How do I arrange a care needs assessment in Dover?

Contact the adult social care team at Kent County Council and ask for an assessment for yourself or the person you support. It is free and open to anyone who appears to need care and support, whatever their savings, so it is worth requesting even if you intend to pay privately. The assessment can happen at home or before a hospital discharge, and notes about which parts of the day are hardest help the assessor build an accurate picture. Ask for the written outcome, since any care package is based on it.

Can Kent County Council help pay for care in Dover?

It can, where a care needs assessment identifies eligible needs and a financial assessment shows the person qualifies for help with the cost, whether the care is delivered at home or in a care home. Income, savings and any property are taken into account when the contribution is calculated. Council funding extends up to the rate set for the assessed level of need, so a more expensive arrangement may require a contribution from family. Ask for the figures and the agreed hours in writing before care starts.

Which home care agencies in Dover are listed on this page?

Thirty four home care agencies registered with the Care Quality Commission appear in this listing. They include Inchwater Home Care, Virtuous Health Group, Royal Care Dover, Infinity Care Limited, Healing Touch Care Limited and Chameleon Care Ltd, alongside smaller and more recently registered providers. Each has a profile showing its current rating and, where an inspection has taken place, a link to the report. Contact the agencies that cover your postcode directly, as coverage areas vary.

What is the difference between a care home and a nursing home?

A residential care home provides accommodation with help for everyday living such as washing, dressing, meals, medication and company, with care staff on duty at all hours. A nursing home does the same and also has registered nurses on site for clinical needs such as complex wounds or an unstable long term condition. Home care differs from both, since the person stays in their own home and carers visit for agreed periods each day. Many families use home care first and consider a move only when visits no longer provide enough cover.

How far in advance should home care be arranged?

Start as soon as the gaps in someone's day become clear rather than waiting for a fall or an admission to force the issue. Agencies in Dover can be short of capacity at popular times, particularly early mornings and evenings, so the slot you want may not be free immediately. A few weeks of notice allows time to complete an assessment, compare agencies and agree a care plan without pressure. Where a hospital discharge is imminent, tell the ward and the council early so that care can be lined up before the person comes home.

What should I ask a home care agency in Dover before signing up?

Ask how many different carers would come in a fortnight and whether you are told in advance who is visiting, because continuity matters more than almost anything else. Ask what happens when a carer is off sick and how quickly a replacement is found. Ask who writes and reviews the care plan, how medication is recorded and how concerns are handled. Ask for the hourly rates in writing, including evenings and weekends, and check how much notice is needed to change or cancel visits.

Home Care in Dover

Dover has 34 CQC registered home care agencies. 16 are rated Good, 2 Outstanding, 4 Requires improvement, and 12 have not yet been rated. 19 of the 34 were last inspected more than three years ago.

Source: Care Quality Commission register, kept up to date as ratings change.

Dover at a glance

What the local numbers say about home care in Dover, to help you judge the options below.

Hourly care visits, South East: £28.00 to £36.96 an hour. Middle half of prices from 24 agencies.
People aged 75 and over: 16,400. Rising to 19,500 by 2035, up 18%
Living with dementia, aged 65 and over (estimate): 2,100. Rising to 2,700 by 2035, up 30%
People aged 85 and over: 4,400. Rising to 7,100 by 2035, up 60%
Dementia diagnosis rate: 52%. The NHS ambition is 67%. Hampshire as a whole is 64%.
Agencies in the borough, last 12 months: 2 opened, 1 closed. 38 registered today.
Choice of agencies: 47 within 10 miles. In a typical neighbourhood. The nearest is under a mile away (0.7 miles).

Powered by Orrery Intelligence. Market model built 22 October 2026 (ONS 2022 based population projections, CQC register), published care home prices, council planning records.

Arranging and funding home care in Dover

Home care is often arranged in a hurry, after a fall or a discharge, and the funding question tends to arrive late. Opening it early changes what is possible, because the number of hours a council agrees to fund shapes which of the thirty four agencies in this Dover listing can realistically build a rota around your relative. Two assessments sit behind the answer, one about need and one about money.

