24-Hour Care in Stratton St Margaret: Costs, Funding and 60 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 £1,445 a week.

Help paying for 24-hour care

Swindon 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 Swindon council for an assessment.

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.

Home care in Stratton St Margaret by the numbers

Most recent to register: Earnest Support Care Ltd (July 2026). Across Swindon we list 69 agencies, and 86% of those rated are Good or Outstanding; covering Stratton St Margaret the figure is 84%. Of Stratton St Margaret and the 6 nearest towns we cover, Stratton St Margaret ranks 4th for the share of all listed agencies rated Good or Outstanding (60%); Swindon is highest at 63%. Oldest rating on the list: Penponds Homecare Ltd, January 2018. The share registered for dementia is 87% in Stratton St Margaret (52 of 60) and 87% across Swindon. Looking at specialisms, 51 of 60 list physical disabilities, 32 of 60 list learning disabilities and 32 of 60 list mental health conditions.

What 24-hour care costs in Stratton St Margaret

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

What the council pays (Swindon Borough Council): £26.80 an hour for home care (2025/26 average paid to agencies); £831.68 a week for residential care (2025/26 average, over-65s); £847.37 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. 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. Check what you would pay · Weekly cost calculator

Your questions on 24-hour care in Stratton St Margaret

Which home care agencies offer 24-hour care in Stratton St Margaret?

The CQC register does not show who offers 24-hour care. There are 60 registered agencies that have an office within 7 miles of Stratton St Margaret, 36 of them rated Good or Outstanding, so ask each one.

How much does 24-hour care cost in Stratton St Margaret?

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 Swindon 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 Stratton St Margaret rated?

Of 43 agencies with a CQC rating, 36 (84%) are Good or Outstanding. Dementia is a specialism for 52, and 23 have a rating or inspection from the past two years.

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Care options in Stratton St Margaret

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24-hour care in Stratton St Margaret