Getting a care needs assessment in Harrow

Contacting London Borough of Harrow

• Who: any adult who seems to need support, or a relative for them.
• How: Request an assessment online or call 020 8901 2680.
• Wording: name the Care Act 2014 and ask for a needs assessment.

What the data shows for Harrow

In Harrow, CQC has published 15 ratings in the past 12 months, and 1 moved to a lower rating, 3 were new services getting a first rating; the newest is from 21 October 2026. Not every service has been inspected: in Harrow, 32 agencies and 3 care homes are still waiting for a first rating.

Among agencies in Harrow, Safe is the area most often rated below Good: 6 of the 62 with a Safe rating. There are 52 care homes in Harrow, and 94% of the 49 with a rating are Good or Outstanding (ahead of England's 83%). Of these, 16 provide nursing, which is 31% of homes in the area.

4 home care agencies and 1 care home in Harrow registered with CQC in the last 12 months. England-wide, 88% of rated home care agencies are Good or Outstanding; in Harrow it is 93%, from 61 rated agencies among the 93 registered.

Figures: CQC register, Oct 2026.

What happens at the assessment

A social worker or occupational therapist, in most cases, goes through these areas with the person and, if they choose, their family:

• toileting
• relationships with family and friends
• nutrition
• washing and bathing
• safe movement indoors
• keeping the home habitable
• getting dressed

To be eligible under national rules, needs must stop two or more outcomes being achieved, come from a physical or mental impairment or illness, and have a significant effect on wellbeing. A first call may lead to quick help (equipment, or up to six weeks of reablement at no charge) before any full assessment takes place.

If you disagree with the decision

1. Request written reasons and a review.
2. Still unhappy? Make a formal complaint to the council.
3. Finally, take it to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, at no charge.

Support for the people who care

Even before the person you look after is seen, London Borough of Harrow must assess you as a carer if you ask, free. London Borough of Harrow: support for carers. In the area: Harrow Carers.

Preparing well

• Get the written record and the plan sent to you.
• Write down, over an ordinary week, the tasks that cause trouble and what goes wrong without help.
• Describe a bad day, not a good one. People often say they manage when they do not.
• Ask for a relative or friend to be there, or for an independent advocate if there is no one.
• Note every prescription, condition, fall and spell in hospital.