Will Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council help pay for home care?

It may, where a care needs assessment shows that support is necessary and a financial assessment shows income, savings and capital below the national threshold. The council then contributes towards the cost of the agreed visits. Anyone above the threshold arranges and pays for their own care, although the council still offers information and advice about how to do it. Where funding is agreed, ask about a direct payment so that the choice of agency remains yours.

How do I arrange a care needs assessment in Southport?

Contact the adult social care team at Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council and ask for a care needs assessment for the person who needs support. Entitlement does not depend on savings or income, and you can make the request on someone else's behalf with their agreement. An assessor will look at which everyday tasks have become difficult and what help would keep the person safe at home. If you provide care yourself, ask for a carer's assessment at the same time, because that is a separate right.

How soon should we start looking for home care?

Earlier than most people expect, since assessments take weeks and agencies do not always have capacity across every part of Southport straight away. Starting while the person can still express a preference means the arrangement fits them rather than an emergency. If a hospital discharge is approaching, tell the ward team promptly so the assessment and any funding decision run alongside the medical planning. Even a rough shortlist prepared in advance takes considerable pressure out of a sudden change.

Which home care agencies serve Southport?

This search returns twenty agencies registered with the Care Quality Commission to provide personal care in Southport. They include Alcedo Care Southport, Pinewoods Homecare, Helping Hands Southport, Home Instead, The Care Worker Agency, Caremark and Delta Care Ltd among others. Each has a profile here showing its registration and any published inspection outcome. The list follows current registration data, so it changes as agencies register or withdraw.

What should I ask an agency before arranging care?

Ask to see the most recent inspection report and have the manager talk you through anything inspectors raised. Ask how carers are recruited, what training they complete before their first visit and how they are supervised afterwards. Ask specifically about continuity, missed visits and out of hours contact, as those are the failures families notice first. Ask for the names of existing clients willing to speak to you, and treat reluctance as information in itself.

How does home care differ from a care home or a nursing home?

Home care is delivered in visits to someone's own house, so there is no move and no loss of familiar surroundings. A care home provides accommodation with help for daily living but has no registered nurses on duty. A nursing home offers that same support with qualified nurses available for clinical needs. Many people in Southport use home care for years and only consider residential options when night time needs or safety concerns make visits insufficient.

Home Care in Southport

Southport has 20 CQC registered home care agencies. 12 are rated Good, 3 Requires improvement, 1 Inadequate, and 4 have not yet been rated. 14 of the 20 were last inspected more than three years ago.

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

Southport at a glance

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

Hourly care visits, North West: £25.00 to £28.90 an hour. Middle half of prices from 9 agencies.
People aged 75 and over: 34,900. Rising to 40,300 by 2035, up 15%
Living with dementia, aged 65 and over (estimate): 4,700. Rising to 5,600 by 2035, up 19%
People aged 85 and over: 10,000. Rising to 12,900 by 2035, up 30%
Dementia diagnosis rate: 69%. The NHS ambition is 67%.
Agencies in the borough, last 12 months: 0 opened, 1 closed. 48 registered today.
Choice of agencies: 159 within 10 miles. In a typical neighbourhood. The nearest is under a mile away (0.5 miles).
Compared with the rest of Sefton: Fewer agencies. Sefton 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.

Planning and paying for home care in Southport

Very little about the money is decided by the agency you eventually choose. The starting point is a care needs assessment, which establishes what help is genuinely required and how often, and it is carried out by Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council as the authority responsible for adult social care locally. The right to that assessment applies whatever someone's savings, and a relative already providing support can request a separate carer's assessment alongside it.

Who pays for the visits

A financial assessment of income, savings and capital sets the funding route. Where these sit above the national threshold the care is self funded, and where they fall below the council contributes towards the agreed support. If funding is granted, ask about a direct payment, which sends the money to you and leaves the choice of agency in your hands rather than allocating a provider. Carers can also ask about respite arrangements at this stage, since those usually follow from a carer's assessment rather than being offered unprompted.

What the visits cost

Home care is charged by the hour or by the visit, and rates differ between agencies in Southport depending on visit length, the time of day and whether weekends or bank holidays are involved. Ask for a written schedule of charges covering the minimum visit length, whether travel time is billed and what happens if a call overruns. Think carefully before building a package out of very short calls, because personal care, a meal and a moment of conversation rarely fit into fifteen rushed minutes, and a package that works on paper can fail at the door.

