Organising care

How do I choose a care agency?

Learn how to choose a care agency by considering CQC ratings, transparency and important questions. Find the right care provider for you or your loved one.

Choosing a homecare or care agency, our staff, care professionals, visiting care

Ask around

When choosing a care agency, speaking directly with people who are receiving care can offer valuable insight into the provider’s strengths and weaknesses.

Talking to people who are receiving care about how and what their provider is doing and not doing, can be more useful than reading all the marketing material in the world.

This personal feedback is often more useful than promotional material. Additionally, asking those who work in the care industry may help you identify trustworthy agencies and avoid problematic ones.

If you know people working in the sector, they may be able to tell you who to approach and who to avoid.

Check the CQC website

You can search for care at home providers or care homes in your area, and see the most recent inspection reports about them. CQC rates care providers as Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement or Inadequate based on what their inspections, which have five key lines of enquiry: 

  • Is it safe?
  • Is it effective?
  • Is it caring?
  • Is it responsive?
  • Is it well-led?

cqc.org.uk

Finding a care agency

Contact a few providers

Ask for information, prices, ethos, CQC reports and for a face-to-face meeting. Complete transparency is important in care, and you should feel comfortable asking any questions you want about the Company as a whole. You should also be able to visit their offices as well to meet the manager there, if you’d like.