Home Care in Cranbrook
Cranbrook has 3 CQC registered home care agencies. 3 are rated Good. All 3 were last inspected more than three years ago.
Source: Care Quality Commission register, kept up to date as ratings change.
Cranbrook at a glance
What the local numbers say about home care in Cranbrook, to help you judge the options below.
- Hourly care visits, Kent: £28.50 to £39.15 an hour. Middle half of prices from 7 agencies.
- People aged 75 and over: 13,300. Rising to 15,500 by 2035, up 17%
- Living with dementia, aged 65 and over (estimate): 1,800. Rising to 2,300 by 2035, up 28%
- People aged 85 and over: 4,000. Rising to 6,000 by 2035, up 52%
- Dementia diagnosis rate: 69%. The NHS ambition is 67%. Kent as a whole is 62%.
- Agencies in the borough, last 12 months: 0 opened, 2 closed. 20 registered today.
- Choice of agencies: 41 within 10 miles. In a typical neighbourhood. The nearest is under a mile away (0.7 miles).
- Compared with the rest of Kent: Fewer agencies. Tunbridge Wells has fewer agencies than average for the size of its older population.
Powered by Orrery Intelligence. Market model built 22 October 2026 (ONS 2022 based population projections, CQC register), published care home prices, council planning records.
Choosing a Home Care Agency in Cranbrook
When all three agencies share the same rating
Punctuality and continuity are the two things families notice most once home care actually begins. With Independent Care Solutions T/A Agacia Care Ltd, Kent SCP (Bowles Lodge) and Head First all rated Good, the published judgement will not separate them, so the inspection reports behind those ratings become the useful reading. Those reports describe different things in each case: how stable the staff team is, how calls are scheduled and covered when someone is off sick, how medicines are handled in the home, and how complaints are dealt with. It is also worth confirming what each agency is actually registered to provide, since a small listing can group together providers set up for quite different groups of people.
The practical questions that matter at home
Ask how many different carers are likely to come in a typical fortnight, because continuity matters more than almost anything else once a routine is established. Ask what the agency does when a carer is delayed or absent, whether anybody is told, and how late a visit can run before it is treated as missed. Check the minimum visit length offered, whether two carers attend where moving and handling requires it, and how care plans are reviewed as needs change. Ask who to ring out of hours and how quickly calls are answered. Finally, ask how the agency records what was done at each visit and whether families can see it.
Arranging and Funding Home Care in Cranbrook
Beginning with a care needs assessment
Anyone who appears to need care and support is entitled to a care needs assessment whatever their finances, and a relative giving unpaid care can request a carer's assessment of their own. A request to Kent County Council starts that process, and the council is also the body that agrees funded support once a financial assessment has looked at capital and income. The assessment produces a written account of what help is needed and how often, which is what agencies and funding decisions then work from. It is arranged rather than immediate, so asking early is worthwhile.
What home care tends to cost
Home care is normally charged by the hour or by the visit, with the weekly total depending on how many calls are needed and how long each one lasts. Rates are usually higher at weekends, on bank holidays and for visits requiring two carers. Where eligible needs are confirmed, the financial assessment decides the personal contribution and the council meets the remainder where the duty is its own. Those funding privately should ask for the hourly rate in writing, along with travel charges, cancellation terms and how much notice is needed to change a visit.
3 home care in Cranbrook
- Agacia Care · Unit 6, Cranbrook, Kent, TN17 2AF
Home care · CQC Good · Run by Agacia Care Ltd
At Agacia Care, we provide home care support to people living in Cranbrook and the surrounding areas of Kent. Our aim is straightforward: to help people live well in their own homes, on their own terms, with the right level of support...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults - SCP (Bowles Lodge) · Bowles Lodge, Cranbrook, Kent, TN18 4HT
Home care · CQC Good · Run by Kent Social Care Professionals Limited
Kent SCP at Bowles Lodge provides care and support to people in their own homes in and around Cranbrook. The people we work with include older people, younger adults, people living with dementia, people managing mental health conditions,...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults - Head First · Grove Mills, Cranbrook, Kent, TN18 4AS
Home care · CQC Good · Run by Head First (ARCM) Limited
We provide care at home in Cranbrook and the surrounding villages of Kent. We support older adults, people with physical disabilities, and younger adults who need help to manage day to day. Working across a rural area means being realistic...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Physical Disability, Younger Adults
What home care costs
| Type of care | What it costs |
|---|---|
| Hourly care visits, Kent Middle half of prices from 7 agencies. Median £32.00. | £28.50 to £39.15 an hour |
| What Kent pays Average hourly rate, October 2026. | £28.05 an hour |
| Homecare Association minimum price 2026 to 2027. The Association's estimate of the lowest price that covers the cost of delivering care. It is not a legal minimum. | £34.42 an hour |
| Live in care, England Middle half of prices from 62 agencies. Median £1,455. | £1,250 to £1,668 a week |
Published prices come from agencies that publish rates, so treat them as a guide. Ask the agency for its own price. Powered by Orrery Intelligence.
Inspected most recently
- Independent Care Solutions T/A Agacia Care Ltd, 2 August 2023, Good
- Head First, 9 January 2020, Good
- Kent SCP (Bowles Lodge), 12 October 2019, Good
Longest since a report
- Kent SCP (Bowles Lodge), 12 October 2019, Good
- Head First, 9 January 2020, Good
- Independent Care Solutions T/A Agacia Care Ltd, 2 August 2023, Good
Frequently asked questions about home care in Cranbrook
How many home care agencies are there in Cranbrook?
Cranbrook has 3 CQC registered home care agencies: 3 Good. Counts come from the CQC register and are kept up to date as ratings change.
How much does home care cost in Cranbrook?
Hourly care visits, Kent: £28.50 to £39.15 an hour. Middle half of prices from 7 agencies. Median £32.00. Published prices come from agencies that publish rates, so treat them as a guide. Ask the agency for its own price.
Which home care agencies in Cranbrook were inspected most recently?
Independent Care Solutions T/A Agacia Care Ltd (2 August 2023), Head First (9 January 2020) and Kent SCP (Bowles Lodge) (12 October 2019) have the most recent CQC reports.