To make a home care referral in Hertfordshire to Starling Homecare, complete the enquiry form on our contact page, selecting "Professional", or call the local team. We provide visiting care from 30 minute visits, overnight care and live-in care. In urgent situations, care can usually start within a day or two. We are registered with the Care Quality Commission.
To refer someone or talk a situation through, our St Albans team is on 01727 324 127.
We know referrals often arrive alongside bed pressures, full caseloads and families who need answers quickly, so this page is designed to be quick to use.
How does a home care referral in Hertfordshire work?
There are two routes, and both reach the same local team:
- The enquiry form on our contact page. Choose "Professional" as your relationship to the person and add the details in the message box.
- A phone call to the team for the area where your client lives.
Our local numbers are:
- St Albans: 01727 324 127
- Harpenden: 01582 824 830
- Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted and Tring: 01442 954 137
- Radlett and Shenley: 01923 988 550
- Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield, and Potters Bar: 01707 714 000
- Hitchin: 01462 534739
- Hertford: 01920 746779
What information helps us respond well?
The more we know at the start, the safer the first visit. Where you can, please share:
- The person's name and where they live.
- What support is needed, and from when.
- Who holds consent or authority: the person, an attorney or a deputy.
- The clinical teams already involved, such as the GP, district nurses or therapists.
- Any risks we should know about before a first visit.
- For a hospital discharge, the planned date and how the care will be funded.
If you do not have everything, refer anyway. We can gather the rest with the person and their family.
What happens after you refer?
We act on every referral in the same clear order.
- The first call. We build a picture of what life looks like today for the person, and what is changing.
- An informal chat at home. Usually the best next step is for us to visit, speak to the person themselves, answer their questions and make sure they are comfortable.
- A care plan and written quote. We propose a plan with the person and their family involved, and every family receives a written quote before anything begins.
- The first week. We allocate a small care team based on needs. A manager is usually involved, handing over, introducing the carers to the family and making sure the arrangement is stable and safe.
In urgent situations, care can usually start within a day or two. Our page on how care starts sets out the same steps for families.
What care can Starling Homecare provide?
We provide non-clinical care at home, from short visits to round-the-clock support:
- Visiting care from 30 minute visits, between 7am and 10pm, seven days a week.
- Overnight care between 10pm and 7am.
- Live-in care from £255 a day, and for couples from £295 a day.
- Personal care, medication prompting and support, meals, housekeeping and companionship.
- Dementia care, respite, post-hospital support and end of life care.
Visiting care starts from £34 a visit. Carers do not give injections or carry out clinical tasks, and we do not provide nursing care. Carers notice changes and pass concerns to the GP or the clinical team.
The CQC's listing for Starling Homecare shows our registration and the specialisms we are registered for, including dementia, physical disabilities and sensory impairments.
How is care funded?
Care can be privately funded, and every family receives a written quote with no long-term or fixed-term contracts. Our visiting care page notes that Direct Payments can be used to pay for care where someone is eligible.
Where an attorney or deputy is involved, we ask to see the registered document and agree the written care plan with them. We do not assess mental capacity or make best interests decisions. Our page on care arranged under a power of attorney explains how we work with decision makers.
How Starling Homecare can help your client
Starling Homecare is an independent, family run provider, and arranging care is something our teams do every day. We start by listening, and we involve the person in every decision so they can live independently on their own terms.
If a carer is not the right match, we will change them. It is rare, because our carers are carefully selected and trained, but if the person feels uncomfortable for any reason, we support them to find a better match. With the person's permission, families can read visit notes, so they can see how visits are going.
Where we provide care
Starling Homecare's carers visit people at home in St Albans, Harpenden, Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted, Tring, Radlett and Shenley, Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield, Potters Bar, Hitchin and Hertford, and we arrange live-in care across Hertfordshire.
Our head office is in St Albans; here is how we provide home care in St Albans, including Sandridge, Marshalswick and Redbourn.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make a home care referral to Starling Homecare?
Complete the enquiry form on Starling Homecare's contact page and select "Professional", or call the local team for the area where your client lives. Share the person's name, address, what is needed and from when, who holds consent or authority, the clinical teams involved, and any risks we should know about before a first visit.
How quickly can home care start after a referral?
In urgent situations, including hospital discharge, care with Starling Homecare can usually start within a day or two. We begin with a call to understand the situation, then usually an informal chat with the person at home. A care plan and written quote follow before anything begins, and a manager is usually involved in the first week.
Who do I call to refer a client in St Albans?
Call Starling Homecare's St Albans team on 01727 324 127, or use the enquiry form on our contact page. The team covers St Albans and nearby villages including Sandridge, Marshalswick and Redbourn. We provide visiting care from 30 minute visits, overnight care and live-in care, and every family receives a written quote first.
If you are pointing a family towards help, Hertfordshire County Council's care at home page says contacting a care service directly may be the quickest option, and our guide for families worried about an elderly parent is written for sons and daughters. To refer, or simply to talk a situation through, our St Albans team is on 01727 324 127. You will be speaking to someone who arranges care every day.
Guidance checked on 26 October 2026 against the Care Quality Commission, Hertfordshire County Council and Starling Homecare's service pages.
Arranging Care Is Simple
Starting care can feel like a big step. We keep it calm and straightforward, and we are here to guide you from your very first call.
1. Talk to us
Get in touch by phone or request a callback. We will listen, answer your questions and help you understand the options, so you can decide what feels right in your own time.
2. A home visit and initial consultation
We arrange a visit to understand your routines, your home and what matters most to you. Together we agree an initial consultation and shape the support that feels right.
3. Your care begins
A small, familiar team starts your care, arriving at the agreed times and staying involved as your needs change. We remain your trusted adviser throughout.
Whenever you are ready, we are here to help.