Home care · Kent
Home care in Folkestone
There are 22 home care agencies on the CQC register covering Folkestone. CQC has rated 16 of them, and 81% are Good or Outstanding, next to 82% across Kent and 88% across England; 2 are Outstanding. We estimate typical fees here at about £33.50 an hour for visiting care and £1,610 a week for live-in careestimated. 10 home care agencies have a rating more than four years old and 2 registered with CQC within the past two years. On 30 October 2026, Home Instead Senior Care was rated Good, the newest rating here.
Data: the CQC register, updated 27 October 2026, under the Open Government Licence
The short version
- Dementia is a registered specialism for 15.
- 13 of the 16 rated agencies are Good or Outstanding, 3 are rated Requires improvement or Inadequate; 6 are still waiting for a first rating.
- Latest CQC rating changes in Kent, checked daily.
- Whatever your savings, Kent council will assess care needs for free.
Reference this page as: The Care Panel, "Home care in Folkestone", Oct 2026, based on the CQC register.
- 22CQC-registered agencies
- 81%rated Good or Outstanding (of those rated)
- 15support people with dementia
- 5inspected or rated in the last 2 years
| Care | Folkestone | South East | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visiting care, an hour | £33.50 | £33.50 | £33.50 |
| Live-in care, a week | £1,610 | £1,610 | £1,610 |
Home care agencies covering Folkestone
Highest CQC rating first; ties go to the more recent rating, then the nearer provider. How the list is ordered
OutstandingGoodRequires improvementInadequateNot yet ratedMap © OpenFreeMap © OpenStreetMap
- All 22
- Care for adults under 65 · 19
- Elderly care · 18
- Physical disability care · 15
- Mental health care · 15
- Dementia care · 15
- Sensory impairment care · 12
- Learning disability care · 11
- Supported living · 7
- Eating disorder support · 4
- Substance misuse support · 4
Folkestone Home Care
What inspectors found: We gathered feedback through speaking to the provider, staff, people and relatives over the phone.
Est. £32–£39/hr
Home Instead Senior Care
What inspectors found: Instead, our findings focus on any areas where the service needs to improve or where we found exceptional practice.
Est. £33–£40/hr
Meritum Integrated Care LLP (Folkestone)
What inspectors found: The assessment took place from 06 November 2024 to 26 November 2024.
Est. £30–£37/hr
Beech Tree Total Care – Dover and Hythe
What inspectors found: People told us they felt safe having carers support them in their own homes.
Est. £30–£37/hr
Priory Supported Living Kent
What inspectors found: Some documentation lacked information and specific detail.
Est. £30–£37/hr
United Response - Kent DCA
What inspectors found: It provides a service to a range of people including adults who have learning disabilities, physical disabilities and mental health needs.
Est. £30–£37/hr
Liberty Lodge Limited
What inspectors found: People enjoyed living at the service and had done for a number of years.
Est. £30–£37/hr
Camelot Lodge
What inspectors found: Camelot Lodge also oversees a small supported living service.
Est. £30–£37/hr
Helping Hands Folkestone
What inspectors found: People told us they felt safe and staff knew how to protect people from abuse and avoidable harm.
Est. £29–£35/hr
Papillon Home Care
What inspectors found: People told us staff supported them to stay happy and well.
Est. £30–£37/hr
Chameleon Care Ltd (Dover)
Est. £30–£37/hr
Royal Care Dover
Est. £30–£37/hr
Inchwater Home Care
What inspectors found: People, their relatives, staff and health and social care professionals continued to be consistently positive about the service.
Est. £34–£42/hr
Scodef Care
What inspectors found: Not everyone who used the service received the regulated activity of personal care.
Est. £30–£37/hr
Expertise Homecare (South East Coast)
What inspectors found: People spoke positively about how well they were treated by staff and praised the agency.
Est. £30–£37/hr
Hawkinge House
What inspectors found: At the last inspection people and their relatives told us that communication was poor.
Est. £30–£37/hr
Channel Community Care Ltd
Est. £29–£36/hr
Private Homecare Kent Ltd
Est. £29–£36/hr
PFC Care Ltd
Est. £29–£36/hr
Vibrant Care Home Dover
Est. £29–£36/hr
HF Trust Hythe
What inspectors found: We undertook the assessment as the provider had been in Special Measures since 27 July 2023 with breaches of regulation.
Est. £29–£36/hr
LDC Care Co Supported Living - Birch Tree
Est. £29–£36/hr
Distance is from Folkestone centre to the agency's office. Agencies travel to clients, so check they cover your street.
Dementia care at home in Folkestone
15 of the 22 agencies covering Folkestone are registered with CQC to support people living with dementia, and 8 of those are rated Good or Outstanding. Compare the 15 registered for dementia.
What home care costs in Folkestone
| Visiting care | around £32–£34 an hour |
|---|---|
| Live-in care | around £1,540–£1,610 a week |
Kent County Council's own rates: £28.05 an hour for home care (2025/26 average paid to agencies); £1,186.81 a week for residential care (2025/26 average, over-65s); £1,378 a week for nursing care (2025/26 average, over-65s) (source). Choosing a provider that charges more usually means paying the difference as a top-up.
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. Work out your weekly cost or ask local providers for their prices.
Council support
Kent
Savings under £23,250? Kent council may help with the cost, and its care needs assessment is free for everyone.
