What is home care?
Home care is practical, supportive care, provided in your own home. It will improve your quality of life, and help you keep your independence.
It includes:
- Personal care – for example someone to help you get up in the morning, and get ready for bed at night, including washing
- Night support – * see below
- Health care for medical or clinical needs – for example changing dressings
Outreach and community activities support – for example helping you get of the house, and attend social activities - Daily living skills support – for example helping you with cooking, laundry, or cleaning your home
Night care visits are the exception, not normally provided, and are normally only arranged for a short period of time. They can be for:
- Preventing falls or accidents – If someone is at high risk of falling or has mobility issues, they may need help getting in and out of bed or moving safely around the home
- Avoiding hospital or residential care – Night visits can help keep someone safely at home rather than moving to more intensive or institutional care settings
*Night care could be sleep-in night care, where staff are present from 10pm until 7am, and are able to sleep. They provide care when the person is awake and needs assistance. Waking night care requires the carer to remain awake, and available throughout the night, from 10pm until 7am, to provide continuous care and support.
When might you need home care?
You might need home care if you:
- Are getting older
- Have a medical condition
- Have a disability
- Are recovering from surgery or a stay in hospital
- We have a range of services and support available for people who need extra help at home after leaving hospital. You can find out more about that support, and how to get it on our Home from Hospital page
Benefits of Home Care?
We have a new system for home care in Cornwall, and have been working together with independent home care providers. Our aim is to provide a service that is high quality, and meets the needs of the people we are providing care for.
The benefits to you, of our new system are:
- Personalised care that fits around your life, not the other way around
- Support to stay at home longer, avoiding unnecessary hospital stays
- A friendly, familiar face—care workers you can trust and build a relationship with
- Peace of mind for families and loved ones, knowing help is there when needed
- A connected system, where care at home works hand-in-hand with GPs, nurses, and community teams
How does Home Care work?
A home carer, or team of home carers, will work with you to establish what support you need, and work out how that can be scheduled .
How can I get Home Care?
If you are interested in receiving home care, and you do not currently receive help from us, you can ask for an assessment.
Request Help for an AdultYou can also request help for a friend or family member this way.
If you already receive help from us, and want to discuss getting home care as well, talk to your social care professional.
You may need to pay for home care to meet your assessed needs, depending on your financial situation. Find out more on our page about paying for your care
If your assessment does not show that you are eligible to receive home care, then you cannot receive home care through Cornwall Council.
If you are not eligible for home care services, then you can make your own arrangements to receive companionship services, or non-regulated services. You would pay for this yourself, without involving us at all. T here are specialist providers in the private market, or you could employ a personal assistant.
What happens next?
When we decide with you that you will be receiving home care, we will put you in touch with one of our independent home care providers. They will work with you to set up a package of care that meets your needs. They will also discuss any payment arrangements that need to be made. Read more on our paying for your care page.
To discuss problems of changes to your home care, please contact your home care provider in the first instance. This might be because:
- your care schedule is not working out
- your needs have changed
- there is a problem with your home carers
If the problem is not resolved, you can contact the Adult Social Care Complaints team.
Contact Adult Social Care Complaints Team
Other support available to help you live safely at home
There are a number of other services and teams who can help you live at home as independently as possible. You can find out more about them on our Accommodation and Housing options page. Visit our accommodation and housing page.
Our new Home Care System
The vision for how our home care system works in Cornwall is:
“To enable people in Cornwall to live well, safely, and independently at home for as long as possible, through high-quality, compassionate, and personalised home care that is integrated with health and community services.”
We envision a home care system in Cornwall where:
- People are at the heart of care, with services shaped around their goals, needs, and preferences
- Care is timely, responsive, and reliable, enabling individuals to maintain their independence and dignity in their own homes
- Collaboration thrives across providers, communities, health, and social care systems to ensure seamless, coordinated support
- Home care workers are valued, well-trained, and supported—recognised as a vital part of Cornwall’s care system
- Innovation and flexibility allow services to evolve with changing needs, promoting prevention, wellbeing, and recovery
We believe everyone deserves care that is compassionate, reliable, and tailored to their needs. That’s why we work closely with individuals, families, local health services, and communities to make sure people get the right support at the right time.
A Promise of Quality
Home Care Cornwall is committed to:
- Treating every person with kindness, dignity, and respect
- Providing care that’s safe, responsive, and high-quality
- Listening to what matters most to you - and acting on it
- Supporting our care workers to do their best work, every day
If you're considering home care for yourself or a loved one, we're here to help you explore your options. Visit our Help to stay living at home page.
Working for us as a home care provider
If you are a provider looking for opportunities to work with Cornwall Council please visit our provider portal where you will find all the details you need.