How do I arrange a care needs assessment in Tonbridge?

Contact Kent County Council adult social care and ask for an assessment of need, which you can request for yourself or for a relative acting with their agreement. It is free and available to anyone who appears to need care and support, regardless of savings. A practitioner will look at daily tasks, mobility, medication and safety, usually in the person's own home. The written outcome records what support is required and guides both funding and your choice of agency.

Can Kent County Council help pay for care at home?

It may, depending on a financial assessment carried out once eligible needs have been agreed. Savings and capital above the national threshold mean funding support privately, while those below it receive a contribution towards the cost. The value of the home someone lives in is not counted when care is delivered there, which often makes home care more affordable than families expect. Ask also about a direct payment, which lets you arrange the support yourself rather than have it commissioned for you.

Which home care agencies serve Tonbridge?

Seventeen registered providers are listed on this page, including All About Home Care (Kent), Hilton Nursing Partners Limited, My Homecare West Kent and Hever Care Limited. Coverage areas differ, so an agency registered nearby will not necessarily take on a package at a particular address. Ring to confirm availability and the specific streets covered before you get too far into a comparison. Each profile here sets out registration details and the latest inspection findings.

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

Home care brings support to a person in their own house, usually as a series of visits arranged around the times of day when help is needed. A care home provides accommodation, meals and support on one site with staff present around the clock. Home care suits someone who is safe between visits and wants to stay put, while a care home suits someone who needs company or supervision through the night. Many families use home care first and revisit the question as needs change.

How far ahead should support at home be arranged?

Allow several weeks where you can, since an assessment, a financial assessment and an agency's own visit all take time to organise. Agencies also have limited capacity in particular areas and cannot always start immediately. If a hospital discharge is setting the pace, ask the ward to involve the discharge team, who can put interim support in place quickly. Starting early leaves room to change agency if the first arrangement does not settle.

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

Ask how many different care workers would visit and who covers holidays and sickness, because continuity matters more than almost anything else. Ask whether visit times are fixed or given as a window, and what happens if a call is missed. Ask what training staff have for the specific tasks required, and how medicines are recorded. Ask for the full rate card in writing, including weekend, bank holiday and night rates.

Home Care in Tonbridge

Tonbridge has 17 CQC registered home care agencies. 8 are rated Good, 2 Outstanding, 1 Requires improvement, and 6 have not yet been rated. 10 of the 17 were last inspected more than three years ago.

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

Tonbridge at a glance

What the local numbers say about home care in Tonbridge, 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: 14,300. Rising to 16,100 by 2035, up 13%
Living with dementia, aged 65 and over (estimate): 1,800. Rising to 2,300 by 2035, up 24%
People aged 85 and over: 3,800. Rising to 5,600 by 2035, up 48%
Dementia diagnosis rate: 48%. The NHS ambition is 67%. Kent as a whole is 62%.
Agencies in the borough, last 12 months: 0 opened, 1 closed. 24 registered today.
Choice of agencies: 139 within 10 miles. In a typical neighbourhood. The nearest is under a mile away (0.5 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.

Organising and funding support at home in Tonbridge

Starting with an assessment of need

Anyone who appears to need care and support can ask for a free assessment, whatever their income or savings. For care at home the assessment looks closely at practical daily tasks, washing, dressing, preparing meals, managing medicines, getting safely in and out of bed, and at the times of day when help matters most. It also considers equipment and small adaptations, which sometimes reduce the number of visits needed. A carer living in the household can request a separate assessment in their own right.

How funded support works

Where needs are eligible, a financial assessment decides the contribution. Home care is treated differently from a care home place, because the value of the property someone lives in is not counted when support is delivered there. Savings above the national threshold usually mean paying privately, while people below it receive help towards the cost. Assessments and funded packages are arranged through Kent County Council adult social care, which also reviews packages as needs change. Ask about a direct payment if you would rather choose and manage the agency yourself.

