24-Hour Care in Castleford: Costs, Funding and 25 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 £1,230 a week.

Help paying for 24-hour care

Wakefield 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. Asking Wakefield 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.

Agencies covering Castleford: the data

21 of the 25 agencies (84%) list dementia as a specialism, against 84% across Wakefield. The oldest current rating dates from June 2017 (KLM Home Cares). The newest registration is Smartlinks Care Services Ltd, registered with CQC in January 2026. Looking at specialisms, 20 of 25 list physical disabilities, 18 of 25 list learning disabilities and 16 of 25 list mental health conditions. 88% of rated agencies covering Castleford are Good or Outstanding, compared with 85% of those rated among the 130 we list across Wakefield. Two-year-old ratings or newer: 4% covering Castleford, 9% across Wakefield. None covering Castleford is rated Outstanding; Wakefield has 1. Ranked against the 6 closest towns on our site by the share of every listed agency that is rated Good or Outstanding, Castleford comes 4th of 7 (60%), with Pontefract top at 67%.

Paying for 24-hour care in Castleford: typical prices

Usual 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 (Wakefield Council): £29.20 an hour for home care (2025/26 average paid to agencies); £853.12 a week for residential care (2025/26 average, over-65s); £853.12 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. 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. Estimate the weekly cost or see what you might pay

24-hour care in Castleford: common questions

Which agencies provide 24-hour care in Castleford?

The CQC register does not show who offers 24-hour care. There are 25 registered agencies that have an office within 7 miles of Castleford, 15 of them rated Good or Outstanding, so ask each one.

How much does 24-hour care cost in Castleford?

Usual 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 Wakefield 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.

What CQC ratings do agencies covering Castleford have?

CQC rates 15 of 17 as Good or Outstanding, or 88%. Recent evidence: 1 rated or inspected in two years. Dementia specialists: 21.

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Other care in Castleford

24-hour care around Castleford

24-hour care in Pontefract 2.7 mi
24-hour care in Normanton 2.9 mi
24-hour care in Kippax 3.6 mi
24-hour care in Garforth 5.1 mi
24-hour care in Crofton 5.3 mi
24-hour care in Ackworth Moor Top 5.4 mi
24-hour care in Rothwell 5.5 mi
24-hour care in Wakefield 6.5 mi

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CQC register data (Oct 2026), reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. The Care Panel is independent of every provider listed.

24-hour care in Castleford