Guide to Engaging a Homecare Agency

For many people, trying to find the right kind of support to help within the home happens at a time of a crisis. Illness or injury often provides the catalyst when individuals realise that they do need to get some help to maintain their independence at home.

A recent research report published by ‘Putting People First’ has shown that people really struggle to know how to go about finding a homecare agency that will meet their needs.  The report states that “Initial approaches to providers are often made by adult children or other relatives, and they often don’t know what it is they are looking for, beyond a general idea that they need some help.” And that “Major life changing decisions were often made on the basis of little information; people had little idea about where to seek such information or advice.”

As part of a national charity Crossroads Care Wessex is often asked for this kind of advice and this has led us to produce a helpful guide and checklist that people who are looking for personal homecare can use.

We hope you will find this useful and welcome your feedback.

Before you begin to look for an agency try to spend some time considering what you want. You need to be sure that you will get a high quality service with trained staff and that they can definitely provide the exact care that you need.  Be very specific about your needs and make some notes so that you are clear about what you’re asking for. 

What kind of support do you think you’ll need?  This varies, of course,  from person to person and you wll find that many agencies have their own particular strengths and weaknesses.  Try to think ahead and consider how your care needs may develop over time and whether the agency in question will be able to cope with your needs in the long term.

Crossroads Care Wessex group the services under specific headings to make it easier to identify the different  tasks:

Personal Needs:  Help with dressing, washing, toilet needs, eating and drinking, companionship etc.
Around The House:  Cooking, washing-up, cleaning, laundry, etc.
Out and About:  Shopping, collecting prescriptions, assisted trips for appointments or leisure etc.

 
Is it occasional support or regular visits that you are looking for?  When do you require the help?  Will you need help at weekends and bank holidays? 

Where To Start Looking:

Homecare agencies often advertise their services in the local papers and telephone directories. You can also contact Bath and North East Somerset Council on 01225 396000 or go to  http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/healthandsocial/helpforadults/Pages/CareHomesGuide.aspx where you’ll find their Care Home Guide which also includes, on page 56, a section on Homecare.

Any agency delivering care at home must be registered by the Care Quality Commission and you can contact them on 03000 616161 or go to http://www.cqc.org.uk/registeredservicesdirectory/rsquicksearch.asp and check the latest quality rating of the agencies listed in your area.  

This will provide a good starting point and should enable you to produce a shortlist of two or three homecare agencies to talk to about your needs.

The following list will help you to decide if the agency is right for you or not.  If they are unable or reluctant to answer your questions, it may be that you are talking to the wrong person.  Ask if there is someone who would be able to give you the answers and request that they call you back.  Do not feel pressured into agreeing to a home visit until you have all the information that you need in advance.

Questions To Help You Judge The Quality of Homecare Agencies:

 1.  Are all of your care workers interviewed by you?  Do you follow up references and carry out criminal records checks? Do you check staff against the Protection of Vulnerable Adults register?

 2.  What training do new staff receive before they start working and can they provide proof of this?

 3.  How are your care workers supervised to ensure that they are doing what we have agreed to an      acceptable standard?

 4.  Will I have the same care worker wherever possible? What happens if they are on holiday or off sick?

 5.  Is there a written code of conduct for staff and, if so, may I see it?

 6.  Do you have a confidentiality procedure that sets out how my personal details will be kept secure?

 7.  Do you have a formal complaints procedure?

 8.  Do you have full professional and employer’s liability insurance and can I see confirmation of it?

 9.  What are your charges?  (Many agencies charge half hourly and hourly and have different rates for different times of the day, weekend rates etc.  Make sure that this is explained clearly to you.  Check if there are any extras like travelling and parking expenses.  Ask if there is a set up fee; if so is it a one off charge or is it ongoing?)

10.   Can I contact you at all times when you are providing care for me even if it’s out of office hours?

11.  When were you last inspected by the Care Quality Commission and what was the outcome?

12.  Am I able to talk to any of your existing clients who may be in a similar position to me?

Make a note of the responses that you had and consider the following:

• Were the staff helpful and friendly?
• Did they tell you exactly what services they provide?
• Did they explain their costs and charges properly?
• Were they confident to let you contact existing clients?
• Did they ask many questions about you and what your needs are ?
• Were they happy to answer all your questions?

If you are not entirely happy with the answers or were unable to get all of the information that you wanted, do go back to them and try again.  Most agencies really want to help you and provide a high quality service and if they are unwilling to provide you with the answers that you want, you need to consider why.

We hope that this guide has been useful for you.  Please don’t forget to include Crossroads Care Wessex on your list of agencies as we are confident that we provide one of the best services available in the area.