Home Help in Balsall Common: Costs, Funding and 30 Local Agencies (Oct 2026)

What home help includes

Typical tasks are cleaning and tidying, laundry and ironing, changing beds, food shopping and collecting prescriptions, preparing meals, help with post and bills, and getting out to appointments or the shops. Many people also value the company. Home help does not include personal care such as washing, dressing or help with medication: for that you need a home care agency registered with the Care Quality Commission.

Paying for home help

Home help is usually charged by the hour, at or just below the rate for visiting care. Solihull council may include practical help in a care plan if a care needs assessment finds eligible needs, though help with housework alone often does not qualify. Attendance Allowance, which is not means-tested, is often used to pay for it. See home help for the elderly and home help vs home care.

Agency, cleaner or council?

Many home care agencies in Balsall Common provide home help as well as personal care, which is useful if needs grow. A cleaner or a local "home help" service can be cheaper for housework alone, but is not regulated by CQC. Some councils and charities run low-cost help-at-home or shopping services. Getting assessed by Solihull council.

Agencies covering Balsall Common: the data

Registered specialisms here: 24 of 30 list physical disabilities, 14 of 30 list learning disabilities and 20 of 30 list mental health conditions. Trends Healthcare Coventry is the most recently registered, joining the CQC register in November 2025. Community Support Service has the oldest rating still in force, from September 2018. Dementia appears on 25 of 30 registrations here (83%), compared with 82% in Solihull as a whole. Counting all listed agencies, not only rated ones, Balsall Common (70% Good or Outstanding) is 2nd out of 7 local towns, led by Dorridge (74%). 2 Outstanding agencies are covering Balsall Common, against 1 across Solihull. Across Solihull, 12% of agencies have a rating under two years old; covering Balsall Common it is 13%. Across Solihull we list 137 agencies, and 82% of those rated are Good or Outstanding; covering Balsall Common the figure is 95%.

Home help prices in Balsall Common

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

What the council pays (Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council): £25.05 an hour for home care (2025/26 average paid to agencies); £1,011.95 a week for residential care (2025/26 average, over-65s); £1,036.85 a week for nursing care (2025/26 average, over-65s) (source).

The gap between agencies is bigger than the gap between regions. Ask for prices in writing, and check what weekends and bank holidays cost. The Homecare Association puts the minimum sustainable price for council-funded home care in England at £34.42 an hour for 2026/27. Source: Lottie Care Index, Q3 2026. Work out a weekly cost · What would we pay?

Home help in Balsall Common: common questions

Who provides home help in Balsall Common?

The CQC register does not show who offers home help. There are 30 registered agencies that have an office within 7 miles of Balsall Common, 21 of them rated Good or Outstanding, so ask each one.

How much is a home help per hour in Balsall Common?

Home help is usually charged by the hour, at or a little below the local rate for visiting care. Ask each agency for its hourly rate, minimum visit length and any weekend charges in writing.

Will the council fund help with housework?

Sometimes, if Solihull council's care needs assessment finds eligible needs and practical help is part of meeting them. Help with housework alone often does not qualify, so many people use Attendance Allowance, which is not means-tested, to pay privately.

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 good are home care agencies around Balsall Common?

95% Good or Outstanding (21 of 22 rated). 5 were inspected or rated within two years, and 25 are registered for dementia.

Home help in Balsall Common: ask who can help

Describe what's needed in one form, and featured partners and as many as three rated agencies that accept enquiries via The Care Panel email you back.

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Related care pages for Balsall Common

Home help nearby

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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 Balsall Common