24-Hour Care in Barking and Dagenham: Costs, Funding and 159 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 £1,300–£1,800 a week; a waking night £240–£320; a sleeping night £190–£230; a residential care home £1,615 a week.

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.

Help paying for 24-hour care

The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham 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 the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham for an assessment.

Home care in Barking and Dagenham by the numbers

Of Barking and Dagenham and the 6 nearest towns we cover, Barking and Dagenham ranks 6th for the share of all listed agencies rated Good or Outstanding (45%); Havering is highest at 57%. The oldest current rating dates from October 2017 (A & D Hammonds Ltd). The newest registration is Miles Care Limited, registered with CQC in October 2026. 88% of rated agencies covering Barking and Dagenham are Good or Outstanding, compared with 89% of those rated among the 2,453 we list across London. Registered specialisms here: 134 of 159 list physical disabilities, 85 of 159 list learning disabilities and 103 of 159 list mental health conditions. 133 of the 159 agencies (84%) list dementia as a specialism, against 81% across London.

How much 24-hour care costs in Barking and Dagenham

Prices typically seen in London in 2026
Visiting care	£30–£40 an hour
Sleeping night	£190–£230
Waking night	£240–£320
Live-in care	£1,300–£1,800 a week

What London Borough of Barking and Dagenham pays providers: £22.85 an hour for home care (2025/26 average paid to agencies); £1,063 a week for residential care (2025/26 average, over-65s); £1,056.66 a week for nursing care (2025/26 average, over-65s) (source).

The Homecare Association puts the minimum sustainable price for council-funded home care in England at £34.42 an hour for 2026/27. Check what you would pay · Weekly cost calculator

Your questions on 24-hour care in Barking and Dagenham

Which agencies provide 24-hour care in Barking and Dagenham?

The CQC register does not show who offers 24-hour care. There are 159 registered agencies that are based in the borough of Barking and Dagenham, 72 of them rated Good or Outstanding, so ask each one.

How much does 24-hour care cost in Barking and Dagenham?

Prices typically seen in London in 2026: live-in care typically costs £1,300–£1,800 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 the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham'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 Barking and Dagenham have?

CQC rates 72 of 82 as Good or Outstanding, or 88%. Recent evidence: 26 rated or inspected in two years. Dementia specialists: 133.

Need 24-hour care in Barking and Dagenham?

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

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More about care in Barking and Dagenham

Nearby towns for 24-hour care

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24-hour care in Greenwich 4.2 mi
24-hour care in Havering 4.3 mi
24-hour care in Chigwell 5.4 mi
24-hour care in Bexley 5.6 mi
24-hour care in Waltham Forest 6.1 mi

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24-hour care in Barking and Dagenham