Best Live-in Care in the West Midlands Compared

 

 

Choosing a live-in care provider is one of the biggest decisions many families will ever make. If you're looking at the options available in the West Midlands, you may be asking yourself, Which providers have the strongest reputation? Who can I trust to care for someone I love?

Demand for live-in care continues to grow across the UK as more families look for an alternative to residential care. At the same time, an ageing population and increasing pressure on care home places mean more people are choosing personalised support that allows them to remain in familiar surroundings. National figures show that almost 500,000 people in England now receive regulated domiciliary care. If you'd like to explore the wider picture, you can read our UK Elderly Care Statistics 2025–26.

To help make your search easier, we've compared some of the leading live-in care providers serving the West Midlands, including both established local providers and well-known national organisations. Rather than telling you which provider to choose, our aim is to present the facts so you can make an informed decision that's right for your family.

The information in this guide has been gathered from publicly available sources, including CQC inspection reports, homecare.co.uk, Trustpilot, Glassdoor and providers' own websites. For each provider, we've looked at how their service is managed, the care they offer, customer feedback, pricing (where available) and other key details that families often want to compare.

How We've Compared the Best Live-in Care Providers in the West Midlands

We've included providers that families are most likely to come across when researching live-in care in the West Midlands. Some are locally based with a strong regional presence, while others are national providers delivering care across the area.

Each provider has been assessed using the following criteria:

• Regulation and oversight (CQC rating and inspection history)
• Services offered (such as dementia care, companionship and complex care)
• Reviews and recognition (including homecare.co.uk, Trustpilot and Glassdoor)
• Coverage across the West Midlands and surrounding areas
• Published pricing, where available
• Care model (fully managed or introductory)

Information is correct as of July 2026.

Best Fully Managed Live-in Care Providers in the West Midlands

These agencies employ their carers directly and are regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Care Managers oversee quality and day-to-day support.

Trinity Homecare

Trinity Homecare is a national, fully managed live-in care provider with an Outstanding CQC rating. It actively markets its service to families in the West Midlands, although its CQC-registered live-in care service is based outside the region in Worcester Park, Surrey.

• Ownership & Model: Group-owned, fully managed care provider rather than a franchise or introductory agency. Its current Worcester Park service is operated by Trinity Care at Home Ltd, which sits within Trinity Homecare Group.
• Branches & Team: Trinity Homecare provides live-in care across the West Midlands through its wider national and group structure. Its public branch information does not currently list a CQC-registered branch physically based in the West Midlands. Care is supported through dedicated Care Managers, care coordinators and a seven-day on-call service.
• Coverage: National coverage, including Birmingham and the wider West Midlands.
• Regulation & Oversight: Trinity Homecare provides a fully managed, CQC-regulated live-in care service. It says it takes responsibility for every aspect of care, beginning with a care needs assessment and personalised support plan. Clients are matched through its CareMatch process and supported by a dedicated Care Manager, with ongoing reviews and replacement cover arranged by the provider.
• CQC Rating: Rated Outstanding overall by the Care Quality Commission at its Worcester Park service. The registered service is based in Surrey rather than the West Midlands.
• Services: Live-in care, visiting care, dementia care, palliative care, complex care, companionship and respite.
• Reviews & Awards: Its main Worcester Park homecare.co.uk listing holds a score of 9.8/10 from 64 reviews. Awards include Home Care Awards 2026 – Best for Live-in Care Expertise and homecare.co.uk Top 20 Rated Home Care Groups in the UK 2026.
• Employee Feedback: Glassdoor 4.6/5 from 44 reviews. Strong themes include culture, values and generally positive employee sentiment.
• Pricing: Costs depend on care needs, complexity and location. Trinity explains its pricing model publicly but does not currently publish a clear standard weekly starting price for live-in care in the West Midlands. Quotes are provided following an assessment.

 

The Good Care Group

The Good Care Group is a fully managed, nationally operating provider with one of the strongest CQC records in the country, rated Outstanding across all five key questions. It serves families in the West Midlands through dedicated regional care management, although its registered CQC location is in London.

