Letting someone into your parent’s home is a big decision, and it is worth taking time over. These are the questions charities and the NHS suggest asking, along with a straight answer to a question worth asking: does a provider need to be registered with the CQC?
Start with the kind of help
Help at home falls into two broad kinds. Personal care is hands-on help with things like washing, dressing, toileting and eating. Companionship and home help covers company, meals, housework, shopping, outings and lifts to appointments.
Knowing which kind your parent needs tells you what sort of provider to look for.
When CQC registration matters
In England, a provider must be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to give personal care. The law defines this as physical help with eating or drinking, toileting, washing or bathing, dressing, oral care, or care of skin, hair and nails. It also covers prompting and supervising someone who cannot decide on their own to do those things.
The CQC says it is the nature of the care that decides whether registration is needed, and that a provider does not need to register if it only gives social support, such as help with shopping. It also says a provider that only helps people with their medicines, such as reminders, does not need to register for that alone.
So if your parent needs personal care, choose a CQC-registered agency; you can check its registration and latest inspection report on the CQC website. If they need company and practical help, a provider does not have to be registered, which makes the other questions below even more important.
Questions to ask any provider
Advice from the NHS, the Homecare Association and Independent Age suggests asking:
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What checks do your carers have?
Ask about DBS checks. Doing someone’s shopping counts as regulated activity if they cannot do it themselves because of age, illness or disability, so carers can have an enhanced DBS check that includes the adults’ barred list.
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What training do they have?
And has the provider supported someone with similar needs before?
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Will we see the same faces?
Ask how many different carers will visit, and who comes when the regular carer is ill or on holiday.
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Are you insured?
Ask what the insurance covers.
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Can we read the agreement first?
You should be able to read the agreement before signing, including how to end it.
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What does it cost, in full?
Ask whether there are any extras on top of the prices quoted.
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How will we be kept informed?
And how do we reach you during the day, out of hours or in an emergency?
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What happens if we are not happy?
Ask to see the complaints procedure.
How Aurora answers those questions
Aurora isn’t currently registered with the CQC, so we don’t currently provide personal care. We plan to register so that we can. Today we provide support such as companionship, household help, wellbeing visits, outings and medication reminders.
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Checks and training
Every carer has an enhanced DBS check, renewed yearly or through the DBS Update Service, and is trained by Kirsty, a registered nurse, with supervision every three to six months.
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Familiar faces
Each person sees a small team, usually three or four familiar carers a month.
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Insurance
Our carers are self-employed, and each holds their own public liability insurance and business car insurance.
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Costs and notice
A written quote after a free home visit, no set-up fees, mileage for trips during a visit, a £10 fee for a cancelled visit, 48 hours’ notice to cancel and two weeks’ notice to end support.
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Keeping in touch
Visit notes and the rota in the CareLineLive app, or WhatsApp and calls if you prefer, and Kirsty and Kayleigh on their mobiles.
