Live-in care in Kensington and Chelsea

Call the Royal Borough's Social Services Line on 020 7361 3013 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) or email socialservices@rbkc.gov.uk. You can also fill in the online Adult Social Care referral form, on the council's 'Get support from Adult Social Care' page, for yourself or for someone else. Out of hours, the Emergency Duty Team is on 020 7373 2227. The council uses the national eligibility rules, and it will not contribute to the cost of care if savings or assets are over £23,250.

In the south of the borough, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital has an A&E and an urgent care centre inside it, both open 24 hours a day. In the north, St Mary's Hospital on Praed Street, Paddington, just over the border in Westminster, has a 24/7 A&E. For minor injuries and illnesses, St Charles NHS Urgent Care Centre on Exmoor Street, North Kensington, is open 8am to 8pm every day, including bank holidays, for anyone over the age of 2.

No. The inpatient unit at Pembridge Palliative Care Centre, on the St Charles site, has been closed since 2018, and NHS North West London's board confirmed its formal closure when it approved a new model of palliative care in July 2025. Pembridge continues to offer day hospice, outpatient services and home-based care. For a hospice bed, St John's Hospice in St John's Wood takes referrals for Kensington and Chelsea residents from a health or social care professional, and Royal Trinity Hospice in Clapham covers parts of the borough.

Carers Network supports adult unpaid carers looking after someone over 18 who lives in the borough, and you can ask for a carer's assessment when you register with it, or call 020 8960 3033 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm). The assessment usually takes 45 to 60 minutes, in person, online or by phone, and can include checking whether you may be eligible for a Carers Personal Budget. The council can also assess you at the same time as the person you look after, though not in their presence.

Often, yes. The Royal Borough says people living with dementia may be eligible under 'severely mentally impaired' and should apply through a MyRBKC account. People who are severely mentally impaired are not counted for council tax, so a home where only one other adult is counted can get the 25% single-adult discount, and if all residents are disregarded a 50% discount may apply. You need to provide evidence. For questions, call council tax on 020 7361 3005, 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

Live-in care with Day and Nightcare costs from £1,550 a week in Kensington and Chelsea, the same as everywhere in England, for one person with a carer who rests at night. That includes our care team's management (the assessment, care plan, reviews, supervision and the on-call manager) and the carer's food; break cover and the carer's travel are extra. For a couple it is from £1,800 a week, where one carer can safely meet both partners' needs. You receive a written quote after a free assessment.

Yes, if the person's care needs meet the national eligibility criteria and their savings are below £23,250 (2026/27). Adult social care in Kensington and Chelsea is arranged by Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Ask for a care needs assessment; if you are eligible, council funding can usually be taken as a direct payment and used for live-in care from us.

It can. Tell us the expected discharge date as early as you can, and we will work with you and the ward's discharge team on when live-in care can start. We can often start within 24 to 48 hours of the assessment, depending on carer availability, and we confirm the start date once a carer is arranged. We have provided Discharge to Assess (D2A) care since 2014.