How to arrange home care: a step-by-step guide

There are two ways to get care started. If you want to know how to arrange home care quickly, the short version is: ask your local council’s adult social care team for a free care needs assessment, or contact a CQC-registered home care agency directly and pay privately. Many families do both at once — they start private care straight away while the council assessment runs in the background.

This guide sets out the steps in order, how long each takes, how many hours are usually needed and what that costs in England.

In short: you do not need a GP referral, private care can often start within days, and the council route is free to ask for but slower.

How to arrange home care: the two routes

Step-by-step: the council route

1. Request an assessment. Contact your council’s adult social care team online or by phone (for example, the West Sussex County Council adult social care page or 01243 642121). Anyone who appears to need care has the right to an assessment, whatever their savings.
2. Prepare. Write down what a bad day looks like, not a good one. Our guide to preparing for a care needs assessment explains what to note down.
3. The assessment. A social care practitioner talks to the person (and you, if they want) about daily life and decides whether they meet the national eligibility criteria.
4. The financial assessment. If they are eligible, the council works out how much the person must contribute. For care at home, the value of the home is ignored. Savings above £23,250 usually mean paying the full cost. See our guide to the financial assessment for home care.
5. The care and support plan. The council agrees a personal budget and either arranges care with an agency or pays you direct payments to arrange it yourself.

Step-by-step: the private route

1. Write down what help is needed and at what times of day.
2. Shortlist two or three CQC-registered agencies covering the postcode. Read each agency’s latest report on the CQC website. Our guide on how to choose a home care agency lists the questions to ask.
3. Book a home assessment. A manager or senior carer visits, usually free of charge, to agree a care plan.
4. Read the contract — fees, notice period and what happens if visits are missed. Our guide to home care contracts, checks and complaints covers this.
5. Agree a start date and an introduction to the first carer if possible.

Even if the person will pay privately, it is still worth asking for a council assessment. It gives you an independent view of what care is needed and opens the door to council help if savings fall below £23,250 later.

Do I need a GP referral for home care?

No. You can contact the council or a home care agency yourself, and so can the person needing care. A GP can refer someone, and it is worth telling the GP that care is being arranged, but a referral is not required for either route.

The exception is NHS-funded care. NHS Continuing Healthcare and some short-term NHS services usually start through a health professional, such as a GP, district nurse or hospital team.

How quickly can home care start?

Privately arranged care can often start within a few days of the agency’s assessment visit, sometimes sooner. Delays usually come from carer availability for specific times — early mornings, evenings and weekends are the hardest slots to fill, and rural areas can take longer.

The council route is slower. Assessment times vary by council, often several weeks from first contact, and arranging the care then takes further time. If there is a risk to safety, tell the council when you call so the request can be prioritised.

After a hospital stay, the timescale is different. Hospitals work with the council and community teams to arrange support before or shortly after someone goes home, often including a short period of reablement. Ask the ward’s discharge team what is planned before the discharge date. Our guide to hospital discharge explains how this works.

How many hours of home care do I need?

Most people start with between 7 and 20 hours a week. The right number depends on which parts of the day are hardest, not on a set formula. Start with the essentials — getting up, meals, medication and getting to bed — and add more if the person struggles between visits.

Here are three common care plans with indicative weekly costs, based on typical England rates of about £32–£34 an hour in 2026 (many agencies charge £26–£38). Actual quotes vary by region, and evenings, weekends and bank holidays often cost more.

Once care is needed for many hours a day or overnight, live-in care (typically about £1,540–£1,610 a week) can work out better value. To work out your own figures, use our home care cost calculator.

Attendance Allowance, which is not means-tested, pays £76.70 or £114.60 a week in 2026/27 and can go towards these costs. Use our free funding checker to see what the person may be entitled to.

Private home care vs council home care

The care itself can be identical — councils buy care from the same CQC-registered agencies that private clients use. The differences are in choice, cost and control.

• Choice: paying privately means you choose the agency and the visit times. With council-arranged care, the council chooses the agency and times can be less flexible.
• Cost: councils often pay agencies a lower hourly rate than private clients. If the person is paying the full cost through the council, ask what rate is being charged.
• Direct payments: a middle way. The council gives the person their personal budget as money, and they arrange care themselves — through an agency or by employing a personal assistant.

Some people with savings above the upper limit ask the council to arrange care for them anyway. Under the Care Act 2014, if the person is eligible and asks, the council must arrange care at home for them even if they pay the full cost. It may charge an arrangement fee, so ask your council about its current policy.

Home care for someone who lives alone

People who live alone often need slightly more support, because there is nobody to notice if something goes wrong between visits. A few practical steps make a big difference:

• Fit a key safe so carers and emergency services can get in.
• Consider a personal alarm or telecare, such as a pendant or fall detector. See our guide to personal alarms and telecare.
• Space the visits sensibly. A long gap from a 5pm tea visit to the next morning is a risk for someone who gets up at night.
• Agree what the carer should do if the person does not answer the door — who they phone, and in what order.
• Add social contact. Companionship visits or befriending help with loneliness, which is common among older people living alone.

If someone living alone has dementia, read our guide to dementia and living alone before deciding on visit times.

Frequently asked questions

Can I arrange home care for my parent without their agreement?

If your parent has mental capacity to make the decision, they must agree to the care. If they lack capacity, decisions should be made in their best interests, and a registered health and welfare Lasting Power of Attorney gives you legal authority. See our guide to lasting power of attorney.

Is a care needs assessment free?

Yes. The council assessment is free and available to anyone who appears to need care, regardless of income or savings. Agency home assessments for private clients are usually free too.

Can home care start the same day?

Occasionally, if an agency has capacity, but it is not common. In an emergency, tell the council the person is at risk, and ask the GP or NHS 111 for advice if there is a health concern.

What is the minimum amount of home care I can book?

Many agencies have a minimum visit length, often 30 minutes or an hour, and some have a minimum number of hours a week. Ask before the assessment visit so you do not waste time.

Can I change the hours once care has started?

Yes. Care plans should be reviewed regularly and can go up or down. Check the contract for how much notice the agency needs to change hours.

The Care Panel is an independent publication. We are not a care provider and are not regulated by the Care Quality Commission, because we do not deliver care. Always check a provider’s own CQC registration and inspection report before you commit.

Written and fact-checked by The Care Panel. Last updated September 2026. Sources: West Sussex County Council adult social care, GOV.UK Apply for a needs assessment by social services, Care Act 2014 statutory guidance, Homecare Association, GOV.UK Attendance Allowance. General information, not financial, legal or medical advice — figures are indicative and subject to change.

Reviewed by The Care Panel team on 15 October 2026. This guide is general information about care in England, not legal, medical or financial advice. Rules and rates change; check with your council or an adviser before making decisions.