Home care · Lancashire

Home help in Lancaster

Home help covers the everyday jobs that get harder with age: cleaning, laundry, shopping, cooking, errands and a bit of company, so someone can keep living independently at home. Compare the 36 CQC-registered agencies covering Lancaster and ask which of them provide it.

CQC register data as of 27 October 2026 · Prices: Typical prices across England in 2026

Our editorial team checked this guide before publishing. How we make money · Editorial policy

Key points

  • Agencies that have an office within 7 miles of Lancaster: 36, with 30 rated Good or Outstanding.
  • A care needs assessment from Lancashire council costs nothing.
  • 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.
  • Ask each agency about home help; the CQC register has no record of who provides it.

To cite: "Home help in Lancaster", The Care Panel, Oct 2026, from CQC register analysis.

Home help: the usual tasks

  • Cleaning, laundry, ironing and changing beds
  • Shopping and collecting prescriptions
  • Preparing meals
  • Post, bills and appointments
  • Company and trips out

Washing, dressing and medication are personal care, which must come from a CQC-registered home care agency.

How people pay for home help

Most people pay privately, by the hour. Lancashire council can fund practical help only where it is part of meeting eligible needs after an assessment, which housework alone rarely is. Many older people use Attendance Allowance to cover it. More: home help for the elderly and the difference between home help and home care.

Who provides home help

Choose a home care agency if personal care may be needed later, because the same carers can take it on. For housework alone, a cleaner or a local help-at-home scheme may cost less, though these are not CQC-regulated. Ask local charities and Lancashire council what low-cost services exist. Asking Lancashire council for an assessment.

Lancaster's agencies in figures

3 are rated Outstanding here, out of 10 across Lancashire. Garstang has the highest share of listed agencies rated Good or Outstanding nearby (100%); Lancaster, at 83%, is 2nd of the 7 towns compared. 97% of rated agencies covering Lancaster are Good or Outstanding, compared with 94% of those rated among the 557 we list across Lancashire. Two-year-old ratings or newer: 25% covering Lancaster, 14% across Lancashire. The newest registration is SureCare Lancaster & South Lakes, registered with CQC in July 2026. Looking at specialisms, 26 of 36 list physical disabilities, 18 of 36 list learning disabilities and 16 of 36 list mental health conditions. 22 of the 36 agencies (61%) list dementia as a specialism, against 76% across Lancashire. The oldest current rating dates from July 2018 (YourLife (Lancaster)).

Home help prices in Lancaster

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

What Lancashire County Council pays providers: £23.74 an hour for home care (2025/26 average paid to agencies); £789.93 a week for residential care (2025/26 average, over-65s); £887.20 a week for nursing care (2025/26 average, over-65s) (source).

Agencies differ more than regions do on hourly rates, so request a complete tariff from each one, covering weekends and bank holidays too. 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. Check what you would pay · Weekly cost calculator

Home care agencies in and around Lancaster

Ask each agency whether it provides home help. Ranked by CQC rating and how recent it is, then distance.

  1. Westmorland Homecare - Lancaster & Morecambe

    under 0.5 miles · Dementia, Older people, Sensory impairments

    Est. £32–£39/hr

    OutstandingRated Sep 2022
    View profile (Westmorland Homecare - Lancaster & Morecambe)

  2. Pebble Healthcare

    5.7 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £32–£39/hr

    OutstandingRated Aug 2022
    View profile (Pebble Healthcare)

  3. Lancaster & Morecambe Domiciliary Service

    under 0.5 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Oct 2025Inspected recently
    View profile (Lancaster & Morecambe Domiciliary Service)

  4. Fembistem Care

    under 0.5 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Apr 2025Inspected recently
    View profile (Fembistem Care)

  5. Affinity Supporting People (North Lancashire and Burnley)

    0.5 miles · Older people, Physical disabilities, Sensory impairments

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Sep 2026Inspected recently
    View profile (Affinity Supporting People (North Lancashire and Burnley))

  6. Longcroft

    0.8 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jul 2025Inspected recently
    View profile (Longcroft)

  7. Lifeline Carers PVT Limited

    1.6 miles · Older people, Adults under 65

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Apr 2026Inspected recently
    View profile (Lifeline Carers PVT Limited)

  8. Salutem Supported Living North

    1.6 miles · Older people, Physical disabilities, Sensory impairments

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Apr 2026Inspected recently
    View profile (Salutem Supported Living North)

  9. Creative Support - Morecambe Service

    2.8 miles · Mental health conditions, Learning disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Sep 2025Inspected recently
    View profile (Creative Support - Morecambe Service)

  10. Holywell Care Services (Morecambe)

    3.6 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Oct 2026Inspected recently
    View profile (Holywell Care Services (Morecambe))

  11. Coastal Care Agency

    5.3 miles · Older people, Adults under 65

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Sep 2026Inspected recently
    View profile (Coastal Care Agency)

  12. Crisis North

    under 0.5 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Sep 2023
    View profile (Crisis North)

  13. Home Instead Senior Care Lancaster

    under 0.5 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £33–£40/hr

    GoodRated Sep 2022
    View profile (Home Instead Senior Care Lancaster)

  14. Rushley House Retirement Home

    2.0 miles · Older people

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Mar 2022
    View profile (Rushley House Retirement Home)

  15. Moral Care Limited

    3.3 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Feb 2023
    View profile (Moral Care Limited)

  16. Delight Supported Living Ltd

    3.3 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jun 2022
    View profile (Delight Supported Living Ltd)

  17. Haven Group Offices

    3.8 miles · Older people, Physical disabilities, Sensory impairments

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jan 2024
    View profile (Haven Group Offices)

  18. Origin Spinal Injury Care

    under 0.5 miles · Older people, Physical disabilities, Sensory impairments

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Oct 2018
    View profile (Origin Spinal Injury Care)

  19. Has 2 be Happy Care

    under 0.5 miles · Dementia, Physical disabilities, Sensory impairments

    Est. £32–£39/hr

    OutstandingRated Apr 2019
    View profile (Has 2 be Happy Care)

  20. 1st for Care (GB) Ltd

    under 0.5 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Oct 2019
    View profile (1st for Care (GB) Ltd)

All 36 home care agencies covering Lancaster →

What families ask about home help in Lancaster

Which agencies provide home help in Lancaster?

CQC does not record which agencies provide home help. 36 CQC-registered home care agencies have an office within 7 miles of Lancaster; 30 are rated Good or Outstanding. Ask each whether it provides home help.

What does home help cost in Lancaster?

Home help is usually charged by the hour, at or a little below the local rate for visiting care. Ask each agency for its hourly rate, minimum visit length and any weekend charges in writing.

Can I get home help from the council?

Sometimes, if Lancashire council's care needs assessment finds eligible needs and practical help is part of meeting them. Help with housework alone often does not qualify, so many people use Attendance Allowance, which is not means-tested, to pay privately.

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.

What CQC ratings do agencies covering Lancaster have?

CQC rates 30 of 31 as Good or Outstanding, or 97%. Recent evidence: 9 rated or inspected in two years. Dementia specialists: 22.

Home help in Lancaster: ask who can help

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Register information from CQC as at Oct 2026; Open Government Licence v3.0 applies. We do not deliver care ourselves.

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