24-Hour Care in Sittingbourne: Costs, Funding and 41 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.

Sittingbourne's agencies in figures

Outstanding ratings: 1 covering Sittingbourne, 11 across Kent. Counting all listed agencies, not only rated ones, Sittingbourne (39% Good or Outstanding) is 3rd out of 7 local towns, led by Faversham (65%). Across Kent we list 831 agencies, and 80% of those rated are Good or Outstanding; covering Sittingbourne the figure is 70%. Across Kent, 9% of agencies have a rating under two years old; covering Sittingbourne it is 12%. Most recent to register: Anderson M Care Services Ltd (July 2026). On their CQC registrations, 29 of 41 list physical disabilities, 19 of 41 list learning disabilities and 23 of 41 list mental health conditions. The share registered for dementia is 76% in Sittingbourne (31 of 41) and 77% across Kent. Oldest rating on the list: Kent Enablement at Home, June 2018.

Paying for 24-hour care in Sittingbourne: typical prices

Typical 2026 prices across England
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).

Hourly rates vary between agencies more than between regions; ask each agency for its full price list, including weekend and bank holiday rates. 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. Estimate the weekly cost or see what you might pay

What families ask about 24-hour care in Sittingbourne

Which agencies provide 24-hour care in Sittingbourne?

41 agencies on the CQC register have an office within 7 miles of Sittingbourne, and 16 hold a Good or Outstanding rating. Which of them provide 24-hour care is not recorded by CQC: ask them.

How much does 24-hour care cost in Sittingbourne?

Typical 2026 prices across England: 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 Sittingbourne have?

CQC rates 16 of 23 as Good or Outstanding, or 70%. Recent evidence: 6 rated or inspected in two years. Dementia specialists: 31.

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24-hour care around Sittingbourne

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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.

24-hour care in Sittingbourne