Requesting a care needs assessment

Anyone who appears to need care and support can ask for a care needs assessment, and it is free whatever their income or savings. Kent County Council is responsible for carrying out that assessment for people living in Dover and for deciding which needs are eligible for funded support. An assessor looks at washing, dressing, meals, medication, mobility and safety at home, and asks what the person wants their day to look like, then records the eligible needs in writing. Ask for a copy, because the hours and tasks in a care package are drawn directly from it, and an unpaid carer can request a separate carer's assessment of their own.

What home care costs and who pays

A financial assessment then considers income, savings and property to work out the person's contribution. Where the council funds a package, it pays up to the rate it has set for the assessed level of need, and anyone arranging care privately contracts with the agency directly. Agencies in Dover usually charge an hourly rate, often higher for evenings, weekends and bank holidays, with shorter visits sometimes charged at a minimum length. Ask for the rates in writing, along with what happens when a visit runs over, whether travel time is charged, and how much notice is needed to change or cancel a call.

Choosing a home care agency in Dover and what to check

An agency is not judged on its building. What matters is who turns up, whether it is the same person each week, and what happens when that person is ill. Those are the questions that separate the thirty four providers listed here.

Using the inspection evidence

Every agency on this page is registered with the Care Quality Commission. Inchwater Home Care currently holds an Outstanding rating. Sixteen are rated Good, among them Virtuous Health Group, Royal Care Dover, Infinity Care Limited, Healing Touch Care Limited and Wave Hill. Four are rated Requires Improvement, including Big Hearts Recruitment Ltd, Flamelily Independent Living and Scodef Care. Twelve have not yet been rated, which for a domiciliary agency very often means it registered recently. Each rating summarises five separate judgements about safety, effectiveness, care, responsiveness and leadership, and the report explains which of them carried the verdict. For an unrated agency, ask the manager how it recruits, trains and supervises staff, and what its own quality checks look like.

Questions to ask before you commit

Ask how many different carers would visit in a typical fortnight and whether you would be told in advance who is coming. Ask what the agency does when a carer calls in sick, and how late a visit can run before you are contacted. Ask who writes the care plan, how often it is reviewed and whether the family is included. Ask how medication is recorded, how concerns are raised and answered, and how much notice either side must give to end the arrangement.

