Respite Care & Sitting Service in Leicester — Because Family Carers Deserve a Break Too
Flexible respite care and sitting visits across Leicester and Leicestershire — giving family carers the rest, time and space they need, while your loved one remains safely and comfortably at home.
If you are caring for a loved one at home, you are doing one of the most generous and demanding things a person can do. Day after day, week after week — often with little recognition, little respite, and precious little time to simply be yourself rather than a carer.
At Abbey Support & Services, we believe that looking after the person doing the caring is just as important as looking after the person being cared for. Our respite care and sitting service in Leicester is designed entirely around that belief — giving family carers the freedom to rest, recover, attend appointments, or simply step away for a few hours.
You do not need to have reached a crisis point before you ask for help. Reaching out early — before exhaustion takes hold — is the wisest thing a family carer can do.
Why Respite Care Is Not a Luxury — It Is a Necessity
There are an estimated 6.5 million unpaid carers in the United Kingdom — people who provide care for a spouse, parent, sibling or friend without formal training, financial compensation or guaranteed support. In Leicester and Leicestershire, tens of thousands of families are in exactly this position.
Carer burnout is not a character failing. It is a predictable consequence of sustained, unsupported caring — and it affects the quality of care as much as it affects the wellbeing of the carer. Research consistently shows that carers who receive regular respite are healthier, more resilient and able to provide better care over the long term.
Family carers who never rest face a well-documented pattern — increasing fatigue, deteriorating mental health, reduced patience, social isolation and, ultimately, the inability to continue caring at all. At that point, the person being cared for may face far more disruption than they would have faced if the family had accessed respite support earlier.
Planned, regular respite care is not stepping back from your responsibility. It is one of the most responsible things a family carer can do — for their loved one, and for themselves.
Our respite and sitting service at Abbey Support & Services provides a skilled, warm and reliable presence in your loved one's life — allowing you to take the time you need with confidence. Whether it is two hours on a Tuesday morning or a full day every Friday, our sitters are trained carers who can provide personal care, medication prompts, meals, activities and companionship.
What Our Respite Care & Sitting Service Includes
Our respite and sitting carers are trained home care professionals — not volunteer befrienders or untrained sitters. Every visit is delivered to the same standard as our regular home care service.
Sitting & Companionship
Friendly, engaged company for your loved one during your absence — conversation, shared activities, reading aloud, music, puzzles or simply being present and attentive.
Personal Care During Visits
Our respite carers can provide full personal care support — washing, dressing, continence care and grooming — with the same discretion and dignity as your regular carer.
Medication Prompts & Administration
Prompting your loved one to take their medication at the correct times, monitoring intake and — where trained and authorised — administering medication in line with the care plan.
Meal Preparation & Hydration
Preparing a hot or light meal, a cup of tea, snacks and drinks during the visit — monitoring food and fluid intake and noting any changes in appetite or swallowing.
Activity & Stimulation
Tailored activities suited to your loved one's interests, abilities and stage of life — gentle crafts, card games, walks in the garden, reminiscence activities or a favourite television programme.
Accompanied Outings
Short accompanied walks or trips — to the local shops, a garden centre, a café or community space — providing the social connection and gentle exercise that enrich wellbeing.
Supervision & Safety Monitoring
Keeping a watchful, caring eye on your loved one's safety throughout the visit — particularly important for clients living with dementia, mobility challenges or a risk of falls.
Handover Notes After Every Visit
A written summary after every sitting visit — what was done, how your loved one seemed, anything notable — so you are always fully informed when you return.
Emergency Respite Cover
When the unexpected happens — illness, a family emergency, an urgent appointment — we can often arrange emergency respite cover at short notice to ensure you are never left without support.
Planned Regular Respite
A consistent, scheduled sitting arrangement that builds into your week — giving you guaranteed time that you can plan around, and your loved one a familiar carer they look forward to.
Flexible Respite — On Your Terms
No two family carers have identical needs — and our respite service is built to reflect that. Whether you need a handful of hours a week or a more substantial arrangement, we can work with you.
Regular Weekly Sitting
A consistent, scheduled sitting arrangement — the same carer at the same time each week. Whether it is two hours on a Wednesday morning or every weekday afternoon, a regular pattern gives you guaranteed time you can depend on.
Best for: Family carers who need guaranteed, recurring time away from caring responsibilities.
Planned Respite — Holiday or Extended Absence
If you are planning a holiday, a family event or an extended period away, we can arrange sitting cover for the full duration — daily visits, overnight care or live-in support — so you can travel with complete peace of mind.
Best for: Family carers planning a holiday, a trip or an extended absence.
Emergency Respite
When something unexpected happens — illness, a family emergency, a last-minute commitment — we do our best to arrange emergency respite at short notice. We cannot always guarantee immediate availability, but we will always respond quickly.
Best for: Families who suddenly find themselves without carer cover and need urgent support.
