Live-in care in Tower Hamlets, London

Our care, where you live

Our live-in care in Tower Hamlets

Live-in care means one-to-one support in your own home: personal care, medication support, meals, help around the house, getting out and about, and someone close by at night. Whether it suits the person, and whether one carer can support a couple, is worked out at the free assessment. Read more in live-in care explained and how it works day to day.

How we arrange live-in care in Tower Hamlets

Day and Nightcare provides fully managed live-in care across Tower Hamlets, from £1,550 a week. One main carer lives in the home; a relief carer covers their holidays and time off, and a manager is on call. Care starts with a free assessment, a written quote and a written care plan.

Care can be paid for privately, by Tower Hamlets Council (including direct payments) or by NHS Continuing Healthcare. We have provided Discharge to Assess (D2A) care since 2014. If someone is in hospital, tell us the expected discharge date (see care after hospital). Our care team is on 01865 715780.

Arranging care and funding in Tower Hamlets

Tower Hamlets Council runs adult social care and collects council tax. Tower Hamlets Connect is the front door: 0300 303 6070, weekdays 9am to 5pm. Its online self-assessment form is the recommended route, and it usually calls back within three days. If more than advice or reablement is needed, the initial assessment team arranges a Care Act assessment with a social worker, occupational therapist or first response officer. Family members are welcome to join, and a free independent advocate can be arranged. Out of hours, the emergency duty team is on 020 7364 4079.

Read more: arranging care and funding in Tower Hamlets

Since 1 April 2025, care in the home has not been a chargeable service. Reablement is free too, usually for up to six weeks.
Other services, such as care homes, are means-tested through a financial assessment, with £23,250 as the savings limit (financial assessment team: 020 7364 2038).
If you are eligible, the personal budget can be paid as a direct payment. You can also arrange live-in care directly with a provider; see the cost of live-in care.

A family carer has the right to a carer’s assessment if the person they look after lives in Tower Hamlets; the Carers Centre (020 7790 1765) or adult social care can help with it. Any carer support provided is free, and eligible carers may get a one-off direct carer payment.

For council tax, people who are severely mentally impaired can apply for a discount; a carer looking after someone with a disability who is not their spouse, partner or child under 18 is not counted; and the bill drops one band where a disabled resident needs an extra bathroom, kitchen, adapted room or wheelchair space. See council tax discounts for care.

Urgent care and leaving hospital in Tower Hamlets

Urgent treatment centre: the Royal London Hospital, Clinic 1 at the Cavell Entrance on Stepney Way: open 24 hours daily. It is not an A&E.
A&E: the Royal London, Whitechapel Road: the adult emergency department is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, for people aged 18 and over (switchboard 020 7377 7000). After you register, a triage nurse may direct you to the emergency department, the urgent treatment centre or the GP hub.

The council’s hospital social work team at the Royal London supports Tower Hamlets residents in any hospital, and arranges four weeks of NHS-funded care and support after discharge before reviewing longer-term needs. East London NHS Foundation Trust’s community health team may also request reablement at home. On the day, patients may wait in the Royal London’s discharge lounge, where nurses are on hand, for transport or medicines. See Discharge to Assess explained.

For NHS Continuing Healthcare, the Tower Hamlets team is on 020 7771 5680 (weekdays 9am to 5pm).

Local help in Tower Hamlets

Carers' services, dementia support, transport, befriending and other local help, with phone numbers.

Useful contacts in Tower Hamlets

The council, NHS teams, hospitals and local services you are most likely to need in Tower Hamlets, with links to their official pages. Open any heading for the details.

Council and care assessments

Adult social care in Tower Hamlets is arranged by Tower Hamlets Council. Anyone who appears to need care can ask for a free care needs assessment, whatever their savings. If the council funds care, you can usually take it as a direct payment and use it for live-in care from us.

Tower Hamlets Council: ask for a care needs assessment (telephone 0300 303 6070); carer's assessment.

NHS Continuing Healthcare

When someone's main need is a health need, the NHS pays for all of their care through NHS Continuing Healthcare, and it is not means-tested. For Tower Hamlets it is arranged by NHS North East London ICB (Continuing Healthcare information). See our NHS Continuing Healthcare guide.

