Home Care Costs in Exeter
What does home care in Exeter cost?
£20 to £40 an hour, agreed in writing before anything starts
My hourly rate is between £20 and £40. Where in that range depends on what is needed, and I give you one fixed figure at the free first visit. My usual minimum term is three months, paid in advance, and that is open for discussion at the same visit. This page sets out what the rate includes, how a typical week adds up, what happens if a visit is missed, and how a direct payment from the council can be used.
Free visit, no obligation, and an honest answer about whether I am the right fit.
- Enhanced DBS checked
- Fully insured
- Free home visit
- Same carer, every visit
What it costs
Hourly rate
£20 to £40 per hour
Where in that range depends on what is needed. I give you one fixed figure at the free first visit, in writing, before anything is agreed.
- The rate is all in. Mileage is included, there is no VAT to add, and there is no registration fee or charge for the first visit.
- Minimum visit one hour. Usual minimum term three months, paid in advance, open for discussion at the first visit.
- A visit I miss, or cannot complete because I am ill, is not charged. The time is carried over to another visit or refunded, whichever you prefer.
- A visit you cancel with 48 hours notice is carried over. With less notice it is charged.
- 14 days to change your mind after signing the agreement. Visits you asked me in writing to start in that time are paid for.
- Two weeks notice to end the arrangement, from either of us. If it ends early you pay for the visits made and the notice period, and the rest is returned.
One all-in rate, agreed in writing
The hourly rate is settled at the free first visit and written into the agreement. It covers the hours I am with you and it is all in. Mileage is included if a visit involves driving you somewhere. I am not VAT registered, so there is no VAT to add. There is no booking fee, no registration fee and no charge for the first visit, and the rate does not change without talking to you first.
The minimum term, and paying in advance
My usual arrangement starts with a minimum term of three months, paid in advance. That is a starting point and it is open for discussion at the first visit. If a shorter term or a different way of paying would suit you better, say so and we will talk it through.
Missed and cancelled visits
You are never charged for a visit I miss, or one I cannot complete because I am ill. That time is carried over to another visit or refunded, whichever you prefer. If you need to cancel a visit, tell me at least 48 hours beforehand and the time is carried over to another visit. A visit cancelled with less notice than that is charged.
Changing your mind, and ending the arrangement
You have 14 days after signing the agreement to change your mind and cancel it. If you have asked me in writing to start visits inside those 14 days, you pay only for the visits that have happened. After that, either of us can end the arrangement with two weeks notice. If it ends before the minimum term is up, you pay for the visits that have happened and for the notice period, and the rest of what you paid in advance is returned.
Paying with a direct payment
This is a privately funded service, but if Devon County Council has assessed you as eligible for care and offered a direct payment, you may be able to put it towards my visits. A direct payment is money the council pays you to arrange your own support rather than sending a provider they have chosen. Plenty of people use one to pay a self-employed carer. Tell me at the first visit if this is how you would be paying, and I will explain what the council will want to see.
How a week of home care adds up
The hourly figure is fixed for your arrangement at the first visit. Until then, here are four common patterns, what each would cost a week at either end of the range, and what three months in advance would come to.
| Pattern | Hours a week | Cost a week | Three months in advance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Three mornings a week, one hour each | 3 | £60 to £120 | £780 to £1,560 |
| Every weekday morning, one hour | 5 | £100 to £200 | £1,300 to £2,600 |
| Every weekday, a morning hour and an afternoon hour | 10 | £200 to £400 | £2,600 to £5,200 |
| Two afternoons a week, two hours each, for company and getting out | 4 | £80 to £160 | £1,040 to £2,080 |
The last column counts three months as thirteen weeks. It is what my usual arrangement would ask for at the start, and it is open for discussion at the first visit. The exact sum for your arrangement is in the written agreement before you pay anything. I would rather start small and add visits if they are needed.
What the hourly rate covers
The time I am with you, and everything we have agreed I will do in it. Personal care, medication support, cooking and meals, light housework, help getting out, appointments, and company. What goes into your visits is set out in the written agreement, next to the rate.
