Funded Care vs. Private Homecare

What is the Difference between funded and private care?

The two main differences between local authority funded care and private care are both cost and quality of care.

Funded Care in WIRRAL

Funded care is usually supported by the local authority (the council) but in some cases call also be funded by the NHS and other organisations such as this.

Local authorities such as Wirral may complete an assessment of your care needs and this can be from 15 minutes per day right through to 8 hours per day care packages, for example.

Very often, if you complete a financial means assessment and you are asked to contribute to your costs of care, this can take many different guises, for example:

• Monthly payments from your personal savings

• Attachment orders to your property

Funded care is often considerably cheaper than private care as the local authority dictates rates to care providers on their provider framework.

You still have personal choice and control of which care provider you would like to have support your care needs in your home throughout, although sometimes, it is possible social workers assessing your care needs may not tell you this. It is important to know you can choose what provider you would like to provide your care for you.

Private Care IN wirral

Private care may be an option if you have financial means to pay regulalry for your care directly to a provider.

Often, a private care agreement will be more expensive than a care package arranged through the local authority. It coukld even be possible the provider is the same as what is available on the local authority framework.

Below we will explore some of the differences:

A local authority client in Wirral can have calls reduced to 17 minutes, but you may need to contribute the total call time of 30 minutes.

A private care package means you will receive the full 30 minutes of care you are paying for.

A local authority package provides just 2 minutes and 38 seconds for carers to travel between calls, which could see calls rushed to get to the next client.

A private care package provides 15 minutes travel time for carers to travel between calls, providing plenty of time to have professional carers tend to your needs.

A local authority package has a 2-hour window of care service. This means if your call is scheduled for 08:00am in the morning, the provider has between 07:00am - 09:00am to arrive at the visit.

A private care package has a 15 minute window of care service. This means if your call is scheduled for 08:00am it can take place between 07:45am - 08:15am.

A local authority package is to provide care that is expressly drawn up by the social worker.

A private care package can be amended to include tasks such as cleaning or making beds, or even a light vacuum of the floor.

Personal Choice for homecare

It is the personal choice of the individual being cared for which type of service they would like to receive. Some people receiving care may not have a choice and must be supported by local authority care. For those that do have the choice, you may elect for a private service at any time.

For more information, please feel free to contact us for a no-obligation discussion for your care needs.

Understanding The Difference Between Live-in Care and 24 Hour Care

Understanding The Difference Between Live-In Care And 24-Hour Care

Choosing the right kind of support for yourself or a loved one can feel overwhelming. At Beloved Homecare, we understand how important it is to find care that feels personal, flexible, and truly supportive of independent living at home. Two of the most requested solutions—live-in care and 24-hour care—can sound similar at first, but they offer distinctly different benefits. In this guide, we’ll clarify what separates these services, how they work in real daily life, and how our caring team can help you make the ideal choice for your unique needs.

What Is Live-In Care?

Live-in care means that a dedicated carer moves into your home and provides tailored support throughout the day and evening. Your carer will have their own space for sleeping and personal time, and they will be on hand or help when needed. Live-in care is flexible and highly personal—your carer gets to know your routines, preferences, and personality, making it easy to enjoy life at home while receiving just the right level of assistance.

Here’s what live-in care typically covers:

• Personal care: washing, bathing, and dressing

• Support with meals, hydration, and feeding

• Medication reminders and management

• Accompaniment to appointments or social visits

• Light housework and laundry

• Companionship, conversation, and encouragement

This consistent, one-to-one relationship means you always have a familiar, friendly face at home. And because your carer is living with you, they can respond quickly to changing routines or support needs—while you stay in complete control of your daily life.

Understanding 24-Hour Care

While live-in care is comprehensive, sometimes you or your loved one may need extra reassurance during the night, or require consistent, professional support around the clock. That’s where 24-hour care comes in.

24-hour care usually involves a team of carers who work in shifts to guarantee support is always available, day or night. This is ideal for people who:

• Need overnight assistance, such as regular turning in bed, toileting, or reassurance

• Have complex health conditions that require vigilant monitoring

• Are at risk of falls or need continual supervision for safety

If your needs change during the night, or if there’s any kind of medical urgency, you’ll have someone ready to help immediately—no matter the hour.