Understanding how agencies charge

Home care is normally charged by the hour or by the visit, with higher rates at weekends, on bank holidays and for visits made at night. Very short calls can look inexpensive until you add up several a day. Ask for a written rate card, ask whether travel time is billed, and ask what notice is required to change or cancel a visit. Ask too how the agency handles a sudden increase in need, since a package that works in spring may not hold in winter.

Comparing home care agencies in Tonbridge and knowing what matters

Reading the inspection record

Two agencies here, All About Home Care (Kent) and Hilton Nursing Partners Limited, hold an Outstanding rating, and eight more are rated Good. One is at Requires Improvement and six have no rating yet. With home care the sections worth reading most carefully are those on safety and responsiveness, because missed and late calls and problems with medicines are the issues that most often unsettle a household. Check the date of the inspection as well, since agencies change hands and change managers more often than buildings do.

Continuity is the thing to press on

The single question that separates a good agency from an adequate one is how many different care workers will come through the door. Ask how many people would be assigned to a package, whether the same faces cover weekends, and what happens when someone is ill or on leave. Ask for a rota in advance and ask whether arrival times are windows or fixed. Someone with memory problems in particular does far better with a small, familiar team.

Practical checks before you commit

Ask how care workers are trained for the specific tasks needed, especially moving and handling, catheter care or supporting someone with dementia. Ask how visits are recorded and whether family living elsewhere can see the notes. Ask who answers the telephone at seven in the evening on a Sunday, and how quickly a missed call is noticed and covered. Finally, ask how the agency handles complaints, and listen for a straight answer rather than a reassuring one.