• Ownership & Model: Group-owned, centrally registered managed provider rather than a franchise. Its CQC-regulated service is run by The Good Care Group London Limited, with GCG Intermediate Ltd listed as the person with significant control.
• Branches & Team: The Good Care Group operates a centrally managed live-in care service supported by local and regional teams. Families in the West Midlands are allocated a dedicated Regional Care Manager and Care Manager who provide day-to-day support to the client, family and care team.
• Coverage: National live-in care coverage, including the West Midlands.
• Regulation & Oversight: The Good Care Group provides a fully managed and CQC-regulated live-in care service. It directly employs and manages its carers and provides care planning, ongoing reviews, clinical expertise and a 24/7 support line. The company says Care Managers oversee relatively small client portfolios to allow for closer monitoring and personalised support.
• CQC Rating: Rated Outstanding overall by the Care Quality Commission, with Outstanding ratings across all five inspection categories. The latest full inspection report was published in April 2019.
• Services: Live-in care, dementia care, complex care, palliative care, companionship and respite.
• Reviews & Awards: homecare.co.uk score of 9.6/10 from 20 reviews. Awards include HealthInvestor Awards 2026 – Home Care Provider of the Year, following previous wins in 2018, 2020, 2021 and 2025.
• Employee Feedback: Glassdoor 4.6/5 from more than 419 reviews. Strong themes include culture, work-life balance and supportive care management.
• Pricing: Weekly inclusive pricing is based on assessed needs and covers the arrangement, delivery and management of care. homecare.co.uk lists live-in care from £1,795 per week.

 

Unique Senior Care

Unique Senior Care is a family-owned, independent managed provider offering live-in care across England. Its live-in service is run from its Outstanding-rated Solihull operation, giving it a particularly strong local presence for families in the West Midlands.

• Ownership & Model: Family-owned and independently operated by Co-Founders Philip Wright-Howarth and Philip Maundrill. The Solihull service is run by Understanding Care (Warwickshire) Limited, which sits beneath Understanding Care (Holdings) Limited. Unique operates as a fully managed live-in care provider rather than a franchise or introductory agency.
• Branches & Team: Unique Senior Care has local teams and offices in Solihull and across Warwickshire. Its live-in service supports families throughout England, with regional Care Managers providing local oversight and ongoing support. Its public information links its nationwide live-in service to its Outstanding-rated Solihull and Kenilworth offices.
• Coverage: Nationwide live-in care service, with a strong local base serving Birmingham, Solihull and the wider West Midlands.
• Regulation & Oversight: Unique Senior Care provides a fully managed live-in care service. Each client is supported by a dedicated Care Manager responsible for care planning, reviews, quality assurance and ongoing family communication. Care Managers support a maximum of 18 clients each, and clients have access to 24/7 support.
• CQC Rating: Outstanding. The latest full inspection was published on 2021, with Good ratings for Safe, Effective and Caring, and Outstanding ratings for Responsive and Well-led.
• Services: Live-in care, overnight care including sleeping and waking nights, dementia care, respite care, palliative care, support for physical disabilities and sensory impairment care.
• Reviews & Awards: The Solihull service holds a homecare.co.uk score of 10/10 from 85 reviews. Unique Senior Care was named one of homecare.co.uk's Top 20 Home Care Groups from 2021 to 2025 and received two Top 20 Awards in 2026. The company has also received the Princess Royal Training Award three times.
• Employee Feedback: Glassdoor 4.7/5 from 65+ reviews. Common themes include strong leadership, supportive management, training opportunities and career development.
• Pricing: Live-in care starts from £1855 per week for an individual and £2310 per week for a couple. No set-up fees are charged, assessments are free, and a £40 food allowance may apply where the Caregiver is not included in the household shop.

 

A Star Care Services

A Star Care Services is an independently owned care provider based in Shirley, Solihull, offering live-in care, visiting care and specialist support across the local area. Unlike larger national groups and franchise providers, the service operates through a local ownership and management structure.

• Ownership & Local Leadership: A Star Care Services is a locally owned independent provider operated by A Star Care Services Limited. Companies House records show the business is controlled by Karendeep Gandam and Ajit Singh Riar.
• Branches & Team: The provider is based in Shirley, Solihull, with care delivered and supported by its local management and care team.
• Coverage: Solihull, Birmingham, Shirley, Dorridge and surrounding West Midlands communities.
• Regulation & Oversight: A Star Care Services provides a fully managed, CQC-regulated service. Its care process includes an initial consultation, personalised care planning and ongoing monitoring and reviews from the local team.
• CQC Rating: A Star Care Services Limited became the registered legal provider of the service on 16 April 2025 and has not yet been inspected under this registration. The Good rating currently shown on its CQC page relates to an inspection carried out in August 2022, when the service was operated by a different registered provider. It should therefore not be treated as a new CQC assessment of A Star Care Services Limited.
• Services: Live-in care, visiting care, dementia care, companionship, personal care, respite care and specialist support.
• Reviews & Awards: A Star Care Services holds a homecare.co.uk score of 10/10 from 82 reviews. It won the homecare.co.uk Top 20 Home Care Provider Award 2026 for the West Midlands.
• Employee Feedback: No clearly attributable Glassdoor employer rating could be verified at the time of writing.
• Pricing: Its website lists live-in care from £1,350 per week, while homecare.co.uk lists live-in care from £1,300 per week. Families should confirm the current price and what is included directly with the provider.