So, what actually happens when someone requires 24-hour care? This approach ensures that even with multiple carers rotating, you never experience a gap in assistance. Your privacy, comfort, and preferences remain paramount, as we ensure every member of your care team is briefed on your needs and wishes. This seamless, professional support upholds independent living, while providing essential peace of mind for your family.

Overnight Stays: Can A Carer Stay Overnight?

Absolutely—overnight support is one of the most valued aspects of both live-in and 24-hour care. If you need help overnight, for example with mobility, reassurance, or medication, your carer can stay through the night, either awake and alert or sleeping but ready to assist when called upon.

We offer solutions ranging from a “sleep-in” carer who is on-call, to active “waking night” support if frequent overnight care is needed. No problem if you’re not quite sure what sort of support you or your loved one might need—our friendly team is here to discuss the options and tailor a package that truly fits. Whether it’s a full 24-hour care at home in moreton plan or occasional night sits upton, we’ll work around your lifestyle, routines, and personal preferences.

Choosing The Right Option

Perhaps you want the stability of a familiar carer through live-in care. Or maybe your circumstances would benefit more from round-the-clock support and supervision. It all comes down to your needs, comfort level, and health considerations.

Our team is highly experienced in developing bespoke care plans. We'll regularly review your support as your circumstances change, ensuring you always receive the care and companionship you require without ever feeling overwhelmed or restricted. With our commitment to person-centred care, you’ll always be at the heart of every decision.

Supporting Independent Living—Your Way

Whichever care arrangement you prefer, our top priority at Beloved Homecare is helping you live as full and independent a life as possible. Both live-in and 24-hour care enable you to remain at home—in your own space, surrounded by the comforts and memories that matter most—while staying safe, well, and connected.

If you’d like to learn more about how these services work in practice, or how we might tailor support for you, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re happy to answer any questions, visit for a friendly assessment, or simply offer advice—no pressure, no obligation.

Your comfort, dignity, and independence are precious. With the right support in place, there’s no need for compromises. Let us help you discover a care plan that feels just right.

Beloved Homecare Signs The Armed Forces Covenant

Rachael Stokes, Managing Director of Beloved Homecare has today signed the official Armed Forces Covenant on behalf of the service.

Rachael said “Recognising the value our armed forces and their families is something we both support and encourage throughout our service. Many of our clients are veterans of all branches of the armed forces and it is only right that we recognise the value a member of staff with military service, or their family members, can offer.”

The Armed Forces Covenant requires two core principles:

1. No member of the armed forces community should face disadvantage in the face of public and commercial organisations in comparison to other citizens;

2. Special consideration may be appropriate for some members of the armed forces community.

Ove the coming weeks Beloved Homecare senior leadership team will be working with the Ministry of Defence Employment Response Team to explore the benefits members of the armed forces community can bring to clients, the care service and our community as a whole.

Private Homecare Vs. Residential Care Home

Is Private Homecare a Better Choice than Residential Care?

Advantages of Private Homecare

• You can stay at in your own home with fond memories

• A small team of dedicated professional carers to look after you in your own home

• A dedicated manager who does not answer to corporate shareholders who can make decisions based on your care needs quickly, rather than go through committee sign-off

• Staying close to friends, neighbours and family in the community you know and love

• Significantly more cost effective than a high-quality care home by up to 70%

Private homecare - things to consider

When deciding on care services, wether private homecare or residential care, consider the following questions carefully before making a decision:

• Do I want to leave my own property?

• Can my care needs be met with some minor adjustments in my home such as hand rails?

• Do I want to leave my family memories behind?

• Can i safely remain at home with professional help and support?

• Do I want a dedicated care team or different carers every few weeks?

• Do I want to spend up to £3,000 per week in residential care, or spend less in private care in my own home?

• Do I want the assurance of a dedicated manager 7 days per week, or someone who only works Monday to Friday until 4:00pm?

