Home Care in Washington
Washington has 4 CQC registered home care agencies. 3 are rated Good, and 1 has not yet been rated. 3 of the 4 were last inspected more than three years ago.
Source: Care Quality Commission register, kept up to date as ratings change.
Washington at a glance
What the local numbers say about home care in Washington, to help you judge the options below.
- Hourly care visits, England: £25.00 to £34.90 an hour. Middle half of prices from 102 agencies.
- People aged 75 and over: 28,600. Rising to 33,600 by 2035, up 18%
- Living with dementia, aged 65 and over (estimate): 3,700. Rising to 4,500 by 2035, up 20%
- People aged 85 and over: 7,200. Rising to 9,800 by 2035, up 36%
- Dementia diagnosis rate: 68%. The NHS ambition is 67%.
- Agencies in the borough, last 12 months: 1 opened, 4 closed. 36 registered today.
- Choice of agencies: 132 within 10 miles. In a typical neighbourhood. The nearest is under a mile away (0.7 miles).
Powered by Orrery Intelligence. Market model built 22 October 2026 (ONS 2022 based population projections, CQC register), published care home prices, council planning records.
Planning and paying for home care in Washington
The number of calls agreed at assessment is what mostly determines the bill, since care at home is costed by the visit rather than the week. The assessment is free, can be requested by anyone and establishes how many calls a day are needed and what each has to achieve. Sunderland City Council is responsible for that assessment and for the financial assessment that follows it.
How the means test works for care at home
For support at home the value of the property being lived in is disregarded, which is the biggest single difference from a permanent care home placement. Savings and income are measured against the national capital thresholds, and a weekly amount is always protected for living costs. That is why many people pay part of the cost of their care rather than all of it.
Hourly rates and direct payments
Agencies charge by the hour, usually at a higher rate at weekends and on bank holidays, and short calls of fifteen or thirty minutes cost proportionately more than longer ones. Where the council funds a package it can be taken as a direct payment, which lets the family choose the agency themselves. Attendance allowance is not means tested and is often worth claiming first.
Choosing a provider and what to check before committing
Choice Care Services Limited, Willowbrook and Housing 21 - Woodridge are each rated Good. KM Home Support has no published rating as yet, so the questions have to do the work there instead of the report. Ask how many different carers a person is likely to see across a fortnight, because continuity is what families raise most often.
Reading the reports, and what to do without one
For home care the responsive and well led sections of a report matter most, since they describe how missed calls, complaints and rota changes are handled. Check how recent each inspection is, because staff and managers turn over quickly in this part of the sector. Where no report exists, ask when the agency registered and how long the care workers have been in post.
Questions to ask before signing
Ask what the agency does when a carer rings in sick, and how late a visit can run before the family is told. Ask whether calls are logged electronically and whether relatives can see those records. Check the minimum call length, the notice period and whether the rate rises at weekends and on bank holidays.
4 home care in Washington
- KM Home Support · Washington, Sunderland
- Choice Care Services · Washington, Sunderland · CQC Good
- Willowbrook · Washington, Sunderland · CQC Good
- Housing 21 - Woodridge · Washington, Sunderland · CQC Good
What home care costs
| Type of care | What it costs |
|---|---|
| Hourly care visits, England Middle half of prices from 102 agencies. Median £31.00. Shown for England because too few Sunderland agencies publish a rate. | £25.00 to £34.90 an hour |
| What Sunderland pays Average hourly rate, October 2026. | £22.92 an hour |
| Homecare Association minimum price 2026 to 2027. The Association's estimate of the lowest price that covers the cost of delivering care. It is not a legal minimum. | £34.42 an hour |
| Live in care, England Middle half of prices from 62 agencies. Median £1,455. | £1,250 to £1,668 a week |
Published prices come from agencies that publish rates, so treat them as a guide. Ask the agency for its own price. Powered by Orrery Intelligence.
Inspected most recently
- Willowbrook, 21 May 2020, Good
- Housing 21 - Woodridge, 5 December 2019, Good
- Choice Care Services Limited, 18 October 2019, Good
Longest since a report
- Choice Care Services Limited, 18 October 2019, Good
- Housing 21 - Woodridge, 5 December 2019, Good
- Willowbrook, 21 May 2020, Good
Frequently asked questions about home care in Washington
How many home care agencies are there in Washington?
Washington has 4 CQC registered home care agencies: 3 Good, 1 not yet rated. Counts come from the CQC register and are kept up to date as ratings change.
How much does home care cost in Washington?
Hourly care visits, England: £25.00 to £34.90 an hour. Middle half of prices from 102 agencies. Median £31.00. Shown for England because too few Sunderland agencies publish a rate. Published prices come from agencies that publish rates, so treat them as a guide. Ask the agency for its own price.
Which home care agencies in Washington were inspected most recently?
Willowbrook (21 May 2020), Housing 21 - Woodridge (5 December 2019) and Choice Care Services Limited (18 October 2019) have the most recent CQC reports.