Home care agency · Hereford
First Key Hereford
Top rated 2026 · one of the services in Herefordshire, County of rated Outstanding by CQC
Illustrative photo, not of First Key Hereford- Address
- 13 Holmer Street, Hereford, HR4 0HS
- Run by
- Salutem LD BidCo IV Limited (24 services)
- Type of provider
- Independent (private company)
- Service
- Home care agency
- Dementia
- Not listed as a specialism with CQC; ask the provider
- Registered with CQC
- May 2018 (8 years)
- Part of
- Salutem Bid Co Ltd
- Registered manager
- Gemma Louise Ingram
- Company check
- Active, trading since 2017 (9 years), accounts up to date (Companies House 10988939)
- Last CQC check
- 19 Aug 2022
- Typical fees Estimated
- £31.50–£38.50 an hour for visiting care, weekdays; live-in £1,450–£1,770 a week. Estimate only, from published local rates. How we estimate
Registered activities: Personal care
More in Hereford: Home care in Hereford (27) · Best rated home care agencies in Hereford · Elderly care at home in Hereford · Physical disability care at home in Hereford · Learning disability care at home in Hereford · Live-in care in Hereford
Open CQC's full report · CQC location ID 1-4695602718
The service in brief
First Key Hereford is a CQC-registered home care agency in Hereford, run by Salutem LD BidCo IV Limited. Its CQC registration covers adults of all ages, including people living with physical disabilities and learning disabilities.
At its most recent rating, CQC judged it Outstanding overall (August 2022). It is one of 27 CQC-registered home care agencies that have an office within 7 miles of Hereford; 16 of those are rated Good or Outstanding.
Choice nearby
Choice is wide here: the 25 nearest other agencies are all within 3 miles, 14 of them rated Good or Outstanding, and the closest is Altogether Care, under 0.5 miles away.
6 of the 14 nearest rated agencies have a more recent rating than this one.
It sits in Whitecross ward, classed by ONS as urban (further from a major town or city), among the 50% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. NHS services here are planned by NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire ICB.
What the ratings tell you
Looking at the five areas: Safe, Responsive and Well-led are rated Outstanding; 2 other areas are Good.
Across Herefordshire, County of, 1 of 33 rated agencies are Outstanding for Safe (3%), while 3 of 33 rated agencies are Outstanding for Responsive (9%), while 2 of 33 rated agencies are Outstanding for Well-led (6%).
Outstanding ratings for a single area are uncommon; the Safe, Responsive and Well-led section of the report gives examples of what inspectors saw.
Costs to expect
We estimate visits from First Key Hereford at £31.50–£38.50 an hour (visiting care, weekdays), based on published prices in the region. As an example, an hour each morning and a 30-minute evening call comes to about £370 a week.
For live-in care, expect around £1,450–£1,770 a week in this region.
Council help is possible below £23,250 in savings: ask Herefordshire, County of Council for a free care needs assessment.
Track record
Registered in May 2018, it has 8 years on the CQC register.
One overall rating to date: Outstanding, published August 2022.
At 4 years old, the rating may not reflect the current team. CQC prioritises higher-risk services, so ask about recent changes rather than assuming the worst.
Ownership and company checks
First Key Hereford is run by Salutem Ld Bidco Iv Limited (company 10988939), incorporated in 2017.
At Companies House, the company is listed as active, its accounts are filed on time, it has 3 active directors and there is no insolvency history.
Its registered business activity is care for people with learning disabilities, mental health problems or substance misuse.
Salutem LD BidCo IV Limited runs 25 CQC-registered services across 16 council areas; 22 of the 25 with a rating are Good or Outstanding (88%), against 84% for the same mix of services across England.
It trades under the Salutem Bid Co Ltd brand, which covers 72 services run by 8 registered providers.
Past CQC ratings
- Aug 2022
- Today Rating 4 years old
Every overall rating on record for this location, earliest first.