Private Homecare Vs. Residential Care: Costs of Care

Private Homecare: Cost of Care

Paying for care is perhaps one of the most difficult decisions you can face in older life. Many people are torn between wanting high quality care and wanting to leave a nest egg behind for loved ones when they die.

Like all services it depends on what you would like and what you are willing to pay for. If you want a Michellin Star meal you have to pay a lot more than if you want a fast food burger from town.

Residential care can start from just £750 per week in some areas and go up to anywhere depending on the type of facility you are interested in.

One care home near to us in Cheshire charges £3,000 per week per person, for example. It must be said the care is outstanding there, in our view.

Costs of Care

Costs of Residential Care are Significantly Higher than Private Homecare.

Private Homecare on the other hand can be significantly cheaper than residential care. Prices start at just £25 per visit and each call is personalised to you, on your own home.

As a private homecare service, we are able to offer flexibility of our service which means you can increase or decrease your call requirements as needed.

Case Study: Increasing private homecare Calls

A client we had was diagnosed with early stage dementia and needed just 2 calls per day in the morning and night for 30 minutes each call.

After 6 months the calls needed to increase to 4 calls per day so that the client and family members could be assured of their care throughout the day too.

Our client stayed at home for 18 months before needing to be sent to a specialist care home.

That was 18 months of staying in familiar surroundings, having neighbours pop in and say “hello” and dedicated calls by care staff who knew the client at every single visit.

Liaising with other health professionals such as the memory clinic staff, GP and consultant was just a small part of the work we did in the background to ensure our client was as safe as possible at home all the way until they needed more specialised support.

Summary

Private Homecare is a flexible and cheaper alternative that searching for residential care homes in many cases and could be considered a sound financial decision in contrast to high staff turnover care homes.

Private Homecare Vs. Residential Care: Staying With Memories

Private Homecare and Precious Memories

Imagine raising children and perhaps grandchildren in a home that has taken years of saving and sacrifice to maintain.

Now, because of one fall, or one diagnosis…. you are thinking about moving into a new place with no connection to your family, your friends or your community.

This can often be what happens when there seems to be no other options available. But there are options.

You can stay at home with private homecare!

What is Private Homecare?

Private Homecare is a service offered to help people like you or your loved ones to stay safe at home for as long as possible. It can be anything from regular calls each day for breakfast, lunch, dinner and bed. It can mean full time live-in care or even overnight care.

There is so much flexibility in private homecare which is not determined by “minimum standards” from the local authority. You can choose your exact package to meet your or your loved ones needs.

You can even top-up your local authority care package with additiional private homecare.

Case Study about Private Homecare

Mr. T was eligible to get local authority call for 3 calls per day for breakfast, lunch and bed. His family were concerned that with his diagnosis of early stage dementia that he could be at risk of hurting himself by getting out of bed.

Our solution was to offer a 2 -hour private package each night so a carer would wait until 10:00pm each night to make sure he was safe. The additional 2 hours were all fully documented and the family (with permission from Mr. T) could read the care notes to make sure he was safe and happy.

This led to Mr. T having a happy and safe experience with private homecare that was flexible enough to support his needs while providing assurance to his family that he was safe throughout.

How to Get Private Homecare

You could have private homecare arranged wihin just 24 hours from your call!

1. Contact us using the button below

2. Agree a no-obligation visit to discuss your or your family member needs

3. Agree a start date and time

4. That’s it!

Private Homecare Vs. Residential Care: Local Managers

Private homecare services

Welcome to week two of our January blog to cover the advantages of private homecare compared to residential care.

This week we will look at management of the service and getting the views of our registered manager, Carl.

Registered Manager for Private Homecare Services, Carl

elderly care

Carl is our local care manager and he started the service with the company director, Rachael, back in 2021 after learning of the elderly care his nan received was far below the standard expected.

Carl worked all over the world as a senior leader until has nan got sick and he decided that care services would be his legacy to his nan, with his main mantra in the office being “would this be good enough for your nan?” - Something we take seriously for all of our care services.