 

CQC Ratings of the Top Live-in Care Companies in the West Midlands

Provider	CQC Rating	Latest Inspection / Assessment
Trinity Homecare	Outstanding	Worcester Park service; located outside the West Midlands
The Good Care Group	Outstanding across all five domains	April 2019
Unique Senior Care	Outstanding	2021
A Star Care Services	Not yet inspected under current registration*	Registered April 2025

*The Good rating shown on A Star Care Services' CQC profile was inherited from the previous provider's August 2022 inspection and is not a new inspection of the current legal provider.

Review Scores on homecare.co.uk

Provider	homecare.co.uk Score	Reviews (approx.)
Trinity Homecare	9.8	64+
The Good Care Group	9.6	20+
Unique Senior Care	9.8	250+
A Star Care Services	10	82+

 

Introductory Agencies Providing Live-in Care in the West Midlands

These agencies connect families with self-employed carers. They are not necessarily regulated by the Care Quality Commission in the same way as fully managed providers because they do not directly manage care delivery under their standard introductory models. Instead, they carry out background checks and introductions, with families responsible for ongoing supervision, care planning and oversight. While this model can be more flexible or affordable, it also requires families to take a more hands-on role.

Elder

Elder is one of the UK's largest introductory live-in care platforms. It connects families with self-employed carers using a centralised digital platform and offers support with matching, payments and service check-ins.

• Ownership & Model: Digital-first introductory agency operated by Elder Technologies Limited. It connects clients with self-employed carers rather than directly employing and managing them. Elder states that the CQC and other UK care regulators recognise it as an introductory agency.
• Coverage: Nationwide coverage, including the West Midlands and surrounding areas.
• Services: Live-in care, respite care, visiting care, hourly care and private care at home.
• Oversight & Support: Elder supports families with matching, payroll, replacement introductions and regular service check-ins. Carers are background checked and assessed, with checks including an enhanced DBS, proof of address, right-to-work documentation, professional references and a character and skills assessment. Elder says only 2% of carer applicants are successful. As an introductory agency, it does not create care plans, mandate training, manage carer performance or direct how care is delivered.
• Reviews & Awards: Trustpilot had approximately 862 reviews at the time of the research. Awards include Leaders in Care Awards 2025 – Innovation in Home Care Tech. Elder also states that Beauhurst named it the UK's number one AgeTech company in 2025.
• Employee Feedback: Glassdoor 3.5/5 from 114 reviews and Indeed 3.5/5 from 45 reviews. Positive themes include flexibility, purpose and the ability to choose when and where to work. Employee feedback on job security and overall recommendation levels is more mixed.
• Pricing: From £1,210 per week for live-in care. Elder states that this includes a two-week trial and up to two nightly wake-ups, with no weekend or bank holiday surcharges, lengthy contracts, deposits or joining fees.

 

Curam

Curam is a digital care platform that connects families directly with self-employed carers. It also offers a separate managed care option for families who need greater coordination and regulated oversight.

• Ownership & Model: Curam is the trading name of Ecare Group Ltd and associated group companies. It operates a hybrid model, offering both a self-managed marketplace and a separate CQC-regulated managed care service.
• Coverage: UK-wide coverage, including the West Midlands.
• Services: Live-in care, hourly care, overnight care, managed care, dementia support, post-operative care and support for complex needs.
• Oversight & Support: Under the self-managed model, families choose and contract directly with self-employed carers. Curam says carers must have at least four years' professional UK care experience, an enhanced DBS, verified right to work and two current relevant references. It also uses biometric online vetting, interviews and video-call onboarding. Under the managed service, Curam provides care plans, risk assessments, coordination, dedicated support and vitals tracking within a CQC-regulated framework.
• Reviews & Awards: Trustpilot results reviewed during the research showed approximately 610 to 612 reviews, with ratings between 4 and 4.5/5. Reviews commonly praise ease of use, communication and flexible matching. No prominent current external corporate award was verified, although Curam runs an internal Care Professional of the Month programme.
• Employee Feedback: Indeed 4.2/5 from eight reviews. Themes include a supportive office team, timely payments, flexibility and control over rates. No clearly attributable Glassdoor employer rating was verified.
• Pricing: Live-in care typically ranges from £950 to £1,400 per week. Carers set or agree their rates directly with clients, with the final cost depending on the chosen care professional and package.

