQC ratings across Kent, updated every day.
- Good or Outstanding: 8 of the 9 rated agencies, while 1 is rated Inadequate or Requires improvement; 1 is still waiting for a first rating.
- Whatever your savings, Kent council will assess care needs for free.
- For dementia support, 5 have it on their CQC registration.
Citation: "Learning disability care at home in Dover", The Care Panel analysis of CQC register data, Oct 2026.
- 10agencies registered with CQC
- 89%of rated services are Good or Outstanding
- 5offer dementia support
- 1inspected or rated since October 2024
Learning disability care in Dover: providers ranked
Order: CQC rating first, then how recent that rating is, then distance. Our ranking method
- All 22
- Care for adults under 65 · 19
- Elderly care · 18
- Physical disability care · 16
- Mental health care · 15
- Dementia care · 15
- Sensory impairment care · 12
- Learning disability care · 10
- Substance misuse support · 5
- Supported living · 5
- Eating disorder support · 3
| # | Agency | CQC rating | Last rated | Office | Other specialisms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Priory Supported Living Kent | Nov 2022 | under 0.5 miles | 3 | |
| 2 | Inchwater Home Care | Sep 2019 | 0.9 miles | 6 | |
| 3 | Nurse Plus UK - Dover | Sep 2018 | 1.0 miles | 8 | |
| 4 | Bluebird Care Canterbury, Thanet, Folkestone and Dover | Jul 2019 | 1.1 miles | 9 | |
| 5 | Wave Hill | Jul 2019 | 3.8 miles | 5 | |
| 6 | Liberty Lodge Limited | Aug 2019 | 6.6 miles | 5 | |
| 7 | Helping Hands Folkestone | Oct 2021 | 6.6 miles | 5 | |
| 8 | United Response - Kent DCA | Dec 2018 | 6.9 miles | 1 | |
| 9 | Scodef Care | Apr 2026 | 1.0 miles | 4 | |
| 10 | LDC Care Co Supported Living - Birch Tree | Not yet rated | – | under 0.5 miles | 5 |
The full list for learning disability care covering Dover: sorted by CQC rating and rating date, then distance from the town centre.
How learning disability care in Dover compares
CQC lists learning disability care for 10 of the 22 agencies covering Dover, or 45%. England-wide, 89% of agencies registered for learning disability care are Good or Outstanding and here it is 89% (in line with England, 8 points above the 81% for all agencies in the town).
For learning disability care, the top rated agencies are Priory Supported Living Kent, Inchwater Home Care and Nurse Plus UK - Dover. 1 has a rating from the past two years. Oldest: September 2018. Newest: April 2026. 6 have an office within 2 miles of Dover centre. 1 has no rating yet; new registrations usually wait for a first inspection.
Kent as a whole has 186 agencies registered for learning disability care; 89% of the rated ones are Good or Outstanding. Share registered for learning disability care: 45% here, 45% across Kent.
Visiting home care in the South East typically costs about £33.50 an hour on weekdays (more at evenings and weekends); live-in care is around £1,610 a week. Our cost method.
What to expect from learning disability care
Look for a service that starts from what the person wants. Learning disability care helps adults to manage day-to-day tasks, attend health appointments, work, learn and keep friends, and the strongest providers work to CQC's guidance for this kind of support.
Questions worth asking about learning disability care
- How do you support health appointments and annual health checks?
- How do you support communication, including Easy Read or Makaton?
- How do you follow "Right support, right care, right culture"?
- How are families and advocates involved in decisions?
- How do you choose staff who match the person?
Helpline: Mencap Learning Disability Helpline, 0808 808 1111. Learning disability care across Kent.
Where else nearby offers learning disability care
| Nearby town | Distance | Total | Good or Outstanding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dover | – | 10 | 8 |
| Deal | 6.8 mi | 11 | 8 |
| Folkestone | 6.8 mi | 11 | 8 |
| Sandwich | 9.5 mi | 12 | 9 |
| Canterbury | 13.5 mi | 18 | 14 |
| Ramsgate | 14.7 mi | 15 | 12 |
| Broadstairs | 16.5 mi | 14 | 11 |
Council help
Kent
A care needs assessment from Kent council is free whatever your savings. With savings below £23,250, the council may help pay.
Asking Kent for an assessment, and how payment and direct payments work
Free · by email
Free care cost report for Dover
- Typical local prices for home care, overnight and live-in care
- What the council and the NHS may pay, with the 2026/27 savings limits
- The best-rated services near you, from the CQC register
What families want to know about learning disability care in Dover
Which agencies in Dover provide learning disability care?
The CQC register for Oct 2026 shows that 10 of the 22 agencies that have an office within 7 miles of Dover list learning disability care as a specialism. Well-rated choices include Priory Supported Living Kent, Inchwater Home Care and Nurse Plus UK - Dover.
How does CQC rate home care agencies in Dover?
8 (89%) are rated Good or Outstanding, out of 9 with a rating (1 Outstanding). Rated Requires improvement or Inadequate: 1. Not yet rated: 1. That is common for services registered recently.
What does home care cost in Dover?
Usual 2026 prices across England: visiting care around £32–£34 an hour; live-in care around £1,540–£1,610 a week. Ask every agency for a full list of charges, with weekend and bank holiday rates: hourly rates vary more between agencies than between regions. 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. More in our cost guide.
Does Kent council fund home care?
It may. Kent council must offer a free care needs assessment to anyone who appears to need support (Care Act 2014). If savings and investments are below £23,250, the council may contribute after a financial assessment, depending on income, and for care at home the value of the home is not counted. Attendance Allowance is not means-tested. How to contact Kent council.
How do I choose between agencies in Dover?
Read the most recent CQC report and check its date. Here, 1 of 10 was inspected or rated within the last two years; 8 have older reports. Before signing, ask about staff continuity, how they handle missed visits and the full price. Use our checklist.
Are there more learning disability care in towns near Dover?
In Dover there are 10, 8 rated Good or Outstanding. The closest towns on our site are Deal (6.8 miles): 11, 8 rated Good or Outstanding; Folkestone (6.8 miles): 11, 8 rated Good or Outstanding; Sandwich (9.5 miles): 12, 9 rated Good or Outstanding.
Busy? Let us pass your request to providers.
Describe what's needed in one form. We send it to as many as three Dover providers who accept enquiries via The Care Panel, and they email you back.
Learning disability care near Dover
- Learning disability care in Deal 6.8 mi
- Learning disability care in Folkestone 6.8 mi
- Learning disability care in Sandwich 9.5 mi
- Learning disability care in Canterbury 13.5 mi
- Learning disability care in Ramsgate 14.7 mi
- Learning disability care in Broadstairs 16.5 mi
- Learning disability care in Margate 17.2 mi
- Learning disability care in Herne Bay 17.4 mi
Other help in Dover
- Top rated 2026: services rated Outstanding in Kent
- Care homes in Dover (19)
- Also covering St Margaret's at Cliffe, Whitfield
- What to look for in a home care agency
- Who pays for home care
- What CQC ratings mean
- How the council assesses care needs
Shortlisted a few? Find out start dates and prices.
Two questions, no cost, shared only with the providers you choose
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.