✧ Regional coverage
Live-in Care Throughout the South East
From the Kent coast to the Thames Valley, a single dedicated carer in the home — not a rota of visits timed to somebody else's schedule.
- Care within a week Urgent starts often in 24–48 hours
- From £1,200 a week The same rate nationwide, not by postcode
- Care Quality Commission (CQC) Regulates home care in England
- 113 areas Covered across the South East
Live-in care in Surrey, Kent, Sussex and beyond
The South East is England's most populous region, stretching from the Kent coast across Surrey and Sussex to Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. Families searching for live-in care in the South East are supporting parents in commuter towns such as Guildford, Reading and Maidstone, on the coast in Brighton, Eastbourne and Worthing, and in thousands of villages across the Downs, the Weald and the Chilterns. In the villages especially, visiting care is hard to staff. A live-in carer lives in the home, so the support is the same whatever the postcode.
Our county pages cover live-in care in Surrey, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, with more than a hundred town pages below.
The retirement coast
Towns along the south coast, such as Eastbourne, Bexhill, Worthing, Bognor Regis and much of the Isle of Wight, have some of the oldest populations in England. Many people moved there to retire, so their children may live hours away. A live-in carer gives daily company and practical help, keeps an eye on health and wellbeing, and can send the family regular updates. Couples who retired to the coast together can stay together, with one carer supporting both.
The same applies in the Kent coastal towns, from Whitstable and Herne Bay to Broadstairs, Deal and Folkestone, where many older residents live alone and visiting agencies struggle to recruit.
A region where most families pay privately
The South East has one of the highest proportions of people who fund their own care, because savings and property often put them above the council's upper limit. That makes value important. Live-in care is a single fixed weekly fee, from £1,200, and for couples it is usually far less than two care home places. It is still worth asking the council for a free needs assessment, and Attendance Allowance is not means-tested.
Councils across the region
Social care here is split between county councils, such as Kent, Surrey, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Oxfordshire, and unitary councils, including Medway, Brighton and Hove, Southampton, Portsmouth, the Isle of Wight, Buckinghamshire and the six Berkshire authorities. In two-tier areas, it is the county, not the district or borough, that assesses care needs. If you are unsure which applies, your relative's council tax bill will tell you.
Hospitals and discharge in the South East
Families here deal with many different trusts: the Royal Surrey in Guildford, Frimley Park, East Surrey in Redhill, the Royal Sussex County in Brighton, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells, the Kent and Canterbury, the Royal Berkshire, the John Radcliffe, Southampton General and Queen Alexandra in Portsmouth among them. Whichever one discharges your relative, a live-in carer can be arranged in advance so they come home to support rather than to an empty house.
Live-in care costs in the South East
Standard live-in care starts from £1,200 a week, specialist care for needs such as advanced dementia or frequent night waking from £1,300, and two carers for round-the-clock waking support from £2,600. The price does not rise because you live in Surrey or Berkshire. See full pricing, or read about dementia care at home and respite care if a family carer needs a break.
What you get
What a live-in carer does
Being straight about the boundaries saves everyone a difficult conversation later.
Included in the weekly fee
- Personal care — washing, dressing, continence support
- Medication prompting and administration
- Cooking, meal preparation and special diets
- Light housework, laundry and changing beds
- Shopping, errands and prescription collection
- Getting to appointments and social visits
- Companionship, conversation and daily routine
- Mobility support, transfers and falls prevention
- Pet care — walks, feeding, vet trips
- A named care manager and 24/7 office support
Not included
- Nursing tasks requiring a registered nurse (district nurses continue to visit)
- The carer's food — the household provides everyday meals
- Household bills, rent or council tax on the carer's behalf
- Two-person handling where a hoist requires two carers (that is our Advanced plan)
Weighing the options
Live-in care, visiting care or a care home?
The three choices most families are deciding between.
| Feature | Live-in care | Visiting care | Care home |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stays in their own home | Yes | Yes | No |
| Support through the night | Yes | Rarely | Yes |
| The same carer each day | Yes | Rota of staff | Rota of staff |
| Keeps pets and belongings | Yes | Yes | Usually not |
| Couples stay together | Yes | Yes | Often separated |
| Typical cost | £1,200 a week | Varies with hours | Varies by home |
Visiting care and care home costs vary widely by area and provider, so we don’t quote figures we can’t stand behind. See our pricing in full →
How it works
How arranging live-in care works
Three steps, and the first one is just a conversation.
