The short answer
- 117 live-in carers are based within about an hour of SouthamptonThe best-rated 12 are on this page. 10 have client reviews, 8 at five stars, from 12 reviews between them.
- Every one has passed the same checksEnhanced DBS under continuous monitoring, identity, right to work, and an online interview. Their training and experience are for you to check with them.
- Rating follows kindness, price follows complexityThe best-reviewed carers are rarely the dearest. Reviews are about patience and reliability; higher rates go with nursing backgrounds and complex care.
- Meet two or three before you chooseFree, by video or in person. The right questions in that conversation tell you more than any profile.
Carers on this page are ordered by their average client rating, then reviews, then years of experience, from their profiles in September 2026. Nothing on a card is written by us.
Top-rated carers
The best-rated live-in carers in Southampton
The live-in carers based nearest Southampton, best-rated first, with the rate each has set. A carer without reviews is newer to PrimeCarers, not worse; read their profile and talk to them.
5 / 5
average rating of the reviewed carers in Southampton
12
client reviews between them
11 yrs
average experience of the nearest carers
40
of the nearest 46 will care for a couple
From carers' own profiles and client reviews, September 2026.
117 live-in carers are based within about an hour of Southampton
Filter by who cares for couples, who drives and what they charge, then message the ones you like. Free, and nothing is booked until you say so.
See live-in carers for SouthamptonWhat families say
What clients in Southampton wrote about their carers
Reviews written by clients who booked through PrimeCarers, checked before they appear and never edited. Each links to the carer it is about.
“I cannot recommend Prisca highly enough, she is one in a million.”
Emily B., 2024
About Prisca S.Live-in carer based in Southampton · 2 reviews“He stayed with her throughout the pandemic, refusing to visit his own family, who lived nearby, to reduce the risk of infection.”
Roderick N., 2023
About Jaison M.Live-in carer based in Portsmouth“Samuel is an incredibly kind;conscientious and effective carer. My husband looks forward to his visits”
Jill O., 2025
About Olabode Samuel O.Live-in carer based in Eastleigh · 4 reviews“Nina was patient, focussed on my aunt's physical well-being, and unfazed by what at the time was a new and uncertain situation”
A previous client, 2023
About Nina R.Live-in carer based in RingwoodIn their own words
How the carers in Southampton describe themselves
A profile is written by the carer, and the first few lines tell you a great deal: what they enjoy about the work, who they have cared for, and how they talk about the people they look after.
“Music and dancing keep me going. So do card games and a good puzzle when I want to slow down. I bring that same energy into my work, based in Southampton, where I offer hourly, live-in and overnight care.”
Prisca S.Based in Southampton · 14 years experience · Speaks Arabic and ChichewaProfile →“One piece of feedback I still think about came from a family member who told me my patience and willingness to listen had made a real difference during a difficult time for them.”
Lucia L.Based in Southampton · 8 years experience · Speaks German and HungarianProfile →“Hi, my name is Jaison and I'm a carer. I've been working in the care industry for about 15 years now and have experience in caring for people with a variety of needs, including dementia, autism spectrum disorders,…”
Jaison M.Based in Portsmouth · 15 years experienceProfile →“Early in my career I chose not to pursue nursing qualifications, because what I really wanted was more time with patients rather than paperwork.”
Nina R.Based in Ringwood · 14 years experienceProfile →“Hello, my name is Kimberly and I'm a home carer. I've been working in the care industry for over four years now, and in that time I've gained a lot of experience in caring for a variety of people with different needs.”
Kimberly G.Based in Southampton · 10 years experience · Speaks Dutch and FlemishProfile →“Hello Everyone, My name is Kinga. I've worked in the UK as a live-in carer for 6 years. What I love in my job most is the connection with individual and being able to make my Clients life a bit easier and happier.”
Kinga C.Based in Southampton · 10 years experience · Speaks PolishProfile →8
of the 8 list dementia care on their profile
8
of the 8 have used a hoist
12
languages spoken between them besides English
5
of the 8 will look after a pet
From the profiles of the carers shown on this page.
What good looks like
What separates a good live-in carer from an adequate one
Families who have had both describe the difference the same way. It is rarely about qualifications, and almost always about these six things.
They notice
They keep to your relative’s day, not theirs
They talk to the family
They are careful with the boring things
They know what they do not know
They can live in someone else’s house
Worth weight when you compare
- Reviews that describe specific things the carer did, rather than general praise.
- Years of live-in experience, as opposed to hourly visits: the rhythm is different.
