24-Hour Care in Oxford: Costs, Funding and 65 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

Oxfordshire 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 Oxfordshire 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.

Home care in Oxford by the numbers

88% of rated agencies covering Oxford are Good or Outstanding, compared with 86% of those rated among the 324 we list across Oxfordshire. Two-year-old ratings or newer: 9% covering Oxford, 9% across Oxfordshire. Oxfordshire has 10 Outstanding agencies in total; covering Oxford the figure is 2. Counting all listed agencies, not only rated ones, Oxford (58% Good or Outstanding) is 5th out of 7 local towns, led by Woodstock (88%). In Oxford, 91% of agencies support people with dementia (59 of 65); the Oxfordshire figure is 81%. One rating goes back to October 2017: Crystal Business Solutions Ltd T/A Everycare Oxford. Ask what has changed since. CQC registered Thera South Midlands in October 2026, the newest on this list. On their CQC registrations, 58 of 65 list physical disabilities, 36 of 65 list learning disabilities and 35 of 65 list mental health conditions.

What 24-hour care costs in Oxford

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

What Oxfordshire County Council pays providers: £30.26 an hour for home care (2025/26 average paid to agencies); £1,184.25 a week for residential care (2025/26 average, over-65s); £1,231.43 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. Estimate the weekly cost or see what you might pay

Your questions on 24-hour care in Oxford

Which agencies provide 24-hour care in Oxford?

Ask each agency: CQC keeps no record of who provides 24-hour care. Of the 65 registered agencies that have an office within 7 miles of Oxford, 38 are rated Good or Outstanding.

How much does 24-hour care cost in Oxford?

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 Oxfordshire 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 Oxford have?

CQC rates 38 of 43 as Good or Outstanding, or 88%. Recent evidence: 8 rated or inspected in two years. Dementia specialists: 59.

Arranging 24-hour care in Oxford?

Tell us what's needed once. Up to three agencies that take enquiries through us reply to you directly, by email.

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Care options in Oxford

24-hour care in nearby towns

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24-hour care in Didcot 9.8 mi
24-hour care in Bicester 11.0 mi
24-hour care in Wallingford 11.2 mi
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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 Oxford