Carl said “Residential care is certainly an option for meeting care needs as conditions may deteriorate over time. However, the advantage of private homecare is that we can support as much or as little as needed. We don’t have corporate shareholders and venture capital to answer to in our services, meaning every decision we make is locally based and always with the client at the centre.”

The key difference in private homecare managers is many of them are owner / operators of the service.

Many residential care homes are subject to large company shareholder profit margins and financial targets set on managers, which does not apply to boutique private homecare services that focus instead on client care.

Beloved Homecare specialises in providing high quality private homecare in your own home.

Rachael is the director of Beloved Homecare and started life as a carer in Wales before meeting Carl and establishing the service in May 2021.

Director of our Private Homecare Service, Rachael

Live in care

Care at home & live in care

Rachael has delivered both live—in care to elderly clients around the world as well as regular care at home visits to clients up to four times per day.

Rachael said “Live-in care is something that many people can choose as an option for themselves or their loved one to allow them to stay at home and in the place they know.”

Rachael recalls her first day working in care “I remember getting an hour induction and an hour on-job training and just being left to it from there. I thought this was far below the standards needed to train professional care staff, so together with Carl, Beloved Homecare was formed!”

Training professional care staff who can provide a range of specialist care roles at home is no small task. Beloved Homecare provides thousands of hours of professional training to our own care team every year, under close supervision and audit of our local management team.

Advantages of Private Homecare Vs. Residential Care

4 Advantages of Private Homecare Vs. Residential Care

Private homecare advantages

For the next four weeks we will discuss the advantages of private homecare for you or your loved one. There are four key areas to explore and they are:

1. Small teams vs. large churn teams

2. Dedicated local managers vs. Corporate groups

3. Staying at home with family memories vs. Staying in a new place

4. Costs of high quality private homecare vs costs of high quality residential care

Carer looking at Photo Album with Client

Small teams of private carers

Private Homecare with us means that you have a dedicated team of 3-4 carers depending on the package of care you would like.

You get to know the same carers and they get to support you based on regular contact with the same people every week.

Compared to a residential home where there are churn rates of up to 60% depending on the location and dozens of staff who you may not know, trying to support you based solely on a document rather than getting to know you over a long period of time.

The private homecare service allows you to build a professional bond with the care professionals and know that you are in safe hands with such a small, dedicated team.

In summary, private homecare with a small, dedicated team allows you to build a genuine rapport and professional relationship with a group of highly engaged carers.

Private Homecare Choices

Private Homecare

When deciding that you or a loved one may need care the local government in your location can complete a free assessment of need which will recommend a package of care they think id the minimum requirement you need.

Private Homecare

“Homecare is much more than just the quick calls the local authority provide. It can be a lifeline and companionship”

— Carl Mannion

Live in care

Live in care

Private homecare can include live in care for people who may need support day and night.

A dedicated care team will support you 24 hours per day, 7 days per week with a dedicated team of care professionals looking after all of your needs.

Our team of experienced professional carers will provide you or your loved one with piece of mind that someone is going to be available no matter what time, day or night.

Beloved Homecare Becomes Approved Training Centre

Beloved Homecare has become approved to deliver professional care qualifications in partnership with NCFE Awarding Organisation.

This means Beloved Homecare will be training care staff, team leaders and care managers and awarding Level 2, Level 3 and Level 5 OfQual Regulated qualifications.

Unlike apprenticeships which are drawn out and require carers to complete maths and english as well as end point assessments, NVQ Diplomas are focused entirely on the competence of care. This allows carers to demonstrate the excellent work they do and achieve a recognised qualification for their skills, knowledge and experience.

The ability to offer formally recognised Diploma (NVQ in old money) means that our care teams will be able to demonstrate their client care, knowledge and professional competence through the most up-to-date learning.

Unlike many training providers, our assessment and verification team work in the health and social care sector today. We are practitioners in care as well as trainers.

Our Head of Training and Registered Manager for Care, Carl Mannion said “Beloved Homecare has a commitment to the professional development of our own staff and colleagues. We are excited to be training our leaders of the future as the service continues to grow and support clients across the North West and internationally in Europe, Middle East and Asia.”