34 home care in Dover

Royal Care · Unit 5 Poulton Business Park, Dover, Kent, CT17 0HL
Home care · CQC Good · Run by Sreevijay Ltd
Royal Care Dover supports people in their own homes in Dover and across this corner of Kent. We take on a wider range of need than many agencies. Most of our work is with older adults, a good number living with dementia. We also support...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults, Eating Disorders, Alcohol / Drug Misuse
Wave Hill · 5 Salisbury Road, Dover, Kent, CT15 6DL
Home care · CQC Good · Run by Mrs Tina Dennison
Wave Hill provides care and support to people in their own homes in Dover and the surrounding parts of Kent. We support older people, adults with a learning disability or autism, people living with a mental health condition, adults with a...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults
Bluebird Care Canterbury, Thanet, Folkestone · The Archive Centre, Dover, Kent, CT16 3EH
Home care · CQC Good · Run by Care and Training Services Limited
We at Bluebird Care Canterbury, Thanet, Folkestone and Dover are proud to provide trusted home care across Dover and the wider Kent coast, supporting people to live well and independently in the place they love most: their own home....
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults, Eating Disorders, Alcohol / Drug Misuse
Nurse Plus UK · Beechwood House, Dover, Kent, CT16 3PN
Home care · CQC Good · Run by Nurse Plus and Carer Plus (UK) Limited
We at Nurse Plus UK Dover are proud to provide compassionate home care across Dover and the surrounding Kent communities, supporting people to live safely and comfortably in the place they know best: their own home. As a trusted home care...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults, Alcohol / Drug Misuse
Chameleon Care · 1st Floor, Dover, Kent, CT17 0HL
Home care · CQC Good · Run by Chameleon Care Limited
Chameleon Care in Dover supports people in their own homes across Dover and the surrounding parts of Kent. We work with older people, adults living with dementia, those managing a mental health condition, people with a physical disability,...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Younger Adults
Healing Touch Care · Office 7 Pelican House, Andover, Hampshire, SP10 1DR
Home care · CQC Good · Run by Healing Touch Care Ltd
Healing Touch Care provides care and support in people's own homes in Andover and the surrounding parts of Hampshire. Most people would far rather stay where they are than move, and our work is to make that a safe and dependable...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults
Lauriem Beeches (EC) · Cranleigh Drive, Dover, Kent, CT16 3FG
Home care · Run by Lauriem Complete Care Limited
We are Lauriem Beeches, a home care provider based in Dover supporting people in their own homes across this part of Kent. We work with older people and people living with dementia, people with a physical disability, and younger adults who...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Physical Disability, Younger Adults
YourCare Support · Unit 17, Andover, Hampshire, SP10 5AP
Home care · Run by YourCare Support Ltd
YourCare Support provides care and support to people in their own homes in Andover and across Hampshire. We visit older people and younger adults, including people living with dementia or with mental ill health, people with a physical...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults
Agincare UK · 28A High Street, Andover, Hampshire, SP10 1NN
Home care · CQC Good · Run by Agincare UK Limited
We are a home care agency in Andover, supporting people in their own homes across this part of Hampshire. We work with older people, including many living with dementia, with adults who have a learning disability or autism, with people who...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults
Virstaf Healthcare · Virstaf Healthcare, Andover, Hampshire, SP10 3FG
Home care · Run by Virstaf Healthcare Ltd
At Virstaf Healthcare, we provide home care to people living in Andover and the surrounding areas of Hampshire. Our work is straightforward in its purpose: to help people remain in their own homes, living as independently as possible, with...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Physical Disability, Younger Adults
Caremark Test Valley & East Wiltshire · Office 27, Andover, Hampshire, SP10 3FG
Home care · Run by MRHH Limited
We at Caremark Test Valley & East Wiltshire are proud to offer compassionate home care across Andover and the surrounding communities of Hampshire, supporting people to live well and safely in the place they know best: their own home....
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Physical Disability, Younger Adults
Vibrant Care Home · 409 - 411 Folkestone Road, Dover, Kent, CT17 9JT
Home care · Run by Faseha Healthcare Recruitment Ltd
Vibrant Care provides care and support to people in their own homes in Dover and the surrounding part of Kent. We work with older people and younger adults, people living with dementia, and people whose physical disability makes everyday...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Physical Disability, Younger Adults
Priory Supported Living · Buckland, Dover, Kent, CT17 0TQ
Home care · CQC Good · Run by Craegmoor Homes Limited
Priory Supported Living Kent supports people in their own homes and tenancies across Dover and the surrounding area. We work with autistic adults and adults with a learning disability, people managing mental ill health, younger adults and...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Younger Adults
Dover · 1st Floor, Dover, Kent, CT16 1PT
Home care · CQC Good · Run by Meridian Community Care Limited
We are a home care agency in Dover, supporting adults across the town and the surrounding part of Kent in their own homes. The people we visit include older people, those living with dementia, people managing mental health conditions,...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults
DarPro Care Services · Chantry House, Andover, Hampshire, SP10 1LZ
Home care · Run by DarPro Care Services Ltd
We at DarPro Care are proud to offer compassionate home care across Andover and the surrounding Hampshire community, supporting individuals who wish to remain living safely and comfortably in the place they know best: their own home. Based...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Younger Adults
Ori Healthcare · Office 8, Andover, Hampshire, SP11 8SH
Home care · Run by Ori Healthcare Ltd
We at Ori Healthcare are proud to offer compassionate home care across Andover and the surrounding Hampshire community, supporting people to live well and safely in the place they know best: their own home. Based in the SP postcode area,...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Physical Disability, Younger Adults
Flamelily Independent Living · Unit 51/51a Basepoint Centres Ltd, Andover, Hampshire, SP10 3FG
Home care · CQC Requires improvement · Run by Flamelily Independent Living Ltd
Flamelily Independent Living provides care at home for people across Andover and the surrounding parts of Hampshire. Our work is to supply the support that keeps somebody independent in their own home, arriving when it is needed and...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults
Infinity Care · Unit 38, Andover, Hampshire, SP10 3FG
Home care · CQC Good · Run by Infinity Care Limited
Infinity Care provides support in people's own homes in Andover and the surrounding part of Hampshire. We work with older people, adults living with dementia, people with mental health needs, people with physical disabilities, people with...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults
Scodef Care · 36 Biggin Street, Dover, Kent, CT16 1BU
Home care · CQC Requires improvement · Run by Scodef Ltd
At Scodef Care, we provide home care support to people living in Dover and across the wider Kent area. We work with individuals who have a range of needs, including those living with dementia, learning disabilities, autism, physical...
Specialisms: Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment
Enham Trust - Care & Support at Home · Enham Place, Andover, Hampshire, SP11 6JS
Home care · CQC Requires improvement · Run by Enham Trust
Enham Trust Care and Support at Home provides care and support to people in their own homes in Andover and across Hampshire. The people we work with include older people, younger adults, people living with dementia, adults with learning...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults
Opportunities for Adults and Children · The Wellington Centre, Andover, Hampshire, SP10 2EG
Home care · Run by Purple Oak Support
We are Opportunities for Adults and Children, based in Andover, and we provide support in people's own homes across this part of Hampshire. The people we work with are a wide group: older people, many living with dementia, adults with...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults
Bluebird Care & Stockbridge · 4 London Street, Andover, Hampshire, SP10 2PA
Home care · CQC Outstanding · Run by Belrose Limited
We are Bluebird Care Andover and Stockbridge, a home care agency supporting people in their own homes across Andover, Stockbridge and the surrounding part of Hampshire. We exist so that people do not have to leave a home they love in order...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults
New Pathways Healthcare · Office 7, Andover, Hampshire, SP10 1PA
Home care · CQC Good · Run by New Pathways Healthcare Limited
At New Pathways Healthcare, we provide home care to people living in Andover and the surrounding areas of Hampshire. Our aim is simple: to support people in living as independently and comfortably as possible within their own homes,...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults
Butterflies In Romsey · Unit 30, Andover, Hampshire, SP10 5AP
Home care · CQC Good · Run by Butterflies Home Care Ltd
We provide support at home around Andover and the surrounding area, working with older people and younger adults, including adults with learning disabilities, autistic people and people with physical disabilities. Our work falls into two...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Physical Disability, Younger Adults
AM Homecare Services Test Valley · Office No 7, Andover, Hampshire, SP10 1PA
Home care · Run by AM Homecare Services Ltd
We at AM Homecare Test Valley are proud to offer compassionate home care to families across Andover and the wider Test Valley area of Hampshire. As a dedicated domiciliary care provider, we bring professional support directly into the...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults
Big Hearts Recruitment · Suite 44, Andover, Hampshire, SP10 3FG
Home care · CQC Requires improvement · Run by Big Hearts Recruitment Ltd
We at Big Hearts Recruitment are a dedicated home care agency based in Andover, Hampshire, supporting individuals across the local community to live well and safely within the comfort of their own homes. Our mission is simple: to bring...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Younger Adults
Alina Homecare · Suite 219, Andover, Hampshire, SP11 6RU
Home care · CQC Good · Run by Alina Homecare Services Limited
We at Alina Homecare Andover are proud to provide compassionate home care across Andover and the surrounding Hampshire communities, supporting people to live well and safely in the place they know best: their own home. Based in the SP...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Physical Disability, Younger Adults
Nurseplus UK · Unit 5, Andover, Hampshire, SP10 1NS
Home care · CQC Good · Run by Nurse Plus and Carer Plus (UK) Limited
We at Nurseplus UK Andover are proud to provide compassionate home care across Andover and the wider Hampshire community, supporting people to live safely and comfortably in the place they know best: their own home. As a home care agency...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults, Eating Disorders, Alcohol / Drug Misuse
Andover Wiltshire · Unit 3d, Andover, Wiltshire, SP11 9FA
Home care · Run by Fam Care Ltd
We at Andover Wiltshire are proud to offer compassionate home care across Andover and the surrounding Wiltshire communities, supporting older people, younger adults, and those living with a range of conditions to remain safely and...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults
LDC Care Co Supported Living - Birch Tree · 109 Barton Road, Dover, Kent, CT16 2LX
Home care · Run by LDC Care Company Ltd
We at LDC Care Co Supported Living Birch Tree are proud to offer compassionate home care across Dover and the wider Kent community, supporting individuals to live well and confidently within the comfort of their own homes. Based in the CT...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults
Beryl Care Services · 26 Galbraith Road, Andover, Hampshire, SP11 6AZ
Home care · CQC Good · Run by Beryl Solutions Ltd
We at Beryl Care Services are proud to be a trusted home care provider based in Andover, Hampshire, supporting individuals to live well and independently within the comfort and familiarity of their own homes. Our personalised approach to...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults, Alcohol / Drug Misuse
With You Care · Unit 4, Andover, Hampshire, SP10 5NX
Home care · Run by With You Care Ltd
We at With You Care are a dedicated home care agency proudly supporting families across Andover and the surrounding Hampshire communities. Our mission is to bring compassionate, personalised care directly into the place people love most:...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults
Inchwater Home Care · Suite 2, Dover, Kent, CT16 2HQ
Home care · CQC Outstanding · Run by Inchwater Ltd
We at Inchwater Home Care are proud to provide compassionate home care across Dover and the surrounding communities of Kent. As a dedicated home care agency, we bring professional, personalised support directly to the place where people...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults
Virtuous Health Group · Unit 20 Walworth Enterprise Centre, Andover, Hampshire, SP10 5AP
Home care · CQC Good · Run by Virtuous Health Group Limited
Virtuous Health Group provides care in people's own homes in Andover and across Hampshire. We support older people, adults living with dementia, people with a learning disability or autism, adults with a physical disability or a visual or...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults, Eating Disorders

