Will Surrey County Council pay for home care in Guildford?

It may, depending on a financial assessment carried out after the care needs assessment. Surrey County Council looks at income, savings and capital, and contributes towards the cost where these fall below the national threshold. Funding is set at a level judged sufficient to meet assessed needs and can be taken as a direct payment so the household chooses its own agency. Where savings sit above the threshold, the arrangement is private between the family and the provider.

How do we arrange a care needs assessment in Guildford?

Contact the adult social care team at Surrey County Council and ask for a care needs assessment. It is free, it is not means tested and anyone who appears to need care is entitled to one. A relative, a GP or a hospital team can make the referral where the person cannot. The assessment considers daily tasks, safety and the support already being given, and it establishes how many hours of care are necessary.

How far in advance should we start arranging home care?

As soon as the need becomes foreseeable, because assessments take time and agencies cannot always start at once. A few weeks of notice lets you approach more than one provider and read the inspection reports carefully. Where a hospital discharge is being planned, tell the council early, since those cases follow a quicker route. If someone is declining gradually, arranging the assessment now prevents a rushed decision later.

Which home care agencies work in Guildford?

Seventeen agencies registered to deliver care at home are listed on this page, each registered with the Care Quality Commission. They include Sans Soucie Home Care, The Halow Care Agency and Mnara Health, alongside others covering the area. Every listing shows the provider name, the current CQC rating where one has been awarded and a link to the full profile. Coverage varies by address, so check that an agency visits the road concerned.

What should we ask a home care agency in Guildford before committing?

Ask how many different carers will visit in a typical fortnight and whether you can meet them in advance. Ask what the agency does when a carer is off sick, how late or missed visits are handled and who is contactable outside office hours. Check how the care plan is written, how often it is reviewed and how medication support is recorded. Request the full rate card in writing, covering weekend rates, travel charges and notice periods.

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

A care home provides accommodation with personal care, meaning help with washing, dressing, meals and medication. A nursing home provides the same alongside registered nurses on duty at all hours for clinical care. Home care differs from both, since the support comes to the person rather than the person moving. Many households use home care for years and consider residential care only when the hours needed become impractical.

Home Care in Guildford

Guildford has 17 CQC registered home care agencies. 12 are rated Good, 1 Outstanding, and 4 have not yet been rated. 8 of the 17 were last inspected more than three years ago.

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

Guildford at a glance

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

Hourly care visits, Surrey: £28.00 to £36.40 an hour. Middle half of prices from 5 agencies.
People aged 75 and over: 14,000. Rising to 16,000 by 2035, up 14%
Living with dementia, aged 65 and over (estimate): 1,900. Rising to 2,300 by 2035, up 22%
People aged 85 and over: 4,000. Rising to 5,800 by 2035, up 43%
Dementia diagnosis rate: 66%. The NHS ambition is 67%. Surrey as a whole is 68%.
Agencies in the borough, last 12 months: 0 opened, 0 closed. 19 registered today.
Choice of agencies: 150 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.

Planning and paying for home care in Guildford

Hourly rates are easy to compare and tell you surprisingly little, because what a household is really buying is reliability. The place to begin is an assessment of what care is actually needed.

Requesting a care needs assessment

An assessment is free, is not means tested and belongs to anyone who appears to need care. It examines the shape of an ordinary day: getting up, washing, dressing, preparing food, taking medication, moving safely about the house and coping alone in the evening. Surrey County Council Adult Social Care carries out that assessment and the financial assessment that follows, and the resulting support plan states how many hours are considered necessary. A relative providing daily support can ask for a carer's assessment of their own, which is separate and often overlooked in the rush to organise visits.

Rates, contributions and direct payments

Home care is charged by the hour or by the visit, with higher rates at weekends and on bank holidays and higher again where two carers are needed. Where the financial assessment finds income, savings and capital below the national threshold, the council contributes towards the cost, and that contribution can be taken as a direct payment so the household chooses its own agency. Above the threshold the arrangement is private. Ask for the full rate card in writing, including travel charges, minimum visit lengths and the notice needed to change or cancel, because those terms shift a weekly total considerably.