It also covers the things around the visit. The short note to family afterwards. The phone call to the surgery about a prescription. The time I spend at the start understanding the routine. None of that is billed separately. Mileage is included too, if a visit involves driving you to an appointment or the shops.
How the rate for your arrangement is set
I set the hourly figure at the free first visit, once I have seen what is needed. It will be between £20 and £40 an hour. You get it in writing before anything starts, and it does not change without talking to you first and giving you notice.
Where the money goes
When you engage an independent carer, the hourly rate pays for one thing, which is the carer's time. When you engage a company, the same hour has to pay for the carer, an office, a coordinator, a rota, training, recruitment and a margin. That is not a criticism of companies, which provide things I cannot, such as cover when a carer is off. It is just where the money goes, and it is worth asking each of them for their rate and terms as well as mine.
Paying with a direct payment from Devon County Council
If Devon County Council has assessed you as eligible and offered a direct payment, it can be spent on my visits at the hourly rate we have agreed. The council will want to see my insurance and DBS certificate and a record of hours, all of which I keep anyway. If this is how you would be paying, tell me at the first visit, so the payment schedule fits how the council pays it. How the assessment and the payment work is explained on the domiciliary care page.
Paying privately
Most people will pay me directly, either because council funding is not available to them or because they do not want to wait for an assessment. It is a written agreement, an invoice and a bank transfer. My usual arrangement is the minimum term paid in advance, and we can talk about that at the first visit. A son or daughter can pay on a parent's behalf. If money is tight, say so then. A smaller pattern of visits that you can sustain is better than a larger one you have to stop.
Questions about cost
Why is there a range and not one price?
Because what people need varies. The figure for your arrangement is set at the free first visit, once I understand what is needed, and it goes in the written agreement. It will be somewhere between £20 and £40 an hour, and you will know exactly what it is before you agree to anything.
Is there a minimum term?
My usual minimum term is three months, paid in advance. It is a starting point, and it is open for discussion at the first visit. If you need help for a shorter time, after a hospital stay for example, say so and we will talk it through. Nothing is fixed until it is written down and you are happy with it.
How do I pay?
By bank transfer against an invoice. My usual arrangement is the first three months paid in advance, and that is open for discussion at the first visit. If you receive a direct payment from Devon County Council, tell me then, so the payment schedule fits how the council pays it. Family members can pay on your behalf if that is easier.
What happens to my money if you miss a visit or are ill?
You are not charged for it. If I miss a visit, or cannot complete one because I am ill, that time is carried over to another visit or refunded, whichever you prefer. I work alone and cannot send anyone in my place, so before we start I also help you put a backup arrangement in place.
Can I change my mind after signing?
Yes. You have 14 days after signing the agreement to cancel it. If you have asked me in writing to start visits inside those 14 days and then cancel, you pay only for the visits that have happened and the rest of what you paid is returned.
Are there any other charges?
No. The hourly rate is all in. Mileage is included if a visit involves driving you somewhere, and I am not VAT registered, so there is no VAT to add. There is no registration fee, no assessment fee, no booking fee and no charge for the first visit.
What if I need to cancel a visit?
Tell me at least 48 hours beforehand and the time is carried over to another visit. A visit cancelled with less notice than that is charged, because by then I cannot offer the time to anyone else.
What is the minimum visit?
One hour. Anything shorter is a box being ticked, and I do not offer it.
Can I stop or change the arrangement?
Either of us can end it with two weeks notice. If that is before the minimum term is up, you pay for the visits that have happened and for the notice period, and the rest of what you paid in advance is returned. Smaller changes, an extra visit or a different time, are a conversation and an amended line in the agreement.
Will the council pay for this?
Possibly, through a direct payment. If Devon County Council has assessed you as eligible for care, you can ask for the money as a direct payment and use it to engage a self-employed carer rather than a provider the council chooses. I can explain what they will ask for. I cannot apply on your behalf, but a family member can ask the council for a needs assessment to start the process.
Want a figure for your situation?
Tell me what a week looks like at the moment and I will give you an idea of the cost on the phone. The fixed figure comes at the free first visit.