Home Help in Knowle: Costs, Funding and 50 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.

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 Solihull council what low-cost services exist. Getting assessed by Solihull council.

How people pay for home help

Most people pay privately, by the hour. Solihull 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.

Agencies covering Knowle: the data

1 Outstanding agencies is covering Knowle, against 1 across Solihull. Counting all listed agencies, not only rated ones, Knowle (68% Good or Outstanding) is 4th out of 7 local towns, led by Dorridge (74%). Across Solihull we list 137 agencies, and 82% of those rated are Good or Outstanding; covering Knowle the figure is 92%. Across Solihull, 12% of agencies have a rating under two years old; covering Knowle it is 16%. Alina Homecare Sutton Coldfield is the most recently registered, joining the CQC register in July 2026. On their CQC registrations, 44 of 50 list physical disabilities, 29 of 50 list learning disabilities and 28 of 50 list mental health conditions. Dementia appears on 41 of 50 registrations here (82%), compared with 82% in Solihull as a whole. Community Support Service has the oldest rating still in force, from September 2018.

How much home help costs in Knowle

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

Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council's own rates: £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).

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?

Home help in Knowle: common questions

Who provides home help in Knowle?

50 agencies on the CQC register have an office within 7 miles of Knowle, and 34 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 Knowle?

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.

Will the council fund help with housework?

Only as part of meeting eligible needs after an assessment by Solihull 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 good are home care agencies around Knowle?

92% Good or Outstanding (34 of 37 rated). 9 were inspected or rated within two years, and 41 are registered for dementia.

Need home help in Knowle?

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

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More about care in Knowle

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Source for provider details: CQC, Oct 2026 (Open Government Licence v3.0). The Care Panel is a comparison site, not a care company.

Home help in Knowle