24-Hour Care in Hartley: Costs, Funding and 158 Local Agencies (Oct 2026)

Live-in care or waking nights?

Live-in care is usually the most affordable way to have someone there day and night: one carer lives in, but needs about two hours off each day and an unbroken night's sleep. Waking nights put a carer in the home who stays awake all night; combined with daytime visits, that covers all 24 hours. If help is needed most nights, one live-in carer is not enough: add waking nights or a second carer.

Typical local prices: live-in care around £1,540–£1,610 a week; a residential care home £1,555 a week.

Help paying for 24-hour care

Kent council must offer a free care needs assessment; if it finds eligible needs by day and night, care at home can be part of a council care plan, and the value of the home is not counted for care at home. Attendance Allowance pays its higher rate of £114.60 a week to people over State Pension age who need help both day and night, whatever their savings. When the main need is a health need, NHS Continuing Healthcare may pay in full. Asking Kent council for an assessment.

When 24-hour care is needed

Families usually look for it after a hospital stay, when dementia means someone cannot be left alone or wanders at night, after repeated falls, or at the end of life. A care home is the alternative to compare: for one person it often costs less than staffing every hour at home, but many people want to stay in their own home.

What the register shows for Hartley

At 89% Good or Outstanding, Hartley sits above the Kent figure of 80% (from 831 agencies). Ratings are more recent than average here: 12% of agencies have one less than two years old, compared with 9% across Kent. Kent has 11 Outstanding agencies, none of them covering Hartley. Of Hartley and the 6 nearest towns we cover, Hartley ranks 4th for the share of all listed agencies rated Good or Outstanding (39%); Grays is highest at 41%. The share registered for dementia is 80% in Hartley (126 of 158) and 77% across Kent. Oldest rating on the list: Kent Enablement at Home, January 2018. Most recent to register: MCK Support (July 2026). On their CQC registrations, 134 of 158 list physical disabilities, 77 of 158 list learning disabilities and 95 of 158 list mental health conditions.

How much 24-hour care costs in Hartley

Prices typically seen across England in 2026
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).

The gap between agencies is bigger than the gap between regions. Ask for prices in writing, and check what weekends and bank holidays cost. 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. Estimate the weekly cost or see what you might pay

Questions about 24-hour care in Hartley

Which agencies provide 24-hour care in Hartley?

CQC does not record which agencies provide 24-hour care. 158 CQC-registered home care agencies have an office within 7 miles of Hartley; 62 are rated Good or Outstanding. Ask each whether it provides 24-hour care.

How much does 24-hour care cost in Hartley?

Prices typically seen across England in 2026: live-in care typically costs around £1,540–£1,610 a week. Covering every hour with separate day and night carers costs much more, because each hour is paid.

Is 24-hour care the same as live-in care?

Not quite. A live-in carer is there day and night but needs a daily break and a full night's sleep. If help is needed through the night most nights, true 24-hour care means adding waking nights or a second carer.

Can the council pay for 24-hour care at home?

It can, if Kent council's care needs assessment finds eligible needs by day and night and care at home is a suitable way to meet them. A financial assessment follows; for care at home the home is not counted. NHS Continuing Healthcare pays in full when the main need is a health need.

What CQC ratings do agencies covering Hartley have?

CQC rates 62 of 70 as Good or Outstanding, or 89%. Recent evidence: 21 rated or inspected in two years. Dementia specialists: 126.

Need 24-hour care in Hartley?

One short form: featured partners and a maximum of three rated agencies working with us will contact you directly by email.

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Provider details from the Care Quality Commission register, updated Oct 2026. Contains CQC data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. The Care Panel is not a care provider.

24-hour care in Hartley