24-Hour Care in Woking: Costs, Funding and 75 Local Agencies (Oct 2026)

Live-in care or waking nights?

Live-in care is usually the most affordable way to have someone there day and night: one carer lives in, but needs about two hours off each day and an unbroken night's sleep. Waking nights put a carer in the home who stays awake all night; combined with daytime visits, that covers all 24 hours. If help is needed most nights, one live-in carer is not enough: add waking nights or a second carer.

Typical local prices: live-in care around £1,540–£1,610 a week; a residential care home £1,555 a week.

When 24-hour care is needed

Families usually look for it after a hospital stay, when dementia means someone cannot be left alone or wanders at night, after repeated falls, or at the end of life. A care home is the alternative to compare: for one person it often costs less than staffing every hour at home, but many people want to stay in their own home.

Help paying for 24-hour care

Surrey council must offer a free care needs assessment; if it finds eligible needs by day and night, care at home can be part of a council care plan, and the value of the home is not counted for care at home. Attendance Allowance pays its higher rate of £114.60 a week to people over State Pension age who need help both day and night, whatever their savings. When the main need is a health need, NHS Continuing Healthcare may pay in full. How to ask Surrey council for an assessment.

Agencies covering Woking: the data

Ratings are older than average here: 15% of agencies have one less than two years old, compared with 22% across Surrey. At 90% Good or Outstanding, Woking sits in line with the Surrey figure of 91% (from 1,090 agencies). Of Woking and the 6 nearest towns we cover, Woking ranks 2nd for the share of all listed agencies rated Good or Outstanding (63%); Guildford is highest at 67%. 5 are rated Outstanding here, out of 16 across Surrey. The oldest current rating dates from December 2017 (Home Instead Guildford and Woking). 66 of the 75 agencies (88%) list dementia as a specialism, against 84% across Surrey. Looking at specialisms, 63 of 75 list physical disabilities, 33 of 75 list learning disabilities and 39 of 75 list mental health conditions. The newest registration is Purple Solace Care Limited, registered with CQC in October 2026.

24-hour care prices in Woking

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

Council rates in Surrey County Council: £24.87 an hour for home care (2025/26 average paid to agencies); £952.38 a week for residential care (2025/26 average, over-65s); £988.04 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. For 2026/27, the Homecare Association says council-funded home care in England is only sustainable at £34.42 an hour or more. Source: Lottie Care Index, Q3 2026. Estimate the weekly cost or see what you might pay

24-hour care in Woking: common questions

Which home care agencies offer 24-hour care in Woking?

CQC does not record which agencies provide 24-hour care. 75 CQC-registered home care agencies have an office within 7 miles of Woking; 47 are rated Good or Outstanding. Ask each whether it provides 24-hour care.

How much does 24-hour care cost in Woking?

Typical 2026 prices across England: live-in care typically costs around £1,540–£1,610 a week. Covering every hour with separate day and night carers costs much more, because each hour is paid.

Is 24-hour care the same as live-in care?

Not quite. A live-in carer is there day and night but needs a daily break and a full night's sleep. If help is needed through the night most nights, true 24-hour care means adding waking nights or a second carer.

Can the council pay for 24-hour care at home?

It can, if Surrey council's care needs assessment finds eligible needs by day and night and care at home is a suitable way to meet them. A financial assessment follows; for care at home the home is not counted. NHS Continuing Healthcare pays in full when the main need is a health need.

How are agencies covering Woking rated?

Of 52 agencies with a CQC rating, 47 (90%) are Good or Outstanding. Dementia is a specialism for 66, and 15 have a rating or inspection from the past two years.

24-hour care in Woking: 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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Data: CQC register, Oct 2026, used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. We are an independent directory and do not provide care.

24-hour care in Woking