Home care · Suffolk
Live-in care in Lowestoft
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. 27 agencies registered with CQC cover Lowestoft. Check with each one that it provides this kind of care.
CQC register data as of 27 October 2026 · Prices: Usual 2026 prices across England
The short version
- 27 CQC-registered home care agencies have an office within 7 miles of Lowestoft; 18 are rated Good or Outstanding.
- Suffolk council has to offer a care needs assessment free of charge.
- Live-in care typically costs around £1,540–£1,610 a week, compared with £1,455 a week for a residential care home (usual 2026 prices across England).
- Which agencies provide live-in care is not on the CQC register, so ask each one.
Citation: "Live-in care in Lowestoft", 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.
Comparing live-in care with a care home
Locally, live-in care typically costs around £1,540–£1,610 a week, against £1,455 a week for a residential care home. For one person the care home is often cheaper; for a couple, live-in care can cost less than two care home places, because one carer can support 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.
Funding live-in care
- Assessment: free from Suffolk 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.
What the register shows for Lowestoft
Of Lowestoft and the 6 nearest towns we cover, Lowestoft ranks 4th for the share of all listed agencies rated Good or Outstanding (67%); Leiston is highest at 100%. Suffolk has 19 Outstanding agencies in total; covering Lowestoft the figure is 1. Two-year-old ratings or newer: 11% covering Lowestoft, 7% across Suffolk. 95% of rated agencies covering Lowestoft are Good or Outstanding, compared with 88% of those rated among the 227 we list across Suffolk. By specialism, 22 of 27 list physical disabilities, 8 of 27 list learning disabilities and 13 of 27 list mental health conditions. CQC registered Anchor Homecare Ltd in March 2026, the newest on this list. One rating goes back to October 2017: Marram Green. Ask what has changed since. In Lowestoft, 89% of agencies support people with dementia (24 of 27); the Suffolk figure is 73%.
Live-in care prices in Lowestoft
| Visiting care | around £32–£34 an hour |
|---|---|
| Live-in care | around £1,540–£1,610 a week |
| Residential care home | £1,455 a week |
| Nursing home | £1,685 a week |
Council rates in Suffolk County Council: £26.60 an hour for home care (2025/26 average paid to agencies); £1,064 a week for residential care (2025/26 average, over-65s); £1,051 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. Estimate the weekly cost or see what you might pay
Home care agencies in and around Lowestoft
Ask each agency whether it provides live-in care. Ranked by CQC rating and how recent it is, then distance.
Bluebird Care East Suffolk, Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft
Est. £33–£41/hr
Hales Group Limited - Waveney
Est. £30–£37/hr
Help at Home Care
Est. £30–£37/hr
Head Office
Est. £30–£37/hr
District Care
Est. £30–£37/hr
Carlton Hall Residential Home and Village
Est. £30–£37/hr
Amari Care Services
Est. £30–£37/hr
Wellbeing Care Support Services
Est. £30–£37/hr
Waveney Care Limited - 124 Denmark Road
Est. £30–£37/hr
Heritage Care At Home Ltd (HCH)
Est. £30–£37/hr
Levington Court
Est. £30–£37/hr
Waveney Home First
Est. £30–£37/hr
Caring Moments Limited
Est. £30–£37/hr
Anglia Home Care Limited
Est. £30–£37/hr
Nightingale Homecare (Lowestoft)
Est. £30–£37/hr
Marram Green
Est. £30–£37/hr
Home Support Matters Beccles
Est. £30–£37/hr
Nightingale Homecare (Beccles)
Est. £30–£37/hr
Caring Forever Limited
Est. £30–£37/hr
Voyage (DCA) Complex Community Care Norfolk
Est. £29–£36/hr
Questions about live-in care in Lowestoft
Which home care agencies offer live-in care in Lowestoft?
Ask each agency: CQC keeps no record of who provides live-in care. Of the 27 registered agencies that have an office within 7 miles of Lowestoft, 18 are rated Good or Outstanding.
What is the weekly price of live-in care in Lowestoft?
Live-in care is typically around £1,540–£1,610 a week here (usual 2026 prices across England); short placements, couples and complex needs usually push the price up.
Is live-in care cheaper than a care home?
Usually not for a single person, since a residential home averages £1,455 a week here. A couple, though, may pay less for live-in care than for two care home places.
Can live-in care be council funded?
With savings under £23,250, you may get help. The council must first find eligible needs and agree that live-in care would meet them suitably; Suffolk council then carries out a financial assessment that ignores the home when care is at home.
How are agencies covering Lowestoft rated?
Of 19 agencies with a CQC rating, 18 (95%) are Good or Outstanding. Dementia is a specialism for 24, and 3 have a rating or inspection from the past two years.
Live-in care in Lowestoft: ask who can help
Describe what's needed in one form, and as many as three agencies that accept enquiries via The Care Panel email you back.
Related care pages for Lowestoft
Live-in care nearby
- Live-in care in Brundall 16.2 mi
- Live-in care in Poringland 17.4 mi
- Live-in care in Norwich 21.5 mi
- Live-in care in Hethersett 24.6 mi
- Live-in care in Horsford 25.8 mi
- Live-in care in Taverham 26.3 mi
Built from the Care Quality Commission's register (Oct 2026) under Open Government Licence v3.0. The Care Panel lists and compares services but runs none.