CQC documents
- CQC inspection report 19 August 2022
Area and map
- Ward
- Whitecross
- Council
- Herefordshire Council · paying for care
- Parliamentary constituency
- Hereford and South Herefordshire
- NHS integrated care board
- NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board
- ONS area type
- Urban, further from a major town or city
- Neighbourhood deprivation
- Among the 50% least deprived areas in England
- Postcode district
- Home care in HR4 (12)
View on OpenStreetMap · How to get there · Map data: OpenStreetMap contributors
Ward, NHS area and deprivation from ONS and NHS postcode data (postcodes.io, Open Government Licence). Carers work from this office and visit homes in the surrounding area.
Specialisms
Taken from its CQC registration.
Key points from CQC's visit
- Right Support Staff supported people to have the maximum possible choice, control and independence over their own lives.
- Staff focused on people's strengths and promoted what they could do, so people had a fulfilling and meaningful everyday life.
- People were supported by staff to pursue their interests.
- Staff enabled people to access specialist health and social care support in the community.
Inspected 8 June 2022; report published 19 August 2022. From the regulator's own summary (Open Government Licence). Read the full report.
CQC ratings, area by area
- Safe1 of 33 in Herefordshire, County of
- Effective32 of 33 in Herefordshire, County of
- Caring30 of 33 in Herefordshire, County of
- Responsive3 of 33 in Herefordshire, County of
- Well-led2 of 33 in Herefordshire, County of
Ratings from CQC's most recent report, published 19 August 2022. Under each rating: how many agencies in Herefordshire, County of share it; for example, 1 of 33 agencies in Herefordshire, County of rated Outstanding for Safe.
Family reviews
Nobody has reviewed First Key Hereford here yet. Have you used it? A short, honest review helps the next family decide.
Each review is tied to a verified email. We publish both good and bad, and providers may respond but not delete. How reviews work.
Where First Key Hereford stands locally
- Rated Outstanding. Across Herefordshire, County of, 100% of the 33 rated home care agencies are Good or Outstanding and 3 are Outstanding.
- Its rating (August 2022) is more recent than 67% of agency ratings in Herefordshire, County of.
- Registered with CQC in 2018: it has been registered longer than 57% of home care agencies in the area.
- It lists 4 specialisms with CQC; the typical agency in Herefordshire, County of lists 6.
Comparison set: every registered home care agency in Herefordshire, County of, CQC data for Oct 2026.
Nearby options
Guides for families
Recently rated home care agencies near Hereford
- Elgar Care LtdAug 2026 · under 0.5 miles
- Altogether CareJul 2026 · 0.5 miles
- Faith Home Care LimitedJul 2026 · 1.5 miles
What families ask about First Key Hereford
- How is First Key Hereford rated for safety and leadership?
- The five CQC areas: Safe: Outstanding; Effective: Good; Caring: Good; Responsive: Outstanding; Well-led: Outstanding. Read Safe and Well-led first; they say most about reliability.
- How much does First Key Hereford charge?
- First Key Hereford has not published its fees with us. Visiting care typically costs around £32–£34 an hour (typical 2026 prices across England). A written quote should spell out weekend, bank holiday and short-notice rates.
- Who is the registered provider for First Key Hereford?
- Salutem LD BidCo IV Limited is the registered provider for First Key Hereford.
- What kind of care can First Key Hereford offer?
- Registration for First Key Hereford covers: homecare agencies. Check which of these it offers today.
- When was First Key Hereford last inspected?
- The rating now shown was published on 19 August 2022, 4 years ago. Ask what has changed since then, for example in management or staffing.
- Does First Key Hereford support people with dementia?
- Not as a registered specialism. Some services still support people with mild dementia, so ask.
- Is First Key Hereford registered with CQC?
- It is. The CQC register records First Key Hereford as a home care agency, location ID 1-4695602718 and was rated Outstanding overall in August 2022.
- What is First Key Hereford's address?
- The agency's base is 13 Holmer Street, Hereford, HR4 0HS. Confirm that its carers travel to your area.
Agencies in neighbouring towns
In Herefordshire, County of
Is this your service? Show your rating on your website
This badge stays current with your CQC rating. Paste the code wherever you want it to show.
Is this your service? Claim it free to reply to reviews and invite families to review you. Members add photos, prices and availability, and can receive enquiries.
Register data from the Care Quality Commission, refreshed Oct 2026, used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Provider-written text is labelled as such. We are an independent directory, not a care provider.