Choosing an agency and what to check

Twenty providers is a list you can work through properly. Names on it include Alcedo Care Southport, Pinewoods Homecare, Helping Hands Southport, Home Instead, Caremark and Delta Care Ltd, alongside smaller local operations. Size tells you very little on its own, and the question that matters is who actually arrives at the door and how often that person changes.

Questions that separate one agency from another

Ask how many different carers would typically visit over a fortnight, because continuity is what families raise most once care is under way. Ask what happens when a regular carer is off sick, how you are told about a late visit and who answers the telephone outside office hours. Ask how medication is recorded and who reviews those records. Ask whether the care plan is written with the person receiving support and how often it is genuinely revisited rather than filed.

Using the ratings on this page

Twelve agencies here are rated Good, three Requires Improvement and one Inadequate, with four not yet rated. Where a rating exists, read the report rather than the word and check the inspection date, since a team can change entirely within two years. An Inadequate rating deserves particular scrutiny, and if you are considering that provider, ask the manager precisely what has changed and what oversight is in place. Where nothing has been published, ask how long the agency has operated, who registered it and when an inspection is expected.

20 home care in Southport

Hatherlow House · 27 Park Crescent, Southport, Sefton, PR9 9LR
Home care · CQC Good · Run by Methodist Homes
We at Hatherlow House are proud to provide trusted home care across Southport and the wider Sefton area, supporting older people, younger adults, and those living with dementia to remain safe, comfortable, and independent within the place...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Younger Adults
Alcedo Care · 31-33 Hoghton Street, Southport, Sefton, PR9 0NS
Home care · CQC Good · Run by Alcedo Blue Limited
We at Alcedo Care Southport are proud to provide compassionate home care across Southport and the wider Sefton community, supporting people to live well in the place they know and love most: their own home. Operating throughout the PR...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults, Eating Disorders, Alcohol / Drug Misuse
365 support services · 1 Sussex Road, Southport, Sefton, PR9 0SS
Home care · CQC Good · Run by 365 Support Limited
We at 365 support care are proud to provide compassionate home care across Southport and the wider Sefton community, supporting people to live well and safely in the place they know best: their own home. Operating throughout the Southport...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Younger Adults
Care Concern (NW) · 284 Liverpool Road, Southport, Sefton, PR8 4PE
Home care · CQC Good · Run by Care Concern (NW) Limited
We provide care at home in Southport and the surrounding part of Sefton, supporting people who want to carry on living in their own houses. What our visits involve depends entirely on the person, which is why we begin with a conversation...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults
Gentle Shores Care · Suite 17a, Southport, Sefton, PR8 5AB
Home care · Run by Gentle Shores Care Ltd
We at Gentle Shores Care are proud to offer compassionate home care across Southport, bringing dedicated support directly into the familiar surroundings of your loved one's own home. As a trusted home care agency in the Sefton area, we...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults
Pinewoods Homecare · Suite 13, Southport, Sefton, PR8 2DT
Home care · CQC Good · Run by Quality Home Care (NW) Limited
We at Pinewoods Homecare are proud to provide compassionate home care across Southport and the wider Sefton area, supporting individuals to live safely and comfortably in the place they know best: their own home. Our dedicated team...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults
Community Care Direct · 86-90, Southport, Sefton, PR8 1EF
Home care · CQC Requires improvement · Run by Community Care Direct Limited
Here at Community Care Direct, we provide home care to people living in Southport and across the Sefton area. Our work centres on helping individuals remain in the comfort and familiarity of their own homes, with support that fits around...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Physical Disability, Younger Adults
Helping Hands · 139 Eastbank Street, Southport, Sefton, PR8 1DQ
Home care · CQC Good · Run by Midshires Care Limited
We at Helping Hands Southport are proud to provide compassionate home care across Southport and the wider Sefton area, supporting people to live well and safely in the place they know best: their own home. Based in the PR postcode area,...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults
Apollo Care · Suite 9, Southport, Sefton, PR8 2DT
Home care · Run by Cousin Care Ltd
Apollo Care Southport provides care at home in Southport and the surrounding area. We support older adults and younger adults, people living with dementia, and those with a physical disability or a visual or hearing impairment. Most of the...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults
Outreach · 1st Floor, Southport, Sefton, PR9 7LN
Home care · CQC Requires improvement · Run by Outreach (Sefton) Limited
At Outreach Sefton, we provide home care to people living in Southport and the surrounding areas of Sefton, supporting individuals to remain in the comfort and familiarity of their own homes for as long as they wish to do so. We work with...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults
The Care Worker Agency · 91a King Street, Southport, Sefton, PR8 1LQ
Home care · CQC Good · Run by Townsend Jackson Limited
At The Care Worker Agency, we provide home care support to people living in Southport and across the Sefton area. We work with individuals in their own homes, helping them to maintain their independence and continue living life on their...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults, Eating Disorders, Alcohol / Drug Misuse
Delta Care · 93 Tulketh Street, Southport, Sefton, PR8 1AW
Home care · CQC Good · Run by Delta Care Ltd
Delta Care provides care and support in people's own homes in Southport and across Sefton. We work with older people, people living with dementia, adults with learning disabilities, autistic adults, people managing mental health...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults
Unite Professionals · 17a High Park Place, Southport, Sefton, PR9 7QP
Home care · CQC Good · Run by Unite Professionals Ltd
We at Unite Professionals are proud to provide compassionate home care across Southport and the wider Sefton area, supporting people to live well and safely in the place they know best: their own home. Our team delivers personalised care...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults
Eros Home Care Services · Office 1, Southport, Sefton, PR8 5AB
Home care · Run by Eros Home Care Services Ltd
We provide care at home in Southport and the surrounding area, supporting older people and younger adults who need a hand to manage in their own houses and flats. Our work is simple to describe and particular in the doing. We send trained...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Younger Adults
Caremark · Weld Parade, Southport, Sefton, PR8 2DT
Home care · CQC Good · Run by Ross Jones Limited
We at Caremark (Sefton) are proud to provide compassionate home care across Southport and the wider Sefton community, supporting people to live well and safely in the place they know best: their own home. Operating throughout the PR...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults, Eating Disorders, Alcohol / Drug Misuse
Collinson Cares (2021) · Unit 3 26a Hart Street, Southport, Sefton, PR8 6BT
Home care · Run by Collinson Cares (2021) Ltd
We at Collinson Cares (2021) are proud to offer compassionate home care across Southport and the wider Sefton area, supporting older people and adults living with physical disabilities to remain safely and comfortably in the place they...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Physical Disability
Heart2Heart. · 48 Ash Street, Southport, Sefton, PR8 6JE
Home care · CQC Inadequate · Run by Heart2Heart NW LTD
Heart2Heart provides care and support to people in their own homes across Southport and the wider Sefton area. We work with older people and younger adults, with people living with dementia, with people managing mental health conditions or...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults, Eating Disorders, Alcohol / Drug Misuse
Willow House Care Registered Office · The Learning Rooms Southport, Southport, Sefton, PR8 1HN
Home care · CQC Requires improvement · Run by Willow House Care Limited
Willow House Care provides support at home to adults in Southport and across Sefton. The people we work with include older people who need help to stay in their own houses, adults with a learning disability, autistic adults, people with...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults
Home Instead · Hawthorn House, Southport, Sefton, PR8 6PA
Home care · CQC Good · Run by Sefton & Merseyside Senior Care Services Limited
We are Home Instead in Southport, a home care agency supporting people in their own homes across Southport and the surrounding part of Sefton. Our work is for people who need help with daily life but have no wish to leave a home they have...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults
YourLife · Brunlees Court, Southport, Sefton, PR9 9DH
Home care · CQC Good · Run by Yourlife Management Services Limited
YourLife in Southport supports people in their own homes across Southport and the surrounding parts of Sefton. We work with older people, people living with dementia, adults with a physical disability, people with visual or hearing...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults

What home care costs

Type of care	What it costs
Hourly care visits, North West Middle half of prices from 9 agencies. Median £26.58. Shown for North West because too few Sefton agencies publish a rate.	£25.00 to £28.90 an hour
What Sefton pays Average hourly rate, October 2026.	£24.13 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

Community Care Direct Ltd, 19 June 2025, Requires improvement
Heart2Heart., 18 January 2024, Inadequate
The Care Worker Agency, 17 November 2022, Good

Longest since a report

Willow House Care Limited Registered Office, 14 October 2017, Requires improvement
Home Instead, 20 June 2018, Good
365 support services, 29 August 2018, Good

Frequently asked questions about home care in Southport

How many home care agencies are there in Southport?

Southport has 20 CQC registered home care agencies: 12 Good, 3 Requires improvement, 1 Inadequate, 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 Southport?

Hourly care visits, North West: £25.00 to £28.90 an hour. Middle half of prices from 9 agencies. Median £26.58. Shown for North West because too few Sefton 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 Southport were inspected most recently?

Community Care Direct Ltd (19 June 2025), Heart2Heart. (18 January 2024) and The Care Worker Agency (17 November 2022) have the most recent CQC reports.