Choosing an agency in Guildford and what to check

With every rated agency sharing the same grade, the choice comes down to the detail in the reports and the quality of the answers you are given.

Getting more from a uniform set of ratings

Thirteen agencies here are rated Good and four carry no rating yet. A Good rating rests on separate judgements about safety, effectiveness, caring, responsiveness and leadership, so read which of those inspectors praised and which they merely passed. Look for comments on punctuality, staff supervision, medicines records and how complaints were handled, since those are the areas where a service either works or does not. Unrated agencies are generally newly registered rather than troubled, though they leave you with less evidence, so ask who runs them and where those people have worked before.

Questions that separate one agency from another

Ask how many different carers will visit over a fortnight, and whether the same person covers most mornings. Ask what happens when a regular carer is ill, how late a visit may run before the office telephones, and who answers the phone on a Sunday evening. Ask how care plans are written and reviewed, whether you can meet the carers beforehand, and how quickly hours can be increased after a spell in hospital. Ask finally what the agency turns down, because a provider that never says no is usually overstretched. Ask too how invoices are presented and how quickly hours can be reduced again if someone recovers, since flexibility in both directions is what keeps an arrangement working over time.

17 home care in Guildford

SureCare & Woking · P M House, Guildford, Surrey, GU3 1LZ
Home care · Run by Synergy Health & Care Limited
We at SureCare Guildford and Woking are proud to provide compassionate home care across Guildford, Woking, and the surrounding communities of Surrey. As a dedicated home care agency, we support people to live safely and comfortably in the...
Specialisms: Dementia Care, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment
Fastrack Care 25 · 19 Stonecrop Road, Guildford, Surrey, GU4 7XS
Home care · Run by Fastrack Care 25 Limited
At Fastrack Care 25, we provide home care to people across Guildford and the wider Surrey area, supporting individuals to live comfortably and independently in their own homes. We believe that familiar surroundings matter enormously to...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Physical Disability, Younger Adults
Luv To Care · Suite 6B, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 1QD
Home care · Run by Luv To Care Ltd
We at Luv To Care are proud to provide compassionate home care across Guildford and the surrounding Surrey community, supporting people to live well and safely in the place they know best: their own home. As a home care agency based in the...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Younger Adults, Alcohol / Drug Misuse
Everycare (Central) · 170 Epsom Road, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 2RP
Home care · CQC Good · Run by Everycare (Central Surrey) Ltd
At Everycare Central Surrey, we provide home care to people living in Guildford and the surrounding areas of Surrey. Our work centres on helping people remain in the comfort of their own homes, with the right level of support to live as...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability
All About Care · Unit 1, Guildford, Surrey, GU4 7NB
Home care · CQC Good · Run by All About Caring Ltd
We at All About Care are proud to be a trusted home care agency supporting older people and adults across Guildford and the surrounding Surrey communities. Our mission is simple: to deliver compassionate, personalised home care that allows...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Physical Disability
Doves Healthcare · 40 Baird Drive, Guildford, Surrey, GU3 3EF
Home care · CQC Good · Run by Doves Healthcare Ltd
At Doves Healthcare, we provide home care support to people living in Guildford and the surrounding areas of Surrey. We come to you, which means the people we support can stay in the place that matters most to them: 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
DBAM · SUITE 64 & 65, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 8XG
Home care · CQC Good · Run by DBAM Solutions Ltd
We at DBAM Guildford are proud to provide compassionate home care across Guildford and the surrounding Surrey communities, supporting people to live safely and independently in the place they know and love best: their own home. Operating...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults, Alcohol / Drug Misuse
West 1 Reablement Service · Millmead House, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 4BB
Home care · CQC Outstanding · Run by SCC Adult Social Care
We are a reablement team working with people in their own homes across Guildford and the surrounding parts of Surrey. Our purpose differs from ongoing home care. We come in for a limited period, usually after a hospital stay, an illness or...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults
Shammah Healthcare · 35 Applegarth Avenue, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 8LX
Home care · CQC Good · Run by Shammah Healthcare Limited
At Shammah Healthcare, we provide home care support to people living in Guildford and the surrounding areas of Surrey. Our work centres on helping individuals remain in the comfort of their own homes, with the right level of support to...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Younger Adults
The Halow Care Agency · Carroll House, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 3UY
Home care · CQC Good · Run by Halow Project
We at The Halow Care Agency are proud to provide compassionate home care across Guildford and the surrounding Surrey community, supporting individuals to live well and independently in the comfort of their own homes. Based in the GU...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Younger Adults
Mnara Health · Unit 13 Headley House, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 9JX
Home care · CQC Good · Run by Mnara Health Ltd
We at Mnara Health are proud to provide compassionate home care across Guildford and the wider Surrey area, supporting people to live safely and comfortably in the place they know best: their own home. Based in the GU postcode area, our...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults
suite B, 1st Floor Shaw House 2-3 Tunsgate GU1 3QT · Suite B, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 3QT
Home care · Run by Rainbow Health & Care Ltd
We are a home care agency based in Guildford, supporting people to carry on living in their own homes across this part of Surrey. We visit older people and younger adults, including people living with dementia or with mental ill health and...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Younger Adults
Your Life · The Clockhouse, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 1FF
Home care · CQC Good · Run by Yourlife Management Services Limited
We at Your Life (Guildford) are proud to provide compassionate home care across the welcoming town of Guildford, supporting individuals to live well and safely in the place they know best: their own home. Serving families throughout the GU...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults
Sans Soucie Home Care · Unit 5, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 9JX
Home care · CQC Good · Run by Sans Soucie Home Care Ltd
We at Sans Soucie Home Care are proud to provide compassionate home care across Guildford and the surrounding areas of Surrey, supporting people to live well in the place they know and love most: their own home. Based in the GU postcode...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults
SD Care Agency · 54 Chertsey Street, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 4HD
Home care · CQC Good · Run by San Damiano Corporation Ltd
SD Care Agency supports people in their own homes in Guildford and across this part of Surrey. We work with older people, people living with dementia, adults with a learning disability, autistic adults, people living with mental ill...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Younger Adults
Albury Care · Edan House, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 2PX
Home care · CQC Good · Run by Albury Care Limited
Albury Care provides care in people's own homes in Guildford and across Surrey. We support older people, adults living with dementia, people living with mental health conditions, and people with a physical disability or a visual or hearing...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment
Alina Homecare · 1 Beaufort Parklands, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 9JX
Home care · CQC Good · Run by Alina Homecare Ltd
Alina Homecare Guildford is a home care agency supporting adults in their own homes across the town and the surrounding area. The people we work with are a wide mix: older people and younger adults, people living with dementia, adults with...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults, Alcohol / Drug Misuse