17 home care in Tonbridge

Inspire Care Agencies · 10 Quarry Hill Parade, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 2HR
Home care · CQC Good · Run by Inspire Care Agencies Limited
We are Inspire Care Agencies, supporting adults in their own homes in Tonbridge and the surrounding part of Kent. We support older people, people with physical disabilities, people with a visual or hearing impairment, and younger adults...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults
Dawning Care · 3 Tudeley Lane, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 2JN
Home care · Run by Dawning Care Ltd
We provide care at home in Tonbridge and the surrounding parts of Kent. Those we visit include older adults, people living with dementia, people with physical disabilities, and younger adults. Families usually come to us at an awkward...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Physical Disability, Younger Adults
Alina Homecare - & Tunbridge Wells · Office 8 Pipers Business Centre, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 1SP
Home care · Run by Alina Homecare Services Limited
We are Alina Homecare Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells, a home care agency supporting people in their own homes across Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells and the surrounding part of Kent. Our work is for people who need help with daily life but have...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Physical Disability, Younger Adults
Blossom Home Care Tunbridge Wells · Suite 14 & 15 Riverside House, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 1EP
Home care · Run by Luanelle Limited
We at Blossom Home Care Tunbridge Wells are proud to offer compassionate home care across Tonbridge and the surrounding Kent communities, supporting older people and younger adults to live well in the place they love most: their own home....
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults
Hever Care · 2 Turnbull Place, Tonbridge, Kent, TN11 9LN
Home care · CQC Good · Run by Hever Care Limited
Hever Care supports people in their own homes across Tonbridge and the surrounding part of Kent. Most of our work is with older adults, a good number living with dementia. We also support younger adults, people with a physical disability,...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults
LOD Care and Case Management · Mount Pleasant House, Tonbridge, Kent, TN12 9AG
Home care · Run by LOD Care and Case Management Ltd
We provide care at home in Tonbridge and the surrounding parts of Kent. Those we support include older adults, people with physical disabilities, people living with sight or hearing loss, and younger adults. A good deal of our work is with...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults
Hilton Nursing Partners · 3A Aspect House, Tonbridge, Kent, TN12 9QJ
Home care · CQC Outstanding · Run by Hilton Nursing Partners Limited
Hilton Nursing Partners is a home care agency in Tonbridge, supporting adults in their own homes across the area. We work with older people and younger adults, people living with dementia, adults with a learning disability and autistic...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults
Enabling Care for You · The Hoppers, Tonbridge, Kent, TN11 0LT
Home care · CQC Requires improvement · Run by Enabling Care For You Limited
Enabling Care for You supports people in and around Tonbridge in their own homes. We arrange visits around existing routines rather than around what suits a rota, and we aim to keep the same carers going to the same people. We support...
Specialisms: Dementia Care, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Eating Disorders
Butler Healthcare Support · 18 Ely Gardens, Tonbridge, Kent, TN10 4NZ
Home care · Run by GCB Consulting Limited
Butler Healthcare Support provides home care to adults in Tonbridge and the surrounding part of Kent. We support older people and younger adults, people living with dementia, people managing mental health conditions, people with physical...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults
Consultus Care And Nursing · 4 London Road, Tonbridge, Kent, TN10 3AB
Home care · CQC Good · Run by Consultus Care and Nursing Ltd
At Consultus Care and Nursing, we provide home care support to people living in Tonbridge and the surrounding areas of Kent. We come to you, helping you stay in the familiar surroundings of your own home while receiving the care and...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults
Head Office · 16 Quincewood Gardens, Tonbridge, Kent, TN10 3LR
Home care · CQC Good · Run by Acclaimed Care
We at Head Office are proud to deliver compassionate home care across Tonbridge and the wider Kent area, supporting individuals to live safely, comfortably and independently in the place they know best: their own home. Based in the heart...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Physical Disability, Younger Adults
MidCo Care · 84 Barden Road, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 1UB
Home care · CQC Good · Run by MidCo Care Limited
We at MidCo Care are proud to offer trusted home care across Tonbridge and the surrounding communities of Kent, supporting people to live well and safely in the place they know best: their own home. Our team delivers personalised care to...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Younger Adults
Care Advisory & Respite Experts · 26 Well Close, Tonbridge, Kent, TN11 8RQ
Home care · Run by Care Advisory & Respite Experts Ltd
Care Advisory and Respite Experts provides home care to people living in and around Tonbridge. We support people living with dementia, adults with learning disabilities and autism, people managing mental health conditions, people with...
Specialisms: Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment
SAP Care Services · 9 Quarry Hill Parade, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 2HR
Home care · CQC Good · Run by SAP Care Services Limited
We at SAP Care Services are proud to offer compassionate home care across Tonbridge and the surrounding Kent community, supporting people to live well and safely in the place they know best: their own home. Based in the TN postcode area,...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Physical Disability, Younger Adults
All About Home Care · Riverside House, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 1EP
Home care · CQC Outstanding · Run by All About Home Care Limited
All About Home Care supports people in their own homes across Tonbridge and the surrounding parts of Kent. We work with older people and younger adults, people living with dementia or a mental health condition, people with a physical...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults
My Homecare West · 6 Alexandra Road, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 2AA
Home care · CQC Good · Run by Kindred Hearts Ltd
We at My Homecare West Kent are proud to offer compassionate, person centred home care across Tonbridge and the surrounding communities of Kent. As a dedicated home care agency, we bring professional support directly to your loved one's...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Younger Adults
Allerton C&S SE · Pipers Business Centre, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 1SP
Home care · CQC Good · Run by Allerton C&S SE Limited
We at Allerton C&S SE are proud to provide compassionate home care across Tonbridge and the surrounding areas of Kent, supporting people to live well and independently within the comfort and familiarity of their own homes. Operating...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, 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

Inspire Care Agencies Limited, 1 May 2025, Good
Hever Care Limited, 11 July 2023, Good
MidCo Care, 10 May 2022, Good

Longest since a report

SAP Care Services Limited, 5 December 2017, Good
Allerton C&S SE, 23 January 2018, Good
Hilton Nursing Partners Limited, 17 February 2018, Outstanding

Frequently asked questions about home care in Tonbridge

How many home care agencies are there in Tonbridge?

Tonbridge has 17 CQC registered home care agencies: 2 Outstanding, 8 Good, 1 Requires improvement, 6 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 Tonbridge?

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 Tonbridge were inspected most recently?

Inspire Care Agencies Limited (1 May 2025), Hever Care Limited (11 July 2023) and MidCo Care (10 May 2022) have the most recent CQC reports.