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Alternatives to Bluebird Care for home and live-in care

Bluebird Care is a network of locally owned franchise offices, so what you get depends on the office near you. Its alternatives are other local managed agencies and introductory services, where you choose a self-employed carer and agree their rate.

By PrimeCarers, the service that wrote this comparison  ·  Updated November 2026  ·  6 min read

What it is

What Bluebird Care is, in its own words

Bluebird Care says it was founded in 2004 and runs a network of 220 franchises across the UK and Ireland, each locally owned and operated, with over 20,000 customers and 10,000 care workers. It offers home care visits, night care, respite, live-in care including for couples, complex care and children's care, and it says it arranges cover if a live-in carer is off sick or on holiday.

Each office is regulated in its own right, so ratings, staff and prices differ by office. Bluebird gives live-in prices only as a personalised quote after a free consultation. On Trustpilot it showed 4.6 from 1059 reviews on 4 November 2026.

The alternatives

7 alternatives to Bluebird Care

Listed in no particular order. Each is labelled by how it works, with one line from its own website and a price only where it publishes one. Checked on 19 October 2026 and 4 November 2026.

  • Home Instead

    Alternatives to Home InsteadCQC-registered managed agency

    A network of over 255 locally owned offices in the UK since 2005, regulated by the CQC and the regulators in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Every visit lasts at least an hour, and it offers live-in care too.

    Source: homeinstead.co.uk, checked 19 October 2026

  • Helping Hands

    Alternatives to Helping HandsCQC-registered managed agency

    Says it directly employs and trains all its carers and is regulated by the CQC and Care Inspectorate Wales. It offers visiting care and live-in care, with local care managers and a team of specialist nurses.

    Published price: Live-in from £1,675 a week for one person and £2,125 for a couple (page reviewed 17 April 2026).

    Source: Helping Hands live-in care, Helping Hands live-in cost, checked 19 October 2026

  • Agincare

    Alternatives to AgincareCQC-registered managed agency

    Family-owned since 1986, with 100+ locations. It says it employs and pays all its care workers, including live-in carers, that all its care services are regulated by the CQC, and that its Smart Start lets you try live-in care for 2 to 4 weeks.

    Published price: Live-in from £1,200 a week, couples from £1,400, and flexible live-in on set days from £695 (its live-in costs page).

    Source: agincare.com, Agincare live-in costs, checked 4 November 2026

  • Right at Home

    Alternatives to Right at HomeCQC-registered managed agency

    A network of 80+ locally owned offices across England, Scotland and Wales. It says every carer is directly employed by Right at Home and that it is regulated by the CQC and the Care Inspectorates in Wales and Scotland. It offers visiting, respite, live-in and 24-hour care.

    Source: rightathome.co.uk, Right at Home FAQs, checked 4 November 2026

  • Trinity Homecare

    Alternatives to Trinity HomecareCQC-registered managed agency

    Live-in care across mainland England and visiting care in Surrey. It says its live-in carers are employed and paid directly by it, and the CQC register shows its Worcester Park service rated Outstanding. Country Cousins, an introductory service, is its sister company.

    Published price: Live-in from £1,694 a week for people with lower support needs, with a quote after a free assessment.

    Source: Trinity Homecare live-in care, Trinity carer FAQs, CQC register, checked 4 November 2026

  • TrustonTap

    Alternatives to TrustonTapIntroductory

    Says the CQC defines it as an introductory agency that is not required to register, that all its carers are self-employed and set their own rates, and that it checks identity, right to work and training certificates and takes two references on each carer.

    Published price: £23 to £34 an hour (average £26), live-in from £1,200 a week, plus a client administration fee of 5% plus VAT.

    Source: TrustonTap FAQs, TrustonTap pricing, checked 4 November 2026

  • PrimeCarers

    Alternatives to PrimeCarersIntroductory

    The service that wrote this page. Families search self-employed carers near them, see each carer's own rate and choose who to hire. It is not a care agency and is not CQC registered. Every carer has an ID check, a right to work check, an enhanced DBS (or PVG or Access NI) issued within the last 2 years and an online interview. We do not verify references, qualifications or training.

    Published price: Hourly visits £18 to £25, live-in £1,050 to £1,400 a week, our fee included.

    Source: PrimeCarers pricing, what we check, checked 19 October 2026

Which kind suits you

Introductory or managed: which kind suits you

If you want an agency to employ the carer and run the visits, another local managed agency is the like-for-like choice. If you would rather choose the carer and agree their rate, look at an introductory service.

Who employs the carer

Introductory service
Nobody. The carer is self-employed and works for you
CQC-registered managed agency
The agency

Who chooses the carer

Introductory service
You, from profiles
CQC-registered managed agency
The agency, usually with your input

Who directs the care day to day

Introductory service
You and the carer
CQC-registered managed agency
The agency, through a care plan

If the carer cannot come

Introductory service
You find cover, with whatever help the service offers
CQC-registered managed agency
The agency arranges cover

Registered with the CQC in England

Introductory service
No, because it does not provide the care
CQC-registered managed agency
Yes, and its inspection reports are public

Price

Introductory service
Usually lower. On PrimeCarers, live-in is typically £1,120 a week
CQC-registered managed agency
Usually higher. A typical managed live-in week is £1,120 to £1,750

Some providers run both models, so ask which one you are being offered. The managed range is a typical figure, not any named agency's price.

An introductory service tends to suit a family that wants to choose the carer, can be the person the carer answers to, and wants more of the price to reach the carer. A managed agency tends to suit care that is complex or clinical, a family that cannot be on hand to direct it, or anyone who wants the provider to be responsible for cover. Either way, ask which checks were done on the carer you would get, not on the company in general.

Questions

Questions about alternatives to Bluebird Care

No. Bluebird says each of its offices is locally owned and operated, so prices, staff and CQC ratings differ by office. Check the office that would cover you on the CQC website.

Bluebird gives a personalised quote after a free consultation, and prices are set by each office. Ask two or three local agencies for a written hourly rate to compare.

Introductory services usually cost less an hour. TrustonTap publishes £23 to £34 an hour plus a 5% fee and VAT. On PrimeCarers, an introductory service, live-in is typically £1,120 a week and hourly visits £18 to £25 an hour, our fee included.

Home Instead and Right at Home also run locally owned offices, so the same advice applies: check the office near you.

Sources

Sources checked on 19 October 2026 and 4 November 2026

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