 

Country Cousins

Founded in 1959, Country Cousins is the UK's longest-established introductory live-in care agency. Now part of the Trinity Homecare Group, it continues to match families with experienced carers across the country.

• Ownership & Model: Introductory agency operated through Country Cousins Homecare Agencies Ltd and now part of Trinity Homecare Group. Carers are self-employed and matched with clients by the central team. Country Cousins also offers access to fully managed care through its sister company, Trinity Homecare.
• Coverage: National coverage, including the West Midlands.
• Services: Nationwide live-in care, advanced live-in care, night support, companionship, dementia support, disability care and help with everyday tasks.
• Oversight & Support: Country Cousins carries out interviews, induction, reference checks, DBS or PVG checks, right-to-work verification and checks on professional development and training certificates. Applicants must have at least six months' care experience and provide two professional references. Under its introductory model, carers work independently and families retain responsibility for day-to-day care management and supervision.
• Reviews & Awards: Trustpilot had approximately 128 reviews and a four-star rating at the time of the research. Customer reviews highlight responsive office support, matching and continuity of care. No clear standalone 2025 or 2026 corporate award for the Country Cousins brand was verified.
• Employee Feedback: Indeed 3.1/5 from 13 reviews, although another profile variation showed 2.5/5. Positive themes include flexibility and appreciation, while weaker themes include job security, advancement and management. A Glassdoor profile with seven reviews was identified, but no stable overall rating could be verified.
• Pricing: Live-in care starts from approximately £1,000 per week or £4,000 per month. The total cost may also include the agency fee, carer travel, bank holiday uplifts, waking-night fees, food and household utilities.

 

Trustpilot Reviews for Introductory Agencies in the West Midlands

Provider	Trustpilot Score	Reviews (approx.)
Elder	Strong customer rating	862+
Curam	4–4.5	610+
Country Cousins	4	128+

 

Summary: West Midlands Live-in Care Providers Compared

Provider	CQC Rating	homecare.co.uk	Pricing	Model
Trinity Homecare	Outstanding	9.8	Quote following assessment	Fully managed
The Good Care Group	Outstanding	9.6	From £1,795/week	Fully managed
Unique Senior Care	Outstanding	9.8	£1855	Fully managed
A Star Care Services	Current provider not yet inspected*	10	From £1,350/week	Fully managed
Elder	N/A	N/A	From £1,210/week	Introductory
Curam	Varies by service model	N/A	£950–£1,400/week	Introductory / managed hybrid
Country Cousins	N/A	N/A	From approximately £1,000/week	Introductory

*The Good rating visible on A Star Care Services' CQC profile was inherited from the previous provider and does not represent an inspection of the current registration.

 

What to Consider When Choosing a Live-in Care Provider in the West Midlands

Price and review scores are a useful starting point, but they don't tell the whole story. The best live-in care provider for one family may not be the best fit for another, so it's worth looking beyond the headline figures before making a decision.

As you compare providers, think about how the service will work day to day. Will you have one dedicated Care Manager who knows your family, or will you speak to different people each time you call? How often will someone review the care? If your regular Caregiver is unwell or needs time off, who arranges cover? These practical details can make a real difference to the consistency of care you receive.

It's also important to understand the provider's care model. Fully managed providers recruit, employ, train and supervise their own Caregivers, while introductory agencies introduce self-employed carers and leave much of the ongoing management to the family. Neither model is right or wrong, but it's important to understand who is responsible for what before making your decision.

When speaking to a provider, consider asking:

• Who will oversee my loved one's care and how often will they stay in touch?
• How are Caregivers recruited, trained and matched to clients?
• What happens if our regular Caregiver is unavailable or our care needs change?
• What is included in the weekly fee, and are there any additional costs?
• Can you provide recent CQC reports and independent reviews for the service we'll actually receive?

Need Advice About Live-in Care?

If you're weighing up your options, we're happy to answer questions and explain how different types of live-in care work, with no obligation to choose us. You can find out more about our live-in care services in the West Midlands or explore our Care Advice Hub for more practical guidance.