Rachael Stokes, Director of Beloved Homecare said “Becoming a regulated training centre is a great addition to the talented pool of professional carers across Wirral. We look forward to providing NVQ Diploma qualifications on behalf of our partners and colleagues throughout the care network in Wirral.”

The first cohort of learners are due to start in July 2024 and an aim to complete their NVQ Diploma by March 2025.

Oliver McGowan Training Offered by Beloved Homecare

Beloved Homecare are delighted to announce that our organisation has completed and will be soon offering Oliver McGowan Tier One and Tier Two training for our own team of care staff who support clients with autism and / or learning disabilities.

It is a legal requirement for care providers to complete Oliver McGowan training appropriate to their role as a result of The Care Act 2022.

Carl Mannion, who is our registered manager and who also has a formal diagnosis of autism said “After participating the train the trainer Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training Programme, it was a privilege to work with colleagues across the health and social care spectrum.”

Carl is trained as a the lead facilitator for Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training and is soon to be attending the ‘Expert by Experience Co-Facilitator’ as a person with lived experience too.

Beloved Homecare will be rolling out our training provision across the North West Region of England in September 2024.

Beloved Homecare Joins Homecare.Co.UK

Beloved Homecare has now joined the Homecare.co.uk platform and is live!

Carl Mannion, Registered Manager at Beloved Homecare explained “Homecare.co.uk only uses verified reviews from clients and their family / friends. This means all reviews are independently checked and verified to ensure the quality of service remains high.”

If you are a client of Beloved Homecare, or a family member / loved on, please feel free to leave a review for Beloved Homecare by clicking the review page.

Beloved Homecare Awarded Second Contract in Wirral

Beloved Homecare has been awarded a place on the Supported Living Service framework with Wirral Borough Council.

Carl Mannion, Registered Manager for Beloved Homecare said “We are delighted to have been recognised as a trusted care provider to the Wirral local authority for the Supported Living Service Framework. This agreement will allow us to support some of the most vulnerable people across the borough and develop our team of care professionals further with specialised training.”

The framework agreement came into effect in March 2024.

For further information on how to get support from Beloved Homecare, please use the contact us page.

Beloved Homecare Achieve Good Business Charter

Beloved Homecare is pleased to announce our accreditation for Good Business Charter has been accepted and we are officially recognised as meeting the standards set out by the scheme.

Rachael Stokes, Director of Beloved Homecare said “We are delighted to join the Good Business Charter as a result of a year-long piece of work to get external recognition for the hard work and dedication our teams show to the local community on a daily basis, all year round.”

You can find Beloved Homecare on the Good Business Charter Here

Wirral Borough Council Award Beloved Homecare Framework Contract

Wirral Borough Council has awarded Beloved Homecare a framework contract to provide home care services to the people of Wirral.

Rachael Stokes is the director for Beloved Homecare and said “it is a great achievement and reflects on the amazing work our care team performs day in, day out for the people we support in Wirral.”

Being part of the local authority framework requires service providers to achieve a “Good” or higher rating from the Care Quality Commission. Beloved Homecare received a “Good;” rating in October 2022 which has allowed the service to provide care and support in areas of Moreton, Heswall and Wallasey on behalf of the local authority and NHS.

Beloved Homecare was rated “Good” in October 2022

If you would like to work with a “Good” provider who believes that service excellence comes from the fantastic carers, you can contact us directly on 0151 459 2977.

CQC Inspects Beloved Homecare Wirral

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the regulator for health and social care in England. They inspected Beloved Homecare Wirral branch in September in October 2022 after receiving dozens of feedback information between July and August 2022.

The outcome of the CQC inspection is that Beloved Homecare Wirral is a “Good” service overall. Some of the comments from the inspector:

“People and their relatives reported personalised and good quality care from staff who were kind and compassionate.”

“The provider was proactive in supporting their staff and provided access to resources to benefit the health and wellbeing of employees. Care workers spoke highly about working for the service.”

“People told us staff were caring and kind.”

CQC Summary Report 2022