What home care costs

Type of care	What it costs
Hourly care visits, South East Middle half of prices from 24 agencies. Median £32.92. Shown for South East because too few Hampshire agencies publish a rate.	£28.00 to £36.96 an hour
What Hampshire pays Average hourly rate, October 2026.	£25.90 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

Scodef Care, 27 April 2026, Requires improvement
Infinity Care Limited, 2 April 2026, Good
Opportunities for Adults and Children, 2 March 2026, Not yet rated

Longest since a report

Nurseplus UK - Andover, 14 April 2018, Good
Beryl Care Services, 17 August 2018, Good
Nurse Plus UK - Dover, 13 September 2018, Good

Frequently asked questions about home care in Dover

How many home care agencies are there in Dover?

Dover has 34 CQC registered home care agencies: 2 Outstanding, 16 Good, 4 Requires improvement, 12 not yet rated. Counts come from the CQC register and are kept up to date as ratings change.

How much does home care cost in Dover?

Hourly care visits, South East: £28.00 to £36.96 an hour. Middle half of prices from 24 agencies. Median £32.92. Shown for South East because too few Hampshire agencies publish a rate. 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 Dover were inspected most recently?

Scodef Care (27 April 2026), Infinity Care Limited (2 April 2026) and Opportunities for Adults and Children (2 March 2026) have the most recent CQC reports.