Hospitals near Tower Hamlets

If someone is in hospital, tell us the expected discharge date as early as you can, and we will work with you and the discharge team on when live-in care can start.

The Royal London Hospital: Whitechapel Road, E1 1FR; adult emergency department open 24 hours, 365 days a year (aged 18 and over); a triage nurse may direct patients to the emergency department, the urgent treatment centre or the GP hub; switchboard 020 7377 7000; discharge lounge with nurses, to wait for transport or medicines. (leaving hospital information)
Royal London Hospital Urgent Treatment Centre: Open 24 hours daily, Clinic 1 at the Cavell Entrance on Stepney Way; the trust says people with a minor illness or injury can visit, and the triage nurse at the emergency department may direct patients there. Not an A&E.
Mile End Hospital: Bancroft Road; community hospital with outpatient, diagnostic, treatment and mental health inpatient services (East London NHS Foundation Trust's Tower Hamlets Centre for Mental Health); home of the borough's Diagnostic Memory Clinic.

Local support and charities

Carers Centre Tower Hamlets: Carers' support (020 7790 1765)
Diagnostic Memory Clinic (Tower Hamlets): Dementia support (020 3738 7000)
Age UK East London: Age UK (020 8981 7124)
St Joseph's Hospice: Hospice (0300 30 30 400)
Tower Hamlets Connect: Local services directory (0300 303 6070)
TfL Dial-a-Ride: Community transport (0343 222 7777)
Healthwatch Tower Hamlets: Healthwatch: your independent voice on health and care

Council tax

Council tax in Tower Hamlets, including discounts for people with a severe mental impairment, for disabled people and for some carers, is handled by Tower Hamlets Council. See council tax discounts for care.

Areas around Tower Hamlets

Whitechapel
Spitalfields
Bethnal Green
Stepney
Mile End
Bow
Bromley-by-Bow
Poplar
Limehouse
Shadwell
Wapping
Isle of Dogs

Your questions

Questions about live-in care in Tower Hamlets

Who do I call in Tower Hamlets to ask for a care assessment?

Tower Hamlets Connect is the council's front door for adult social care: 0300 303 6070, weekdays 9am to 5pm. The council suggests starting with the online self-assessment form. Tower Hamlets Connect usually gets back to you within three days and may offer advice, reablement, or a care and support needs assessment by the initial assessment team. Out of hours, the council's emergency duty team is on 020 7364 4079 (5pm to 9am, including weekends). In immediate danger, call 999.

Is care at home really free in Tower Hamlets?

For care arranged by the council, yes. The council's paying for care page says that from 1 April 2025 care in the home is no longer a chargeable service. Reablement and support for carers are also free. Other services, such as care homes, are still means-tested, with £23,250 as the savings limit. If the person is eligible, their personal budget can be taken as a direct payment; the financial assessment has to happen before payments begin.

What happens if someone from Tower Hamlets goes into hospital?

The council has a hospital social work team at the Royal London Hospital that supports all Tower Hamlets residents, whichever hospital they are in. If the person already has council-arranged care, their agency tells the council and the care is put on hold; tell ward staff it needs to restart on the first day home. If new care is needed after discharge, the team arranges care and support for four weeks, funded by the NHS, and reviews what is needed next.

Who arranges NHS Continuing Healthcare in Tower Hamlets?

NHS North East London integrated care board. The Tower Hamlets Continuing Healthcare team is on 020 7771 5680, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm (elft.thchc@nhs.net). When the council assesses someone's needs, its social care practitioner also checks whether they may be eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare funding. If the person qualifies, the NHS pays for their care and support.

How much does live-in care cost in Tower Hamlets?

Live-in care with Day and Nightcare costs from £1,550 a week in Tower Hamlets, 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.

Can the council help pay for live-in care in Tower Hamlets?

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 Tower Hamlets is arranged by Tower Hamlets Council. 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.

Can live-in care start when someone leaves The Royal London Hospital?

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.

Sources and further information

Show the 21 official sources for this page

Local information checked 31 October 2026. Links go to the official council, NHS and charity pages.

Live-in care in Tower Hamlets