Home Help in Smethwick: Costs, Funding and 267 Local Agencies (Oct 2026)

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. Sandwell 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 Sandwell council what low-cost services exist. How to ask Sandwell council for an assessment.

What the register shows for Smethwick

199 of the 267 agencies (75%) list dementia as a specialism, against 77% across Sandwell. On their CQC registrations, 211 of 267 list physical disabilities, 157 of 267 list learning disabilities and 187 of 267 list mental health conditions. At 74% Good or Outstanding, Smethwick sits below the Sandwell figure of 76% (from 479 agencies). The newest registration is Norvia Care Solutions Ltd, registered with CQC in September 2026. The oldest current rating dates from October 2017 (Birmingham Rathbone). Counting all listed agencies, not only rated ones, Smethwick (40% Good or Outstanding) is 5th out of 7 local towns, led by Rowley Regis (44%).

What home help costs in Smethwick

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

Council rates in Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council: £21.24 an hour for home care (2025/26 average paid to agencies); £892.02 a week for residential care (2025/26 average, over-65s); £968.21 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. Homecare Association figure for 2026/27: a sustainable council rate for home care in England starts at £34.42 an hour. Source: Lottie Care Index, Q3 2026. Tools: weekly cost calculator and what would we pay?

Questions about home help in Smethwick

Which home care agencies offer home help in Smethwick?

267 agencies on the CQC register have an office within 7 miles of Smethwick, and 106 hold a Good or Outstanding rating. Which of them provide home help is not recorded by CQC: ask them.

How much is a home help per hour in Smethwick?

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.

Can I get home help from the council?

Only as part of meeting eligible needs after an assessment by Sandwell 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.

How are agencies covering Smethwick rated?

Of 144 agencies with a CQC rating, 106 (74%) are Good or Outstanding. Dementia is a specialism for 199, and 26 have a rating or inspection from the past two years.

Arranging home help in Smethwick?

Tell us what's needed once. Featured partners and up to three rated agencies that take enquiries through us reply to you directly, by email.

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Data: CQC register, Oct 2026, used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. We are an independent directory and do not provide care.

Home help in Smethwick