- Experience with your relative’s condition, said in their own words at interview.
- A car, if your relative lives outside a town or wants to get out.
- How they take their daily break and their weeks off, and who covers.
Worth less than it looks
- A long list of conditions ticked on a profile: most carers tick most boxes.
- The lowest rate. It usually means less experience with complex needs, which is fine if the needs are not complex.
- A carer who agrees with everything you say. You want one who asks questions.
- Certificates on their own. We do not verify training, so ask what a course covered and when.
How to compare
How to choose between live-in carers in Southampton
Four steps, and most families are talking to carers within a day. The interview is where the decision is made, so the questions are set out in full.
- 1
Write down a typical day and the hard parts
Half an hourMorning routine, meals, medication, what your relative enjoys, what goes wrong at night, and the one thing the last arrangement got wrong. This becomes your first message to every carer and the yardstick for every profile. - 2
Shortlist three from the search for Southampton
FreeMatch experience to your list first, rate second. Read the reviews for specifics. Rule out nobody for having no reviews yet; rule in anyone whose profile answers your hard parts unprompted. - 3
A video call or a visit with each
This weekTwenty minutes each is enough. Use the questions below, and let your relative meet them if they can: their reaction is data too. - 4
Agree a two-week trial, then decide
Week 1 to 2Say it is a trial for both sides. Agree the rate, the break, the cover for weeks off, and how you will hear from them. The contract, invoicing and payment are set up on PrimeCarers.
Questions to ask every live-in carer at interview
0 of 11 ticked
Experience
Living together
Keeping us informed
What we check
What every carer on this page has passed, and what is yours to check
PrimeCarers is an introductory service. We check that a carer is caring and safe to introduce; whether they are right for your relative is a judgement only you can make, and the page above is built to help you make it.
Enhanced DBS, kept live
Identity and right to work
An online interview
What we do not verify
How we vet carers sets out each check in detail, and checking a carer yourself covers the questions to ask about training and references.
Questions
Questions families in Southampton ask about choosing a live-in carer
By what their clients said and what they have done, not by anything we write. The carers on this page are the live-in carers based nearest Southampton, ordered by their average client rating, then by how many reviews they have, then by years of experience. Every rating and review comes from a client who booked through PrimeCarers, and reviews are checked before they appear and never edited. 10 of the 12 carers shown have been reviewed, 8 of them at five stars. A carer with no reviews yet is not a worse carer, just a newer one to PrimeCarers, and their profile and interview tell you as much.
Yes. Before a carer appears on PrimeCarers they have passed an enhanced DBS check, an identity check and a right-to-work check, and had an online interview with our team. Their DBS is then kept on the Update Service and monitored continuously for as long as they work. We check that a carer is caring; their skills, qualifications and training are for you to check with them, and this page shows you how. How we vet carers sets out each step.
Yes, and you should. Message the carers you like through PrimeCarers with a short description of a typical day, then arrange a video call or a visit. Meeting is free and nothing is booked until you say so. Most families talk to two or three carers before choosing, and a good carer will ask you as many questions as you ask them. How to interview live-in carers has the questions that matter.
Then you change carer, and the same search shows who else is available. Notice under the contract is 48 hours until 168 hours of care have been worked and 7 days after that, and PrimeCarers charges nothing to stop or change care. It is worth agreeing at the start that the first two weeks are a trial for both sides; most carers suggest it themselves. Our team can help you find cover in the meantime.
Usually. 40 of the 46 nearest carers with a rate on their profile say they will care for a couple, and one carer for two people costs about £1,350 a week, a fifth more than for one rather than double. Where the two need very different things, read live-in care for couples before you talk to anyone.
Yes. Between them, the carers on this page speak Arabic, Chichewa, Dutch, Flemish, German, Hungarian, Polish, Romanian, Shona, Southern Sotho, Tswana and Zulu as well as English, and the search can filter by language. For someone whose first language has come back to them with dementia, a carer who shares it changes everything.
Many will, and the profile says so. 5 of the 8 carers on this page list the pets they are happy to care for. Feeding and letting a dog out are part of daily life; long walks and vet trips are worth agreeing before the carer arrives. Can a live-in carer look after a pet? covers what to ask.
The carers on this page advertise £145 to £171 a day, which is £1,015 to £1,198 a week with our fee included, and a typical week in Southampton is £1,111. The best-rated are not the most expensive: rating follows kindness and reliability, and price follows experience with complex needs. The cost of live-in care in Southampton goes through what changes the figure.