✧ Live-in care in Berkshire
Live-in Care Across Berkshire
Live-in care in Berkshire brings one carer to live with your relative, in Reading, Newbury, Windsor, Maidenhead, Wokingham or a village in the Berkshire countryside. We arrange home care across the county, from £1,200 a week, with carers you choose.
- 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 across Berkshire
Berkshire stretches from the busy towns of the Thames Valley, such as Reading, Slough, Maidenhead, Windsor, Bracknell and Wokingham, west to Newbury, Thatcham, Hungerford and the rural villages of the North Wessex Downs. Families searching for home care in Berkshire often find that care agencies are stretched in the towns and hard to find in the countryside. A live-in carer provides consistent support wherever your relative lives.
We have local pages for Reading, Newbury, Wokingham, Bracknell, Windsor, Maidenhead, Slough, Ascot and Thatcham.
The Royal Berkshire, Wexham Park and Frimley
Hospital care depends on where in the county your relative lives: the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading for the centre and west, Wexham Park Hospital in Slough for the east, and Frimley Park for the south-east corner. West Berkshire Community Hospital in Thatcham and St Mark's in Maidenhead provide community services. A live-in carer in Berkshire can be arranged for whichever hospital discharges your relative.
Six councils, no county council
Berkshire County Council was abolished in 1998. Today, adult social care is run by six unitary councils: West Berkshire, Reading, Wokingham, Bracknell Forest, the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, and Slough. Each carries out free needs assessments and carer's assessments, and may contribute to care depending on savings. Check your relative's council tax bill if you are unsure which one applies.
Staying at home in the Thames Valley
Many families in Berkshire are busy with work and long commutes, and cannot be with a parent during the day. A live-in carer means someone is always there, and lets couples stay together. You choose your carer from matched profiles and a video call.
In the west of the county, around Hungerford, Lambourn and the Downs, homes can be a long way from any town. A carer who drives can keep your relative connected to appointments, shops and friends, and we match carers experienced with dementia, Parkinson's and recovery after surgery.
Care homes locally
Care homes in Berkshire, and the alternative
Our care-home directory lists 149 registered care homes in Berkshire, with 4,722 beds between them. Of the 132 with a current Care Quality Commission rating, 12 rated Outstanding, 94 rated Good, 25 require improvement and 1 rated Inadequate. 53 provide nursing care and 76 support people living with dementia.
If a move into one of these homes is on the table, it is worth comparing it with live-in care: one carer living in your relative’s own home in Berkshire, looking after only them. See what live-in care costs, or ask us to check carer availability in Berkshire.
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 →
What a live-in carer does day to day, what is not included, and the three steps to arranging it: how live-in care works →
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 people who would be caring for your family
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
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Monica
Live-in carer
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Refiloe
Live-in carer
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Patience
Live-in carer
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Gladys
Live-in carer
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Brenda
Live-in carer
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Vistorine
Live-in carer
Our services
Our live-in care services
Nearby
Areas we cover near Berkshire
Free callback
Speak to someone about live-in care
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
Questions about live-in care here
Local answers on paying for care, nearby areas and care homes.
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 questionsIs there help with the cost of care in Berkshire?
Often, yes. Your local council's adult social care team can carry out a free needs assessment and, depending on savings, may contribute to the cost. Where needs are mainly health-related, NHS Continuing Healthcare can pay in full. Attendance Allowance, paid to people over State Pension age who need help with personal care, is not means-tested and can be put towards care.
How many care homes are there in Berkshire?
Our care-home directory lists 149 registered care homes in Berkshire, with 4,722 beds between them. Of those with a current Care Quality Commission rating, 12 rated Outstanding, 94 rated Good, 25 rated Requires improvement and 1 rated Inadequate. If you are weighing up a care home, live-in care is the alternative that keeps your relative at home with one carer supporting only them, and we can explain how the two compare on cost.