-
1
Tell us what you need
A friendly, no-obligation call to understand the situation, explain how the care works and give you an estimated weekly cost.
-
2
Choose your carer
We send profiles of available carers matched to your needs. You can speak to them on a video call before deciding.
-
3
Care begins at home
Your carer moves in and support starts, with a named care manager checking in regularly to make sure it's working.
Funding & regulation
Paying for care in England
Home care is regulated and funded differently in each nation, so the route is not the same everywhere. Here is how it works where you live.
Read our full funding guide →Who regulates care here
Home care in England is regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). They inspect and register home care services to make sure standards are met.
Where funding comes from
Apply through your local authority's adult social care team. Means-tested local authority funding and NHS Continuing Healthcare are both available depending on assessed need.
How we fit in
Live-in Care Direct is an introductory agency. We introduce self-employed carers to families rather than employing them, so you contract directly with your carer and keep the choice of who provides your care.
Our carers
The carers who could support you in the South East
Our carers are spread across the UK, supported by regional care managers. Every one is interviewed in person, enhanced DBS checked and reference-checked before they are ever introduced to a family — and you choose who moves in.
- Interviewed face to face, never hired on paperwork alone
- Enhanced DBS checked, with references verified
- You meet and approve your carer before they start
-
Monica
Live-in carer
-
Gladys
Live-in carer
-
Brenda
Live-in carer
-
Patience
Live-in carer
-
Refiloe
Live-in carer
-
Vistorine
Live-in carer
Coverage
Towns and cities we cover in the South East
We arrange live-in care in 113 areas across the South East.
Kent
Surrey
Hampshire
Berkshire
West Sussex
East Sussex
Buckinghamshire
Oxfordshire
On the London border
Isle of Wight
Our services
Care services available in the South East
Free callback
Speak to someone about care in the South East
Leave your number and a care manager will call you back — usually within an hour, and always free.
- No obligation. A conversation, not a sales call — and never a call centre.
- A real care manager. Someone who arranges care every day, who can answer properly.
- Just two details. Your name and number — we don’t need an email address.
Or call us now on 0800 368 8558 Lines open 8am–10pm, seven days a week
Common questions
Live-in care in the South East
Local answers on timing, regulation and funding.
Not seeing your question?
Our care managers answer these every day. A no-obligation call takes about ten minutes.
0800 368 8558Lines open 8am–10pm, seven days a week See all questionsDo you cover villages in Surrey, Kent and Sussex?
Yes. Because the carer lives in the home, we cover rural addresses in the Surrey Hills, the Kent and Sussex Weald, the South Downs and the Chilterns at the same weekly price as towns. For remote homes, we can match a carer who drives.
Which council assesses care needs in the South East?
In most of Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire and Oxfordshire, the county council runs adult social care, not the district or borough council. Medway, Brighton and Hove, Southampton, Portsmouth, the Isle of Wight, Buckinghamshire and the Berkshire councils are unitary and handle it themselves.
How much does live-in care cost in Surrey or Kent?
The same as anywhere else we work: from £1,200 a week for standard live-in care, £1,300 for specialist care and £2,600 for two carers providing round-the-clock support. There is no premium for a South East postcode, and one carer can support a couple for a single fee.
Can live-in care start straight after a hospital stay in the South East?
Often, yes. Tell us the ward and the expected discharge date as early as you can. Most placements begin within a week, and in urgent cases we can often introduce a carer within 24 to 48 hours, which helps the discharge team plan a safe return home.
Are your South East carers employed by you?
No. We are an introductory agency: we recruit, check and match experienced self-employed carers, and you choose who supports your relative. That model is what lets you meet candidates first and keep the same carer, and we remain on hand for support and cover.
Is live-in care cheaper than a care home in the South East?
For one person, live-in care is often comparable to a good care home in the region, and for couples it is usually much cheaper. The bigger difference for most families is that nobody has to move, the care is one-to-one, and pets, gardens and routines stay as they are.
How many care homes are there in the South East?
Our care-home directory lists 1,593 registered care homes in the South East, each with its own page, and 1,103 of them are rated Good or Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Together they have around 64,300 beds. Live-in care is the alternative for anyone who would rather stay in their own home: one carer moves in, and couples can stay together.