How to Select a Care Provider
Getting it Right First Time
There are 5 simple steps that we reccommend you use when choosing a care provider to make sure you select the provider that best meets your needs.
It requires time and effort to select a provider, so it is essential that you select the right one. Changing providers can be a tricky, expensive and exhausting process. The philosophy of “measure twice, cut once” is very applicable here.
Follow the simple steps outlined in this article and you will be able to identify, interview and select a high-quality provider and make the best decision for you and your loved one.
Step 1 : Finding Care Providers
First you need to find a list of care providers to select from! Of course, you can just do a google search and find a quick list of providers however there are some pitfalls with this strategy. Google search results are heavily skewed towards the large, national organisations, which often do not deliver high-quality holistic care. Using websites care specialist websites like www.homecare.co.uk and www.ukhca.co.uk gives more weight to smaller, locally based organisations, who usually deliver the highest quality of care.
Step 2: Evaluating the providers
From the websites above, you want to create a shortlist of 3-5 providers based on the following 3 key criteria that are immediately accessible online.
a. Top Review Scores
Reviews are the number one tool you can use to evaluate a provider without having to engage them directly. It is advisable to give more weight to reviews on www.homecare.co.uk as they are independently verified by their team, so a top review score there, backed up by similar standards of reviews around the web, indicates a high-quality service. Make sure the reviews are consistent over time, regular reviews show the company is continuing to deliver a high-quality service over time.
b. Quality online presence
A company’s online presence can be a good indicator of their drive to succeed. A lazy website, with inactive social media profiles can be a sign of disengaged management. A good provider will make sure their online presence is high quality. A key thing to look out for is pictures of staff at work, this gives you the piece of mind that this company is legitimate and can be trusted.
c. CQC Registered
This is basic but essential. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) was set up in 2008 to regulate the care industry to ensure there is protection for vulnerable people receiving care. You would want to work with a care provider that is CQC regulated as a minimum. You can use the CQC website www.cqc.org to search the for provider and check if they are registered. You may come across private individuals offering you their services, but be aware that there is no oversight, recourse, or due diligence in this case, and it increases the risk of getting it wrong.
Step 3: Contacting the providers
When you contact the shortlisted providers there are at least 4 key questions you need ask them.
a.How well do they care for their carers?
Good companies will support staff with transport (e.g., company cars and fuel cards), free uniform provisions, free training and pay above the minimum wage. The reason for this is that companies that care for their staff can attract and retain the best carers. These staff will be highly motivated, enthusiastic and passionate about what they do. These staff are more likely to stay in their job for longer, which can mitigate the high industry turnover rate of 25%. Anything below £9.50 per hour can be a warning sign.
b. Will they send same carers on visits?
Having the same carers providing care to your loved ones creates consistency and better relationships between the carers and the servicer user. Dealing with many different carers can result in challenges as relationships between carers and the service user are not allowed to develop.
c. How do they document and report on the care that they are giving?
It is important that you have full awareness of exactly what care is being provided. It ensures that you have oversight and can hold the provider to account should any issues arise. It also gives you piece of mind knowing how your loved one is. A good provider will share with you their full documentation process and summarise the notes in weekly or monthly reports.
e. Does the company offer flexibility?
You need to ensure the care company offers you or your loved one flexibility in terms of visitation timings, and the support they can provide on each call. Care needs frequently change and you want to work with a care provider that can be responsive to changing needs.
Step 4: The interview
After your phone calls, there will be likely only one or two companies left that satisfy the above criteria. This is the time for an interview. It is essential that you meet with the provider before you agree move forward with them. Consider:
Meeting the service provider face to face or meet them via Zoom (or other online meeting platforms)
Prepare questions you need to ask the provider
Ensure the provider fully understands the care needs
Ask for interview summary to be captured on an email and ensure key information like visit timings and service pricings are clear and agree before moving to contract signing
Step 5: Selecting the provider
After the interviews, select the provider that you have identified as having the best fit between what they can provide and what you are looking for. You need to create a binding written agreement (contract) that should cover:
Nature of service to be provided
Timings – when will the carers visit
The service costings
The supporting documents the care provider will produce and share
It is time to give them the green light to begin providing their service. If you have followed all of the checklists above, you can be confident that you have done your due diligence in selecting the best provider.
