Home care · Sefton

Live-in care in Formby

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 38 CQC-registered agencies covering Formby and ask which of them provide it.

Agencies from the CQC register, updated 27 October 2026. Prices: Usual 2026 prices across England

Written and checked by The Care Panel editorial team. Editorial policy and corrections · How we make money

Quick summary

  • 38 CQC-registered home care agencies have an office within 7 miles of Formby; 25 are rated Good or Outstanding.
  • Sefton council has to offer a care needs assessment free of charge.
  • The CQC register does not say who provides live-in care: ask the agencies directly.
  • Live-in care typically costs around £1,540–£1,610 a week, against £1,205 a week for a residential home (usual 2026 prices across England).

Citation: "Live-in care in Formby", 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.

Requesting an assessment from Sefton council.

Comparing live-in care with a care home

Typical local costs are around £1,540–£1,610 a week for live-in care and £1,205 a week for a residential home. With one carer able to support two people, live-in care may undercut two care home places for a couple, though for someone on their own a care home is often the cheaper route.

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.

Formby's agencies in figures

Most recent to register: Heart2Heart. (June 2025). On their CQC registrations, 33 of 38 list physical disabilities, 19 of 38 list learning disabilities and 24 of 38 list mental health conditions. The share registered for dementia is 76% in Formby (29 of 38) and 75% across Sefton. Oldest rating on the list: Home Instead, June 2018. Sefton has 1 Outstanding agencies, none of them covering Formby. Of Formby and the 6 nearest towns we cover, Formby ranks 2nd for the share of all listed agencies rated Good or Outstanding (66%); Maghull is highest at 67%. Across Sefton we list 210 agencies, and 94% of those rated are Good or Outstanding; covering Formby the figure is 89%. Across Sefton, 14% of agencies have a rating under two years old; covering Formby it is 13%.

How much live-in care costs in Formby

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

Council rates in 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. Check what you would pay · Weekly cost calculator

Home care agencies that cover Formby

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

  1. Care Connect UK

    4.7 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

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

  2. Right at Home U.K

    5.8 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

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

  3. Delta Care Ltd

    6.7 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Sep 2025Inspected recently
    More details (Delta Care Ltd)

  4. Aspirations Northwest Adults

    7.0 miles · Older people, Physical disabilities, Sensory impairments

    Est. £30–£37/hr

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

  5. Care Concern (NW)

    4.9 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jul 2022
    More details (Care Concern (NW))

  6. The Care Trust

    5.0 miles · Older people, Adults under 65, Caring for children (0 - 18yrs)

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Aug 2022
    More details (The Care Trust)

  7. Care Confidence Home Care

    5.0 miles · Dementia, Older people, Mental health conditions

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Feb 2022
    More details (Care Confidence Home Care)

  8. Cavalry Healthcare

    5.8 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Sep 2022
    More details (Cavalry Healthcare)

  9. Pinewoods Homecare

    5.9 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Feb 2022
    More details (Pinewoods Homecare)

  10. The Care Worker Agency

    6.5 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Nov 2022
    More details (The Care Worker Agency)

  11. Helping Hands Southport

    6.6 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £29–£35/hr

    GoodRated Aug 2022
    More details (Helping Hands Southport)

  12. Yes Care Services - Liverpool

    6.7 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

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

  13. 365 support services

    7.0 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Apr 2023
    More details (365 support services)

  14. Bluebird Care Sefton

    under 0.5 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £32–£39/hr

    GoodRated Apr 2019
    More details (Bluebird Care Sefton)

  15. Quality HomeCare Northwest

    under 0.5 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Mar 2019
    More details (Quality HomeCare Northwest)

  16. Right at Home (Sefton)

    5.4 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Nov 2018
    More details (Right at Home (Sefton))

  17. Parkhaven@Home

    5.5 miles · Dementia, Older people

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jan 2019
    More details (Parkhaven@Home)

  18. Radfield Homecare Liverpool North and Sefton and Ormskirk

    5.7 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £33–£41/hr

    GoodRated Nov 2018
    More details (Radfield Homecare Liverpool North and Sefton and Ormskirk)

  19. Transition Care Company Limited

    5.7 miles · Older people, Sensory impairments, Mental health conditions

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Aug 2019
    More details (Transition Care Company Limited)

  20. Caremark (Sefton)

    5.9 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Dec 2018
    More details (Caremark (Sefton))

Every agency covering Formby (38) →

What families ask about live-in care in Formby

Where can I find live-in care in Formby?

Ask each agency: CQC keeps no record of who provides live-in care. Of the 38 registered agencies that have an office within 7 miles of Formby, 25 are rated Good or Outstanding.

What does live-in care cost in Formby?

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.

Are home care agencies in Formby well rated?

25 of the 28 rated agencies (89%) are Good or Outstanding; 29 list dementia as a specialism and 5 were inspected or rated in the last two years.

Need live-in care in Formby?

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

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Register information from CQC as at Oct 2026; Open Government Licence v3.0 applies. We do not deliver care ourselves.

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