24-Hour Care in Bootle: Costs, Funding and 162 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 £1,205 a week.

Help paying for 24-hour care

Sefton 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. Getting assessed by Sefton council.

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.

What the register shows for Bootle

120 of the 162 agencies (74%) list dementia as a specialism, against 75% across Sefton. On their CQC registrations, 132 of 162 list physical disabilities, 85 of 162 list learning disabilities and 107 of 162 list mental health conditions. The newest registration is High Rise Social Care Ltd, registered with CQC in August 2026. 96% of rated agencies covering Bootle are Good or Outstanding, compared with 94% of those rated among the 210 we list across Sefton. Ranked against the 6 closest towns on our site by the share of every listed agency that is rated Good or Outstanding, Bootle comes 4th of 7 (60%), with Maghull top at 67%. The oldest current rating dates from January 2018 (Merseyside Supported Living).

How much 24-hour care costs in Bootle

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

What the council pays (Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council): £24.13 an hour for home care (2025/26 average paid to agencies); £799 a week for residential care (2025/26 average, over-65s); £868 a week for nursing care (2025/26 average, over-65s) (source).

Ask every agency for a full list of charges, with weekend and bank holiday rates: hourly rates vary more between agencies than between regions. 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. Check what you would pay · Weekly cost calculator

Questions about 24-hour care in Bootle

Who provides 24-hour care in Bootle?

162 agencies on the CQC register have an office within 7 miles of Bootle, and 97 hold a Good or Outstanding rating. Which of them provide 24-hour care is not recorded by CQC: ask them.

How much does 24-hour care cost in Bootle?

Usual 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 Sefton 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.

How good are home care agencies around Bootle?

96% Good or Outstanding (97 of 101 rated). 16 were inspected or rated within two years, and 120 are registered for dementia.

Need 24-hour care in Bootle?

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

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Provider details from the Care Quality Commission register, updated Oct 2026. Contains CQC data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. The Care Panel is not a care provider.

24-hour care in Bootle