Alternatives to TrustonTap for home care

TrustonTap says the CQC defines it as an introductory agency that is not required to register. Its carers are self-employed and set their own rates, visits are at least an hour, and it tries to send the same carer each time. It says it checks identity, right to work and training certificates, does a DBS check and takes two references on every carer.

Its pricing page lists hourly care at £23 to £34 an hour, with an average of £26, overnight from £155 for a sleeping night and £200 for a waking night, and live-in from £1,200 a week. It adds a client administration fee of 5% plus VAT. On Trustpilot it showed 4.6 from 187 reviews on 4 November 2026.

• Curam

  Alternatives to CuramBoth

  Describes itself as a home care platform that connects families directly with self-employed carers. It also runs Curam Managed Care, which it says is CQC registered.

  Published price: Average hourly rate £20.50 and £1,200 a week for live-in (Curam's figures for August 2025), with a 12% client fee added to invoices.

  Source: curamcare.com, Curam Managed Care, Curam client information, checked 19 October 2026

• Elder

  Alternatives to ElderIntroductory

  Describes itself as an introductory agency connecting families across Great Britain with vetted, self-employed carers, and says it does not provide regulated care. It offers live-in care, respite stays and, in some cities, visiting care.

  Published price: Live-in from £1,195 a week and respite from £1,595 a week, with its booking fee inside the price.

  Source: Elder, introductory agency, Elder pricing, checked 5 November 2026

• Hometouch

  Alternatives to HometouchBoth

  Runs an introductory model, which it says has operated since 2015 and is not regulated by the CQC, and a separate managed care service that is CQC regulated.

  Published price: Introductory care from £1,400 a week, regulated care from £1,500 a week.

  Source: myhometouch.com, Hometouch pricing, 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

• 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

• 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

• Country Cousins

  Alternatives to Country CousinsIntroductory

  Says it has introduced live-in carers since 1959 and calls itself the UK's longest-serving introductory live-in care provider. Its carers are self-employed and contracted by you, and it is not CQC registered. Managed care comes from its sister company, Trinity Homecare.

  Published price: Live-in from £1,155 a week (its figure for October 2026), plus a one-off registration fee, an agency fee and the carer's travel.

  Source: country-cousins.co.uk, Country Cousins, introductory vs managed, Country Cousins live-in cost, 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

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.