Respite Care in Brighton and Hove

Brighton and Hove • East Sussex

Short-term and emergency respite care in Brighton and Hove

Caring for someone you love is rewarding, but it is also relentless, and even the most devoted family carer needs to rest. Respite care in Brighton and Hove gives you that breathing space: a trained Care Professional steps in for a few hours, a few days or a couple of weeks, so you can recover, take a holiday, deal with your own health, or simply sleep. Your relative stays in their own home and keeps their routine, while you get a genuine break knowing they are in safe hands.

We should be open about how we operate. Protocol Healthcare Services is based in the South of England and does not run a branch in the city itself. What we do run is a national service that coordinates vetted, background-checked Care Professionals wherever they are needed. Everyone we place has completed enhanced DBS and right-to-work checks, references and training before starting, and a consultant is available around the clock, which matters most when a respite need arises suddenly.

When families in Brighton and Hove use respite care

• ✓ A planned break, holiday or weekend away
• ✓ Emergency cover if a carer falls ill
• ✓ Recovery after your own operation or illness
• ✓ Support after a relative's hospital stay or surgery
• ✓ Regular, planned breaks to prevent carer burnout
• ✓ A trial of care before committing long term
• ✓ Cover for a family event or work commitment
• ✓ A bridge while you arrange longer-term support

Respite as visiting or live-in care

Respite in Brighton and Hove comes in two main shapes. Visiting respite means a Care Professional calls in for set hours across the day, covering personal care, meals and medication so you can step away and recharge. Live-in respite means someone stays in the home day and night for a week or two, which is what most families choose when they want a proper holiday or need cover after their own surgery. Both keep your relative in familiar surroundings, near the seafront, the Downs and the neighbours they know, rather than moving them into an unfamiliar respite bed elsewhere.

Emergency respite when you cannot wait

Not every break is planned. A carer can be taken ill overnight, or a hospital discharge can land sooner than expected. Because our team is available around the clock and our reach is national, we can often arrange emergency respite cover in Brighton and Hove at short notice, whether that is urgent visiting calls or a live-in Care Professional. When you call, we move quickly to put safe, checked cover in place so no one is left without support.

Local knowledge across Brighton and Hove

We arrange respite right across the city, from central Brighton and the Lanes to Hove, Hangleton and Portslade in the west, and out to Kemptown, Hanover, Woodingdean, Ovingdean, Saltdean and Rottingdean in the east, as well as Patcham, Preston Park and Moulsecoomb. This is a hilly, seafront city where a top-floor Kemptown flat and a Saltdean bungalow each bring their own practicalities, and we match Care Professionals who can manage those daily realities so your break is genuinely restful.

Respite is also one of the most common ways families support someone home from hospital. The Royal Sussex County Hospital in Kemptown, the city's main hospital and A&E, is part of University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, and a short spell of respite after a discharge or operation covers medication, mobility and recovery while everyone finds their feet again.

Funding respite care in Brighton and Hove

Respite is priced on the length and type of cover you need, and we give you a clear quote before it begins. Many families self-fund, but you may be entitled to help. Brighton and Hove City Council can carry out a carer's assessment as well as a care needs assessment, and in some cases this leads to support with respite funding. Our team is happy to explain the options, and you can read more on our paying for care guide or explore our wider services.

Areas of Brighton and Hove we cover for respite

We arrange planned and emergency respite across the city and its surrounding communities, including:

• Brighton City Centre
• Hove
• Kemptown
• Hanover
• Portslade
• Hangleton
• Rottingdean
• Saltdean
• Woodingdean
• Ovingdean
• Moulsecoomb
• Patcham
• Preston Park