Choosing a Home Care Agency: 12 Questions to Ask

Inviting carers into the home of someone you love is a big decision. You want people who are kind, reliable and properly trained, and an agency that will listen. But when you are looking for care, often in a hurry after a fall or a hospital stay, it can be hard to know what to ask.

This guide explains how to check an agency and the questions worth asking before you choose.

Start with the CQC

Every home care agency in England must be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the independent regulator. The CQC inspects services and rates them on five questions:

• Safe: are people protected from harm?
• Effective: does the care achieve good outcomes?
• Caring: are people treated with kindness, dignity and respect?
• Responsive: is care organised around people’s needs?
• Well-led: is the service well managed?

Each area, and the service overall, is rated Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement or Inadequate. You can look up any agency on the CQC website and read its full report.

12 questions to ask a home care agency

1. How long are visits, and what is the shortest? Very short visits can feel rushed.
2. Will we see the same carers? Consistency matters, especially for someone with dementia.
3. What happens if a carer is ill or on holiday?
4. What hours and days do you cover? Check weekends and bank holidays.
5. Which areas do you cover? A local agency means less travel time and more reliable visits.
6. How are carers recruited, checked and trained? All carers should have an enhanced DBS check.
7. Who writes the care plan, and how often is it reviewed?
8. How do you keep families informed?
9. Who do I call if I have a concern, and when is the office open?
10. How much does it cost, and what is included? Ask about weekend and bank holiday rates, and notice periods.
11. Can visits be increased or changed if needs change?
12. Can you help with medication? Ask how this is recorded.

Warning signs

• A poor or out-of-date CQC rating, or an agency that is not registered at all.
• Pressure to sign up quickly.
• Vague answers about costs or carers.
• No home visit before care starts.

Trust your instincts

Ratings and answers matter, but so does how an agency makes you feel. Did they listen? Did they ask about the person, not just their care needs? Did they treat your relative with respect when they visited?

About Here to Care

Here to Care is a family-run home care agency based in Saffron Walden. We are rated Good by the CQC in all five areas, and our carers are criminal record checked. We visit seven days a week, from 7am to 10pm, across Saffron Walden and the surrounding villages, and our office is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

You can read what families say about us on our testimonials page, see our care services, or ask us any of the questions above. Call 01799 218190.