How to ask for an assessment, paying for care and direct payments in Kent
24-hour, overnight and live-in care in Folkestone
Round-the-clock care at home is arranged in one of two ways: live-in care, where one carer lives in and has a daily break and a proper night's sleep, or daytime visits plus waking nights, where a second carer stays awake all night. Typical prices: Live-in care around £1,540–£1,610 a week. CQC does not record which agencies provide it, so ask each one.
What the numbers say about Folkestone
15 of the 22 agencies (68%) list dementia as a specialism, against 77% across Kent. The oldest current rating dates from February 2018 (Camelot Lodge). The newest registration is Private Homecare Kent Ltd, registered with CQC in March 2025. Registered specialisms here: 15 of 22 list physical disabilities, 11 of 22 list learning disabilities and 15 of 22 list mental health conditions. Compare Folkestone's 81% Good or Outstanding with 80% for the rated agencies among the 831 we list in Kent. 18% of agencies covering Folkestone have a CQC rating from the last two years, against 10% across Kent. 2 are rated Outstanding here, out of 11 across Kent. No nearby town we list has a higher share of its listed agencies rated Good or Outstanding than Folkestone (59%); Dover follows at 59%.
Providers behind the agencies covering Folkestone
- Meritum Integrated Care LLP 1 in this list
- Cera Care 1 in this list
- Priory Group 1 in this list
- United Response 1 in this list
- ACL Homes Plus Limited 1 in this list
- Midshires Care Limited 1 in this list
- Chameleon Care Limited 1 in this list
- Sreevijay Ltd 1 in this list
- Home Instead 1 in this list
- Scodef Ltd 1 in this list
- Deer Capital 1 in this list
- Private Homecare Kent Ltd 1 in this list
- Faseha Healthcare Recruitment Ltd 1 in this list
- HF Trust Limited 1 in this list
- LDC Care Company Ltd 1 in this list
Recently inspected
CQC's latest published ratings for agencies covering Folkestone, newest first.
Folkestone and the towns around it
| Place | How far | Agencies | Rated Good or Outstanding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Folkestone | – | 22 | 13 |
| Dover | 6.8 mi | 22 | 13 |
| Deal | 13.4 mi | 19 | 10 |
| Ashford | 13.6 mi | 33 | 12 |
| Canterbury | 13.9 mi | 41 | 20 |
| Sandwich | 15.0 mi | 28 | 15 |
Agencies with an office within 7 miles of each town. Many cover several towns.
Free · by email
Free care cost report for Folkestone
- 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
Common questions about home care in Folkestone
Home care in Folkestone: how many agencies are there?
As of Oct 2026, the CQC register lists 22 home care agencies that have an office within 7 miles of Folkestone. Among the highest rated are Folkestone Home Care, Home Instead Senior Care and Meritum Integrated Care LLP (Folkestone).
How are home care agencies in Folkestone rated by CQC?
CQC has rated 16. Of those, 13 (81%) are Good or Outstanding, including 2 Outstanding, while 3 are rated below Good. 6 are awaiting a first rating, as is usual for new registrations.
How much should I expect to pay for home care in Folkestone?
Prices typically seen across England in 2026: visiting care around £32–£34 an hour; live-in care around £1,540–£1,610 a week. 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. Our cost guide has more detail.
Can Kent council help pay for home care?
Possibly. Under the Care Act 2014, Kent council has a duty to assess, free of charge, anyone who seems to need care and support. After a means test, the council may pay towards care when savings and investments total less than £23,250, depending on income; your home's value is ignored for care at home. Attendance Allowance does not depend on savings or income. Contacting Kent council.
How can I pick between agencies in Folkestone?
Check how recent each CQC report is first: 5 of the 22 on this page were inspected or rated in the past two years, while 11 have older reports. Next ask three things: will staff be consistent, what happens about missed visits, and what is the full price? Our checklist.
What about home care agencies in towns near Folkestone?
Folkestone has 22, with 13 rated Good or Outstanding. Nearby: Dover (6.8 miles): 22, 13 rated Good or Outstanding; Deal (13.4 miles): 19, 10 rated Good or Outstanding; Ashford (13.6 miles): 33, 12 rated Good or Outstanding.
Short on time? We'll pass on your request.
One short form is all it takes: featured partners and a maximum of three rated providers in the Folkestone area who work with us will email you directly.
Other towns near Folkestone
- Home care in Dover 6.8 mi
- Home care in Deal 13.4 mi
- Home care in Ashford 13.6 mi
- Home care in Canterbury 13.9 mi
- Home care in Sandwich 15.0 mi
- Home care in Whitstable 19.4 mi
- Home care in Herne Bay 19.6 mi
- Home care in Faversham 20.0 mi
Also in Folkestone, and guides
- Home care after hospital in Folkestone
- Live-in care in Folkestone
- Overnight care in Folkestone
- 24-hour care in Folkestone
- Respite care in Folkestone
- Home help in Folkestone
- Help paying for care in Kent
- Best rated home care agencies in Kent
- What home care costs across England in 2026, by region and council
- Kent's Outstanding-rated services (2026)
- Care homes in Folkestone (31)
- Preparing for a care needs assessment
- Understanding CQC ratings
- Funding home care: who pays
- Choosing a home care agency
Agencies listed above also cover Hawkinge, Hythe.
Nearby postcodes
- CT20 5
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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.