Home care · London
Live-in care in Wandsworth
Instead of moving into a care home, some people have a trained carer living with them, providing help by day and by night: that is live-in care. Below are the 40 CQC-registered agencies that cover Wandsworth; ask each whether it offers this.
Updated 19 October 2026 (CQC register) · Prices: Prices typically seen in London in 2026
The short version
- 40 home care agencies registered with CQC are based in the borough of Wandsworth, and 28 of them hold a Good or Outstanding rating.
- Ask the London Borough of Wandsworth for a care needs assessment, which is free.
- Expect live-in care to cost about £1,300–£1,800 a week; a residential care home is £1,456 a week (prices typically seen in London in 2026).
- Which agencies provide live-in care is not on the CQC register, so ask each one.
Reference this page as: The Care Panel, "Live-in care in Wandsworth", Oct 2026, based on the CQC register.
What live-in care involves
A live-in carer moves in, usually for one or two weeks at a time on a rota with a second carer. They help with washing and dressing, meals, medication, housework, getting out and company. The person stays in their own home, with their own routine, pets and neighbours.
The carer needs their own bedroom, about two hours off during the day and a proper night's sleep. If someone needs help most nights, plan for a second carer or a waking night carer as well; agencies should tell you this at the assessment.
Check the agency type first
Ask one question early: is this a managed service or an introductory one? A managed agency is CQC-registered, employs or supervises its carers and is accountable for the care. An introductory agency usually is not registered; it puts you in touch with a self-employed carer, and the responsibility for organising and supervising care passes to you. Also ask about cover for sickness and holidays, and what you can do if the carer turns out not to suit.
Live-in care or a care home?
Locally, live-in care typically costs £1,300–£1,800 a week, against £1,456 a week for a residential care home. For one person the care home is often cheaper; for a couple, live-in care can cost less than two care home places, because one carer can support both.
Live-in care suits people who want to stay at home and whose needs one carer can meet safely. A care home may be better when two people are needed for moving and handling around the clock, or when someone is lonely at home.
Who pays for live-in care?
NHS Continuing Healthcare pays the whole cost for people whose primary need is a health need. Otherwise, ask the London Borough of Wandsworth for its free care needs assessment: if live-in care is accepted as the right way to meet eligible needs, the council can contribute after a means test, and the home is not counted when care is provided there. A direct payment lets you spend that contribution with the agency you pick. Getting assessed by the London Borough of Wandsworth.
Home care in Wandsworth by the numbers
White Star Care Ltd has the oldest rating still in force, from May 2019. Ranked against the 6 closest towns on our site by the share of every listed agency that is rated Good or Outstanding, Wandsworth comes 4th of 7 (58%), with Kensington and Chelsea top at 73%. At 100% Good or Outstanding, Wandsworth sits above the London figure of 89% (from 2,431 agencies). Elite Care Partners Limited is the most recently registered, joining the CQC register in June 2026. Registered specialisms here: 35 of 40 list physical disabilities, 20 of 40 list learning disabilities and 23 of 40 list mental health conditions. Dementia appears on 30 of 40 registrations here (75%), compared with 81% in London as a whole.
What live-in care costs in Wandsworth
| Visiting care | £30–£40 an hour |
|---|---|
| Sleeping night | £190–£230 |
| Waking night | £240–£320 |
| Live-in care | £1,300–£1,800 a week |
| Residential care home | £1,456 a week |
| Nursing home | £1,680 a week |
Homecare Association figure for 2026/27: a sustainable council rate for home care in England starts at £34.42 an hour. Work out a weekly cost · What would we pay?
Home care agencies serving Wandsworth
Check with each agency that it offers live-in care. Order: CQC rating, then how recent, then distance.
Southside Partnership Domiciliary Care Agency
Est. £36–£44/hr
Domiciliary Care Agency Surrey
Est. £34–£42/hr
Bluebird Care Clapham and Streatham
Est. £36–£44/hr
Mia Care Services Ltd
Est. £34–£42/hr
Civic Care Ltd
Est. £34–£42/hr
Certitude London Shared Lives
Est. £34–£42/hr
Graceful Care - Wandsworth
Est. £34–£42/hr
Battersea Place Retirement Village Limited
Est. £34–£42/hr
Greenfield Care
Est. £34–£42/hr
Hamilton George Care Ltd
Est. £34–£42/hr
Bluebird Care Wandsworth, Putney and Battersea
Est. £36–£44/hr
KITE - Keep Independent Through Enablement
Est. £34–£42/hr
A5O Ltd
Est. £34–£42/hr
Vital Care and Support Ltd
Est. £34–£42/hr
Audley Care Nightingale
Est. £34–£42/hr
Parkgate Nursing Agency - 1 Boundaries Road
Est. £34–£42/hr
CLIA Care
Est. £34–£42/hr
Caremark Wandsworth
Est. £34–£42/hr
HH Care Services Ltd
Est. £34–£42/hr
Bliss Care and Training Ltd
Est. £34–£42/hr
Your questions on live-in care in Wandsworth
Who provides live-in care in Wandsworth?
40 agencies on the CQC register are based in the borough of Wandsworth, and 28 hold a Good or Outstanding rating. Which of them provide live-in care is not recorded by CQC: ask them.
How much should I budget for live-in care in Wandsworth?
Prices typically seen in London in 2026: around £1,300–£1,800 a week for live-in care, with higher prices usual for couples, complex needs and short placements.
Does live-in care cost less than a care home?
For one person, usually not: a residential care home averages £1,456 a week locally. For a couple, live-in care can be cheaper than two care home places.
Can I get council funding for live-in care?
Possibly. The London Borough of Wandsworth first assesses care needs; if they are eligible and live-in care suits them, it means-tests your finances. Help can go to people with savings below £23,250, and for care at home the house is left out.
How good are home care agencies around Wandsworth?
100% Good or Outstanding (28 of 28 rated). 8 were inspected or rated within two years, and 30 are registered for dementia.
Arranging live-in care in Wandsworth?
Tell us what's needed once. Up to three agencies that take enquiries through us reply to you directly, by email.
Care options in Wandsworth
Live-in care in nearby towns
Source for provider details: CQC, Oct 2026 (Open Government Licence v3.0). The Care Panel is a comparison site, not a care company.