What has happened
Oxfordshire County Council buys most council-funded home care through an arrangement called Live Well at Home. In September 2026 the council decided to extend it to 31 March 2028 while it decides how to buy home care in future. A planned replacement, called Staying Well at Home, has been paused while the council reviews it in the light of the proposed changes to Oxfordshire’s councils, and will now follow on a later timetable.
The council also publishes ceiling rates for the care it contracts from providers. For 2026/27 these include £30.87 an hour for planned home care, and for live-in care £1,168.35 a week without break cover or £1,600.64 a week where the carer’s breaks are covered.
What it means for families
For most people with council-funded care, nothing changes day to day: the care package, the care plan and the provider stay the same, and the council continues to review care as needs change. If you would like more choice or control, you can ask the council about a direct payment, which lets you choose a provider yourself, including live-in care.
Short-term care after a hospital stay, including Discharge to Assess and reablement, continues to be arranged through the hospital discharge team and the council.
Our view
Continuity is good news for the people receiving care: a change of arrangements can mean a change of carers, and familiar faces matter enormously, especially to people living with dementia. A clear extension gives everyone time to get the next arrangements right rather than rushed.
The harder questions are still ahead. Whatever model comes next should keep people with the carers they know, pay rates that let providers recruit and keep skilled staff, and make it easy for families to choose. Having provided Discharge to Assess care since 2014, we know how much good hospital discharge depends on providers, hospitals and the council working as one team, and we hope that experience shapes the next design.
What you can do
- Read our guides to council funding, direct payments and leaving hospital.
- If someone is in hospital, ask the ward what support is planned before they come home.
- See live-in care in Oxfordshire for local contacts.
Sources
- Oxfordshire County Council: Live Well at Home framework extension report
- Oxfordshire County Council: adult social care fees and reviews
Published 30 October 2026 by the Day and Nightcare care team. General information, not financial or legal advice.