What home care costs

Type of care	What it costs
Hourly care visits, Surrey Middle half of prices from 5 agencies. Median £36.00.	£28.00 to £36.40 an hour
What Surrey pays Average hourly rate, October 2026.	£24.87 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

West 1 Reablement Service, 24 July 2026, Outstanding
Albury Care Limited, 6 July 2026, Good
All About Care, 30 June 2026, Good

Longest since a report

Doves Healthcare Ltd, 18 February 2020, Good
Mnara Health, 19 May 2021, Good
Everycare (Central Surrey), 9 June 2021, Good

Frequently asked questions about home care in Guildford

How many home care agencies are there in Guildford?

Guildford has 17 CQC registered home care agencies: 1 Outstanding, 12 Good, 4 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 Guildford?

Hourly care visits, Surrey: £28.00 to £36.40 an hour. Middle half of prices from 5 agencies. Median £36.00. 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 Guildford were inspected most recently?

West 1 Reablement Service (24 July 2026), Albury Care Limited (6 July 2026) and All About Care (30 June 2026) have the most recent CQC reports.

Local care news in Surrey

New 30 bed care home registered with CQC in Waverley: Bridge House Care Home (5 November 2026)
CQC register adds a new care home in Waverley: Cedar Court Care Home (5 November 2026)

More local care news for Surrey