Home care · Kent

Home help in Tonbridge

Help with housework, shopping, meals and errands, often alongside a chat and a cup of tea: that is home help, and it keeps many older people independent for longer. Compare the 35 CQC-registered agencies covering Tonbridge and ask which of them provide it.

Updated 27 October 2026 (CQC register) · Prices: Typical 2026 prices across England

Written and checked by The Care Panel editorial team. Editorial policy and corrections · How we make money

In short

  • 35 CQC-registered home care agencies have an office within 7 miles of Tonbridge; 17 are rated Good or Outstanding.
  • Kent council must offer a free care needs assessment.
  • Home help is usually charged by the hour; visiting care here typically costs around £32–£34 an hour, and housework-only help can cost a little less.
  • The CQC register does not say who provides home help: ask the agencies directly.

Cite this: The Care Panel, "Home help in Tonbridge", analysis of the CQC register, Oct 2026.

What home help includes

Typical tasks are cleaning and tidying, laundry and ironing, changing beds, food shopping and collecting prescriptions, preparing meals, help with post and bills, and getting out to appointments or the shops. Many people also value the company. Home help does not include personal care such as washing, dressing or help with medication: for that you need a home care agency registered with the Care Quality Commission.

Paying for home help

Home help is usually charged by the hour, at or just below the rate for visiting care. Kent council may include practical help in a care plan if a care needs assessment finds eligible needs, though help with housework alone often does not qualify. Attendance Allowance, which is not means-tested, is often used to pay for it. See home help for the elderly and home help vs home care.

Agency, cleaner or council?

Many home care agencies in Tonbridge provide home help as well as personal care, which is useful if needs grow. A cleaner or a local "home help" service can be cheaper for housework alone, but is not regulated by CQC. Some councils and charities run low-cost help-at-home or shopping services. Requesting an assessment from Kent council.

Tonbridge's agencies in figures

One rating goes back to November 2017: Hale Place Farmhouse. Ask what has changed since. In Tonbridge, 77% of agencies support people with dementia (27 of 35); the Kent figure is 77%. On their CQC registrations, 31 of 35 list physical disabilities, 14 of 35 list learning disabilities and 17 of 35 list mental health conditions. CQC registered Butler Healthcare Support in July 2025, the newest on this list. 14% of agencies covering Tonbridge have a CQC rating from the last two years, against 10% across Kent. Compare Tonbridge's 74% Good or Outstanding with 80% for the rated agencies among the 831 we list in Kent. Ranked against the 6 closest towns on our site by the share of every listed agency that is rated Good or Outstanding, Tonbridge comes 5th of 7 (51%), with Edenbridge top at 61%. Kent has 11 Outstanding agencies in total; covering Tonbridge the figure is 3.

What home help costs in Tonbridge

Typical 2026 prices across England
Visiting carearound £32–£34 an hour
Live-in carearound £1,540–£1,610 a week

Council rates in Kent County Council: £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. According to the Homecare Association, councils across England should pay no less than £34.42 an hour for home care in 2026/27 if it is to be sustainable. Source: Lottie Care Index, Q3 2026. Work out a weekly cost · What would we pay?

Home care agencies serving Tonbridge

Check with each agency that it offers home help. Order: CQC rating, then how recent, then distance.

  1. Inspire Care Agencies Limited

    0.7 miles · Older people, Physical disabilities, Sensory impairments

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated May 2025Inspected recently
    See details (Inspire Care Agencies Limited)

  2. Your Life (Tunbridge Wells)

    4.0 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Sep 2026Inspected recently
    See details (Your Life (Tunbridge Wells))

  3. Head Office

    1.5 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jan 2022
    See details (Head Office)

  4. Care at Home Services (South East) Limited – Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells and South West Kent

    3.2 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jun 2022
    See details (Care at Home Services (South East) Limited – Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells and South West Kent)

  5. MidCo Care Kent

    4.7 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated May 2022
    See details (MidCo Care Kent)

  6. Hever Care Limited

    4.7 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jul 2023
    See details (Hever Care Limited)

  7. Welcome Support

    5.0 miles · Older people, Physical disabilities, Learning disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jan 2023
    See details (Welcome Support)

  8. Consultus Care And Nursing Ltd

    under 0.5 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Feb 2019
    See details (Consultus Care And Nursing Ltd)

  9. All About Home Care (Kent)

    under 0.5 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £32–£39/hr

    OutstandingRated Mar 2020
    See details (All About Home Care (Kent))

  10. Allerton C&S SE

    0.6 miles · Mental health conditions, Learning disabilities, Adults under 65

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Aug 2021
    See details (Allerton C&S SE)

  11. My Homecare West Kent

    0.6 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated May 2019
    See details (My Homecare West Kent)

  12. SAP Care Services Limited

    0.7 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Dec 2017
    See details (SAP Care Services Limited)

  13. Audley Care - Audley Care Willicombe Park

    4.3 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jan 2020
    See details (Audley Care - Audley Care Willicombe Park)

  14. Aspens Supported Living & Outreach (Kent)

    4.5 miles · Older people, Learning disabilities, Adults under 65

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Sep 2018
    See details (Aspens Supported Living & Outreach (Kent))

  15. Helping Hands Tunbridge Wells

    4.5 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £29–£35/hr

    GoodRated Jan 2020
    See details (Helping Hands Tunbridge Wells)

  16. Home Instead Tunbridge Wells, Sevenoaks & Edenbridge

    4.7 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £34–£42/hr

    OutstandingRated Jun 2020
    See details (Home Instead Tunbridge Wells, Sevenoaks & Edenbridge)

  17. Hale Place Farmhouse

    5.0 miles · Dementia, Older people

    Est. £32–£39/hr

    OutstandingRated Nov 2017
    See details (Hale Place Farmhouse)

  18. Caremark Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge and Malling

    3.3 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    Requires improvementRated Aug 2026Inspected recently
    See details (Caremark Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge and Malling)

  19. Enabling Care for You Limited Head Office

    3.6 miles · Dementia, Physical disabilities, Sensory impairments

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    Requires improvementRated Jun 2023
    See details (Enabling Care for You Limited Head Office)

  20. Birchwood Care Services

    3.7 miles · Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    Requires improvementRated May 2023
    See details (Birchwood Care Services)

Every agency covering Tonbridge (35) →

What families ask about home help in Tonbridge

Where can I find home help in Tonbridge?

Ask each agency: CQC keeps no record of who provides home help. Of the 35 registered agencies that have an office within 7 miles of Tonbridge, 17 are rated Good or Outstanding.

How much does home help cost in Tonbridge?

Expect an hourly charge close to the local visiting care rate, sometimes slightly less for housework only. Check the minimum visit length and weekend rates before you book.

Does the council pay for home help?

Only as part of meeting eligible needs after an assessment by Kent council; housework on its own rarely qualifies. Attendance Allowance, which ignores savings, is often used to pay for home help.

Is home help the same as home care?

No. Home help is practical help with housework, shopping and errands. Home care, or personal care, includes help with washing, dressing, eating and medication, and must be provided by an agency registered with the Care Quality Commission.

Are home care agencies in Tonbridge well rated?

17 of the 23 rated agencies (74%) are Good or Outstanding; 27 list dementia as a specialism and 5 were inspected or rated in the last two years.

Arranging home help in Tonbridge?

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CQC register data (Oct 2026), reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. The Care Panel is independent of every provider listed.

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