Carer Wellbeing Respite
Sometimes a family carer simply needs to stop — not for a specific reason, but because they are tired, overwhelmed or close to the edge. Requesting respite before a crisis is not a sign of weakness — it is excellent carer self-management.
Best for: Family carers who are approaching or experiencing burnout and need regular, sustained relief.
Respite Care Visits, Scheduling and Funding
Private / Self-Funded
Full flexibility — choose your days, times and visit frequency. Invoiced monthly with complete transparency. No hidden charges.
Direct Payments
If your loved one has been awarded a local authority personal budget, direct payments can fund respite and sitting visits with Abbey.
Carer's Assessments & Local Authority Support
Family carers are entitled to a Carer's Assessment from Leicester City Council or Leicestershire County Council, which may result in funded respite support.
NHS Continuing Healthcare
For clients whose loved one is funded through NHS CHC, respite care may be included within the funded care package. Please contact us to discuss.
Did you know? As a family carer, you have a legal right to a Carer's Assessment from your local council — which may result in funded respite support. Find out more →
How to Arrange Respite Care in Leicester — Simple and Fast
Getting respite care in place does not have to be complicated. We keep the process as straightforward and quick as possible — because we know that by the time a family carer is looking for respite, they often need it soon.
Call or Get in Touch
Call us on +44 07718 170186, email info@abbeysupportandservices.com, or complete our availability check form below. We respond the same day.
Quick Assessment — Often by Phone or Video
For sitting and respite visits, we can often complete the initial assessment by phone or video call — particularly for emergency arrangements. If a home visit is needed, we will arrange this promptly.
Carer Match & Introduction
We match your loved one with a respite carer whose personality, skills and approach are a good fit. Where time allows, we arrange a brief introduction so the first sitting visit feels familiar.
Sitting Visits Begin — You Step Away
Your respite sitting visits begin at the agreed time. You have the confidence of knowing the sitter is a trained, CQC-regulated professional. We send a brief handover note after each visit.
Call or Get in Touch
Call us on +44 07718 170186, email info@abbeysupportandservices.com, or complete our availability check form below. We respond the same day.
Quick Assessment — Often by Phone or Video
For sitting and respite visits, we can often complete the initial assessment by phone or video call — particularly for emergency arrangements. If a home visit is needed, we will arrange this promptly.
Carer Match & Introduction
We match your loved one with a respite carer whose personality, skills and approach are a good fit. Where time allows, we arrange a brief introduction so the first sitting visit feels familiar.
Sitting Visits Begin — You Step Away
Your respite sitting visits begin at the agreed time. You have the confidence of knowing the sitter is a trained, CQC-regulated professional. We send a brief handover note after each visit.
What Family Carers Say About Our Respite & Sitting Service
The family carers we support tell us that respite care changed not just their week — but their life.
"I had not had a full morning to myself in three years. When Abbey started sending a sitter every Thursday, I cried on the way to my first yoga class — not because I was sad, but because I had almost forgotten what it felt like to be me. It has genuinely changed my life."
— Diane R.
Daughter and primary carer, Oadby
"Mum took to the sitter immediately — she calls her 'my Thursday friend.' I was nervous about how Mum would respond to someone new, but they matched her so well. Now I actually look forward to Thursdays as much as Mum does."
— Karen W.
Daughter of client, Wigston
"We used Abbey's respite cover for a full week while my husband and I went on holiday — our first in four years. The sitters visited my father-in-law twice daily, we received photos and notes every day, and he was genuinely happy when we came back."
— Susan T.
Daughter-in-law and family carer, Knighton
"I called on a Tuesday in desperate need of emergency cover — I had a hospital appointment I could not miss and no one to sit with my wife. Abbey had a carer there by 11am. The speed and the kindness of the response was something I will never forget."
— Brian H.
Husband and primary carer, Evington
Regulated, Trained and Accountable — Respite Care You Can Trust
When you step away from your caring role — even for a few hours — you need absolute confidence in the person you have left in your place.
Every sitter and respite carer who visits through Abbey is:
- Fully DBS-checked — enhanced disclosure before first visit
- Trained in personal care, safeguarding adults, medication awareness and moving and handling
- Matched to clients based on skills, personality and care needs
- Supervised regularly by our senior care team
- Supported by a clear sitting care plan — updated as needs change
You will receive a written record after every sitting visit. You will never return home to silence — you will always know what happened while you were away.
Check Availability for Respite Care in Leicester
No obligation, no pressure. Complete the form below and a member of our team will be in touch the same day to discuss your needs and check availability. You can also call us directly on +44 07718 170186.
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Frequently Asked Questions — Respite Care & Sitting Service
Respite Care & Sitting Service Across Leicester & Leicestershire
Our respite and sitting service covers Leicester city and the surrounding Leicestershire area — all delivered by locally based carers who know the community.
Other Services Frequently Used Alongside Respite Care
You Deserve a Break — Let Us Make It Possible
Check availability for respite care and sitting visits in Leicester today. Our team is ready to help — no obligation, no pressure, just a simple and supportive conversation.