Home care · Wigan

Respite care in Ashton-in-Makerfield

Respite care is short-term care that gives a family carer a break, from a few hours a week at home to a short stay in a care home. 100 agencies registered with CQC cover Ashton-in-Makerfield. Check with each one that it provides this kind of care.

Updated 27 October 2026 (CQC register) · Prices: Prices typically seen across England in 2026

Written by our editorial team, then checked. Editorial policy · How the site is paid for

Key points

  • Agencies that have an office within 7 miles of Ashton-in-Makerfield: 100, with 58 rated Good or Outstanding.
  • Which agencies provide respite care is not on the CQC register, so ask each one.
  • Expect the visiting rate, typically around £32–£34 an hour, for respite at home. The 4 local care homes charge short stays by the week.
  • Ask Wigan council for a care needs assessment, which is free, and the person caring for them can have their own carer's assessment.

Reference this page as: The Care Panel, "Respite care in Ashton-in-Makerfield", Oct 2026, based on the CQC register.

Ways to get a break

Day centres, run by charities or the council, are one choice. A short care home stay, typically one to two weeks and best booked early for holidays, is another. Ask the 4 registered care homes in Ashton-in-Makerfield whether they take short stays. At home, a visiting carer can cover a few hours, or a live-in carer can stay for a few days or weeks (live-in respite) so you can go away.

A carer's assessment comes first

Anyone who looks after another person can ask Wigan council for a carer's assessment of their own. It is free, it is separate from the cared-for person's assessment, and it considers how caring affects you. The outcome can include funded breaks, a personal budget for carers or other help. Free advice is available from the Carers UK helpline, 0808 808 7777. Asking Wigan council for an assessment.

Arranging a private respite break

A smooth short stay starts with a visit to the care home and with sharing the care plan, medicines list and routines in advance. When paying yourself, also ask homes whether they set aside rooms for short stays, and ask agencies about minimum visit lengths and notice periods.

What the register shows for Ashton-in-Makerfield

Across Wigan we list 283 agencies, and 92% of those rated are Good or Outstanding; covering Ashton-in-Makerfield the figure is 92%. CQC registered Abbeyrose Court Community Care in September 2026, the newest on this list. One rating goes back to January 2018: Crossroads Care North West - St Helens. Ask what has changed since. Of Ashton-in-Makerfield and the 6 nearest towns we cover, Ashton-in-Makerfield ranks 6th for the share of all listed agencies rated Good or Outstanding (58%); Wigan is highest at 65%. In Ashton-in-Makerfield, 80% of agencies support people with dementia (80 of 100); the Wigan figure is 75%. By specialism, 87 of 100 list physical disabilities, 50 of 100 list learning disabilities and 59 of 100 list mental health conditions.

What respite care costs in Ashton-in-Makerfield

Prices typically seen across England in 2026
Visiting carearound £32–£34 an hour
Live-in carearound £1,540–£1,610 a week
Residential care home£1,205 a week
Nursing home£1,515 a week

What the council pays (Wigan Council): £22.96 an hour for home care (2025/26 average paid to agencies); £779 a week for residential care (2025/26 average, over-65s); £852 a week for nursing care (2025/26 average, over-65s) (source).

The gap between agencies is bigger than the gap between regions. Ask for prices in writing, and check what weekends and bank holidays cost. 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. Work out a weekly cost · What would we pay?

Home care agencies serving Ashton-in-Makerfield

Check with each agency that it offers respite care. Order: CQC rating, then how recent, then distance.

  1. Belong at Home Domiciliary Care Agency - Wigan & Southport

    2.5 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £32–£39/hr

    OutstandingRated May 2026Inspected recently
    See details (Belong at Home Domiciliary Care Agency - Wigan & Southport)

  2. Home Instead Warrington & Lymm

    6.5 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £34–£42/hr

    OutstandingRated Aug 2026Inspected recently
    See details (Home Instead Warrington & Lymm)

  3. Essential Homecare Ltd

    1.8 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jul 2026Inspected recently
    See details (Essential Homecare Ltd)

  4. Tania Brown Limited

    3.1 miles · Older people, Learning disabilities, Adults under 65

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jun 2026Inspected recently
    See details (Tania Brown Limited)

  5. New Leaf Care Limited

    3.9 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Oct 2025Inspected recently
    See details (New Leaf Care Limited)

  6. Lumina Care Wigan & St Helens

    4.2 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jan 2025Inspected recently
    See details (Lumina Care Wigan & St Helens)

  7. TogetherCare

    4.8 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Aug 2026Inspected recently
    See details (TogetherCare)

  8. Home Instead Leigh

    5.7 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £33–£40/hr

    GoodRated Jun 2025Inspected recently
    See details (Home Instead Leigh)

  9. Best Care Liverpool Limited

    6.1 miles · Older people, Physical disabilities, Adults under 65

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Dec 2025Inspected recently
    See details (Best Care Liverpool Limited)

  10. Apollo Home Healthcare Limited-Merseyside

    6.1 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Sep 2026Inspected recently
    See details (Apollo Home Healthcare Limited-Merseyside)

  11. Passion Home Care Ltd

    6.2 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Aug 2026Inspected recently
    See details (Passion Home Care Ltd)

  12. Folson Care Ltd

    0.5 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jan 2022
    See details (Folson Care Ltd)

  13. Helping Hands Wigan

    1.8 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £29–£35/hr

    GoodRated Jan 2023
    See details (Helping Hands Wigan)

  14. Combined Care Services

    2.6 miles · Older people, Adults under 65

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Aug 2022
    See details (Combined Care Services)

  15. Alcedo Care St Helens, Wigan and Warrington

    3.3 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jul 2022
    See details (Alcedo Care St Helens, Wigan and Warrington)

  16. Wigan Community Services

    3.4 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Dec 2021
    See details (Wigan Community Services)

  17. Elite Care North West Limited

    3.9 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Jun 2023
    See details (Elite Care North West Limited)

  18. Rainbow Care Solutions (Merseyside)

    4.7 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Feb 2024
    See details (Rainbow Care Solutions (Merseyside))

  19. My Homecare Manchester West

    5.6 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Sep 2022
    See details (My Homecare Manchester West)

  20. Able Support

    6.5 miles · Dementia, Older people, Physical disabilities

    Est. £30–£37/hr

    GoodRated Feb 2022
    See details (Able Support)

All 100 home care agencies covering Ashton-in-Makerfield →

Questions about respite care in Ashton-in-Makerfield

Which agencies provide respite care in Ashton-in-Makerfield?

CQC does not record which agencies provide respite care. 100 CQC-registered home care agencies have an office within 7 miles of Ashton-in-Makerfield; 58 are rated Good or Outstanding. Ask each whether it provides respite care.

Is there free respite care?

Free or low-cost sitting services are run by charities and carers' centres. The council can also arrange or fund breaks when a carer's assessment, which you request from Wigan council, shows you are eligible.

When should we book a respite stay in a care home?

Several weeks if you can, and longer for school holidays. Not every home keeps rooms for short stays, so ask when you first call.

What CQC ratings do agencies covering Ashton-in-Makerfield have?

CQC rates 58 of 63 as Good or Outstanding, or 92%. Recent evidence: 14 rated or inspected in two years. Dementia specialists: 80.

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