Home care · Sefton

Live-in care in Bootle

A live-in carer is trained, stays in the person's own home and supports them at any hour. For many families it is the main alternative to a care home. Compare the 162 CQC-registered agencies covering Bootle and ask which of them provide it.

Agencies from the CQC register, updated 26 October 2026. Prices: Usual 2026 prices across England

Written by our editorial team, then checked. How we write guides · How we make money

In short

  • 162 CQC-registered home care agencies have an office within 7 miles of Bootle; 97 are rated Good or Outstanding.
  • Expect live-in care to cost about around £1,540–£1,610 a week, against £1,205 a week for a residential home (usual 2026 prices across England).
  • CQC does not record which agencies provide live-in care, so ask each agency directly.
  • Sefton council has to offer a care needs assessment free of charge.

Citation: "Live-in care in Bootle", The Care Panel analysis of CQC register data, Oct 2026.

How live-in care works day to day

Most live-in carers work a rota with a colleague, staying for a week or two at a stretch before swapping over. Their job covers personal care such as washing and dressing, cooking, medicines, housework, trips out and companionship, all while the person keeps their routine, their pets and their neighbours.

Plan for the carer to have a bedroom of their own, a break of around two hours each day and an unbroken night. Where help is needed on most nights, budgeting for another carer, or a night carer who stays awake, is usually necessary, and the agency should raise this when it assesses.

Funding live-in care

  • Assessment: free from Sefton council.
  • Council contribution: possible if live-in care is agreed as the way to meet eligible needs, after a financial assessment that ignores the value of the home.
  • Direct payment: take the council's share as cash and use your chosen agency.
  • NHS Continuing Healthcare: pays in full for people with a primary health need.

How to ask Sefton council for an assessment.

Comparing live-in care with a care home

Here, a residential care home typically costs £1,205 a week and live-in care around £1,540–£1,610 a week. A single person will often pay less in a care home, but a couple may pay less for live-in care than for two care home places, since one carer can look after both.

It works best for someone determined to stay at home whose needs a single carer can safely meet. If two people are needed to move them at all hours, or loneliness is the bigger problem, a care home may suit better.

Managed service or introductory agency?

  • Managed live-in service: the carer is employed or supervised by the agency, which is registered with CQC and responsible for the care.
  • Introductory agency: introduces a self-employed carer; you arrange and oversee the care; usually not CQC-registered.

Whichever you choose, get answers on holiday and sickness cover and on replacing a carer who is not the right fit.

Bootle's agencies in figures

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 live-in care costs in Bootle

Usual 2026 prices across England
Visiting carearound £32–£34 an hour
Live-in carearound £1,540–£1,610 a week
Residential care home£1,205 a week
Nursing home£1,515 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. 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. Tools: weekly cost calculator and what would we pay?

Home care agencies that cover Bootle

Ranked on CQC rating, its date and then distance. Ask each one about live-in care.

  1. Outreach Services

    0.6 miles · Older people, Mental health conditions, Learning disabilities

    Est. £32–£39/hr

    OutstandingRated Apr 2026Inspected recently
    More details (Outreach Services)

  2. Aspirations Northwest Adults

    0.8 miles · Older people, Physical disabilities, Sensory impairments

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Oct 2025Inspected recently
    More details (Aspirations Northwest Adults)

  3. Mountbatton Care Ltd

    1.2 miles · Physical disabilities, Mental health conditions, Learning disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Dec 2025Inspected recently
    More details (Mountbatton Care Ltd)

  4. Right at Home U.K

    1.7 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jun 2026Inspected recently
    More details (Right at Home U.K)

  5. Care Connect UK

    2.8 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Mar 2025Inspected recently
    More details (Care Connect UK)

  6. Alphacare NW

    3.3 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Feb 2025Inspected recently
    More details (Alphacare NW)

  7. Local Solutions Liverpool Branch

    3.7 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Nov 2025Inspected recently
    More details (Local Solutions Liverpool Branch)

  8. Rialto Care & Support

    4.0 miles · Physical disabilities, Mental health conditions, Learning disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Dec 2025Inspected recently
    More details (Rialto Care & Support)

  9. Icare Solutions (Wirral) Ltd

    4.0 miles · Older people, Physical disabilities, Sensory impairments

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jan 2025Inspected recently
    More details (Icare Solutions (Wirral) Ltd)

  10. Merseycare Julie Ann Limited

    4.5 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Aug 2025Inspected recently
    More details (Merseycare Julie Ann Limited)

  11. Pendleton Care Limited

    5.7 miles · Mental health conditions, Learning disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Apr 2026Inspected recently
    More details (Pendleton Care Limited)

  12. Trafalgar Community Care Limited

    5.8 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jul 2026Inspected recently
    More details (Trafalgar Community Care Limited)

  13. Helping Hands Liverpool

    6.4 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £29–£35/hr

    GoodRated Oct 2025Inspected recently
    More details (Helping Hands Liverpool)

  14. Cherry Tree House

    6.8 miles · Dementia, Older people, Adults under 65

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jul 2026Inspected recently
    More details (Cherry Tree House)

  15. Apollo Care (West Wirral)

    6.9 miles · Older people, Adults under 65

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Oct 2026Inspected recently
    More details (Apollo Care (West Wirral))

  16. 203 Hoylake Road

    7.0 miles · Older people, Physical disabilities, Mental health conditions

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Oct 2024Inspected recently
    More details (203 Hoylake Road)

  17. Elite Care Professionals - Main Office

    1.4 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Aug 2023
    More details (Elite Care Professionals - Main Office)

  18. Cavalry Healthcare

    1.7 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Sep 2022
    More details (Cavalry Healthcare)

  19. Yes Care Services - Liverpool

    2.0 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Mar 2023
    More details (Yes Care Services - Liverpool)

  20. J.A.D Direct Limited

    2.4 miles · Physical disabilities, Learning disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Feb 2024
    More details (J.A.D Direct Limited)

The full list: 162 agencies covering Bootle →

What families ask about live-in care in Bootle

Which home care agencies offer live-in care in Bootle?

Ask each agency: CQC keeps no record of who provides live-in care. Of the 162 registered agencies that have an office within 7 miles of Bootle, 97 are rated Good or Outstanding.

What does live-in care cost in Bootle?

Usual 2026 prices across England: live-in care typically costs around £1,540–£1,610 a week. Couples, complex needs and short placements usually cost more.

Which is cheaper, live-in care or a care home?

A residential care home averages £1,205 a week locally, which often beats live-in care for one person; for two people, live-in care can work out cheaper than two places.

Will the council help pay for live-in care?

It can, if the care needs assessment finds eligible needs and live-in care is a suitable way to meet them. Sefton council then does a financial assessment; for care at home the value of the home is ignored, and people with savings under £23,250 may get help.

How are agencies covering Bootle rated?

Of 101 agencies with a CQC rating, 97 (96%) are Good or Outstanding. Dementia is a specialism for 120, and 16 have a rating or inspection from the past two years.

Need live-in 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.

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