Questions to ask a home care agency (printable)

The most important questions to ask a care agency are: is it registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), and what is its rating? How does it recruit, train and supervise carers? Will your relative see the same small team of carers? How does it handle late or missed visits? And what is the full price, including weekends and bank holidays? Our printable checklist below covers these and more, with notes on what a good answer looks like.

At a glance

• Home care agencies that provide personal care must be registered with the CQC. Check the rating and latest report yourself.
• Ask whether the agency is managed (it employs and supervises carers) or introductory (it introduces self-employed carers).
• Ask about continuity, visit times and missed calls. These matter most to families day to day.
• Get every price in writing before care starts. CQC-registered providers must give written terms and fees.
• As of 2026, most agencies in England charge about £32–£34 an hour for weekday visits, varying by region. Always get a written quote.

How should I use this checklist?

Print the list and take it to your first phone call or meeting with each agency. Agencies are used to being asked questions, and a good one will welcome them.

• Speak to at least two or three agencies, so you can compare answers.
• Ask for the registered manager if possible. They are responsible for the service.
• Write down the answers, and ask for anything important in writing.
• Include your relative, if they are able, and ask what matters to them.

Before you call, fill in our care needs checklist. It means every agency hears the same information and can quote like for like.

The printable checklist: questions to ask a care agency

Agency name: ____ Date: ______

Spoke to: ____ Role: ______

1. Registration and regulation

• ☐ Are you registered with the Care Quality Commission? What is your registration name?
• ☐ What is your current CQC rating, and when were you last inspected?
• ☐ If any key question (Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive, Well-led) was rated below Good, what have you changed?
• ☐ Are you a managed agency or an introductory agency?
• ☐ Who is the registered manager, and how long have they been in post?
• ☐ Which towns or postcodes do you cover?
• ☐ Do you work with councils, and do you accept direct payments?

What a good answer looks like: a clear CQC registration you can check on the CQC website, and an open answer about any past concerns. Read our guide to CQC ratings for home care.

2. Carers: recruitment, checks and training

• ☐ Are your carers employed by you, or self-employed?
• ☐ What checks do you carry out before someone starts, including an enhanced DBS check and references?
• ☐ What training do new carers get before their first visit?
• ☐ What ongoing training do carers get, for example in dementia, moving and handling, and medication?
• ☐ How are carers supervised and spot-checked?
• ☐ Do you pay carers for travel time between visits?
• ☐ Do you pay carers above the legal minimum wage?
• ☐ What is your staff turnover like?

What a good answer looks like: specific details about checks and training, not general reassurance. Pay matters too: the legal minimum is £12.71 an hour for workers aged 21 and over (2026), and in London the voluntary London Living Wage is £14.80 an hour.

3. Continuity and matching

• ☐ How many different carers will my relative see in a typical week?
• ☐ How do you match carers to clients, for example by language, gender, culture or interests?
• ☐ Will you introduce a new carer before their first visit?
• ☐ Can we ask for a change of carer if it is not working?
• ☐ Who covers when the regular carer is on holiday or ill?

What a good answer looks like: a small, consistent team and a clear plan for cover. Continuity is especially important for people living with dementia.

4. Assessment and care planning

• ☐ Will you carry out your own assessment before care starts? Is there a charge?
• ☐ Who writes the care plan, and will we see a copy?
• ☐ How do you record the person’s routines, preferences and what matters to them?
• ☐ How often is the care plan reviewed?
• ☐ How can the family ask for changes?

5. Visits and reliability

• ☐ What is the shortest visit you offer? Do you do 30-minute visits?
• ☐ How do you make sure carers stay for the full visit?
• ☐ What counts as “late”, and how will we be told?
• ☐ What happens if a carer cannot make a visit?
• ☐ How do you monitor visit times, for example with an electronic system?
• ