The short answer
Who provides live-in care in Cumbria
7
CQC-registered agencies in Cumbria say they offer live-in care
5
of them rated Outstanding (1) or Good (4)
29
self-employed live-in carers on PrimeCarers within about two hours of Cumbria
Agencies: the CQC register of active locations (August 2026 file), and each agency's own website for live-in care and prices. PrimeCarers: carers' profiles, October 2026.
1 is rated Requires improvement or Inadequate, and 1 has not been rated yet. Most are based in Kendal (4) and Carlisle (2). An agency appears here only if its website describes live-in care in so many words; agencies that mention only “24-hour care” or sleep-in nights are left out.
PrimeCarers
PrimeCarers in Cumbria: the introductory option
Introductory service. Not a care agency and not CQC registered.
PrimeCarers, an introductory service rather than an agency, has 29 self-employed live-in carers based within about two hours of Cumbria, at a typical £1,120 a week with our fee included.
- You choose the carer from their profile, rate and reviews, agree the care with them and direct it day to day. We do not employ, supply or supervise carers.
- Each carer sets their own rate. The price you see includes our 12.5% standard fee, with nothing added on top.
- Before a carer appears we check their identity and right to work, and that they hold an enhanced DBS (or PVG or Access NI) issued within the last 2 years, and they complete an online interview. We do not verify qualifications, training or references, so ask about these yourself.
We are listed first because this is our page. The agencies below are in CQC rating order and nothing about them is written by us.
The agencies
The 7 agencies in Cumbria, by CQC rating
Best-rated first, and the most recent rating first within each grade. The quote is the agency's own description of its live-in care, and the price is the weekly figure it publishes, linked to the page it is on.
| Agency | CQC rating | Live-in care, in its own words |
|---|---|---|
| Home Instead Senior CareRun by Cartmel Care LimitedKendalhomeinstead.co.uk | OutstandingRated 18 Jul 2019CQC report | Home Instead’s Live-in Care Service offers compassionate, personalized support
|
| Crestar Healthcare Ltd North EastRun by Crestar Healthcare LimitedCarlislecrestarhealthcare.co.uk | GoodRated 25 Sept 2026CQC report | Live In Care
|
| Luminary Care LimitedCarlisleluminarycare.co.uk | GoodRated 18 Jul 2023CQC report | Live in care offers continuous, one-to-one support from a dedicated carer
|
| Heydays Care & Support Services LTDRun by Heydayscareandsupportservices LimitedBarrow-in-Furnessheydayscare.co.uk | GoodRated 8 May 2019CQC report | Offering personalised live-in care across South Cumbria
|
| Spinal Homecare Services LimitedKendalspinalhomecare.co.uk | GoodRated 11 Dec 2018CQC report | Spinal Homecare Services provides high quality specialist support on a live in basis
|
| Kent StreetRun by MK Hospital@Home LTDKendalmkhospitalathome.co.uk | Requires improvementRated 5 Jan 2024CQC report | complex live-in care
|
| Lakes Home Care LtdKendallakeshomecare.co.uk | Not yet ratedCQC report | Live in care
|
Ratings and registrations from the CQC register (August 2026). Live-in care, prices and whether an agency employs its carers are as each agency's website described them when we read it; 1 branch publishes a price. Check the current figure with the agency. If something here is wrong for your agency, email [email protected].
How to choose
How to choose a live-in care provider in Cumbria
Decide first which model you want. A managed agency is registered with the CQC, employs or contracts the carer, plans and supervises the care, and sends a replacement when the carer is off; you pay for that management in the weekly price. An introductory service such as PrimeCarers introduces you to a self-employed carer you choose and direct yourself, which usually costs less; you agree breaks and cover with the carer, and can find a second carer for the weeks off through the same search. Live-in care providers compared sets out the difference in full.
Questions
Questions about live-in care providers in Cumbria
7 agencies registered with the CQC to look after older people in Cumbria say on their website that they offer live-in care, where a carer moves into the home. 1 is rated Outstanding by the CQC and 4 Good. The Outstanding ones are Home Instead Senior Care. PrimeCarers, an introductory service rather than an agency, has 29 self-employed live-in carers based within about two hours of Cumbria, at a typical £1,120 a week with our fee included. Every agency is listed on this page with its rating, its own words about live-in care and its website.
Few agencies in Cumbria publish a live-in price: only 1 of the 7 agencies on this page does, so ask each for a written weekly quote. Through PrimeCarers a typical week in Cumbria is £1,120, with our 12.5% standard fee included and the carer setting their own rate.
Home Instead Senior Care in Kendal (rated 18 Jul 2019). Check the date: a rating stands until the CQC inspects again, which can be years later.
4 of the 6 rated agencies here were last rated more than three years ago, the oldest in 2018, and 1 has no rating yet, usually because they registered recently. A rating stands until the CQC inspects again. The report linked from each row says what inspectors found and when; read the most recent one before you choose.
A managed agency employs or contracts the carer, is registered with the CQC, plans and supervises the care, and finds a replacement when a carer is ill or on a break. An introductory service introduces you to a self-employed carer: you choose them, agree the care with them and direct it day to day, and the carer is responsible for the care they give. PrimeCarers is an introductory service and is not CQC registered. 3 of the agencies on this page say on their website that they employ their carers. Live-in care providers compared goes through what each model means for the price.
Not always. The town shown is where the agency's office is registered with the CQC, not the edge of the area it covers. Most are based in Kendal (4) and Carlisle (2). Live-in carers move in, so many agencies will place a carer some distance from their office; ask each one whether they cover your relative's address.