Live-in care providers in Suffolk

20 agencies registered with the CQC to look after older people in Suffolk say on their website that they offer live-in care, where a carer moves into the home. 3 are rated Outstanding by the CQC and 11 Good. The Outstanding ones are Christies Care Ltd, Trinity Homecare (East of England) and Home Instead. PrimeCarers, an introductory service rather than an agency, has 46 self-employed live-in carers based within about two hours of Suffolk, at a typical £1,089 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.

Of the 20 agencies, 6 publish a weekly live-in price, counting each provider once. Their starting prices run from £1,240 to £1,675 a week, and the middle one is £1,450. Most quote a starting price for one person with lower needs, so expect a higher quote for a couple, for dementia or for care at night. Through PrimeCarers a typical week in Suffolk is £1,089, with our 12.5% standard fee included and the carer setting their own rate.

Christies Care Ltd in Saxmundham (rated 28 Dec 2019); Trinity Homecare (East of England) in Bury St Edmunds (rated 29 Dec 2018); Home Instead in Ipswich (rated 23 Dec 2017). Check the date: a rating stands until the CQC inspects again, which can be years later.

12 of the 16 rated agencies here were last rated more than three years ago, the oldest in 2017, and 4 have 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. 6 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 Bury St Edmunds (5), Ipswich (5), Newmarket (2) and Stowmarket (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.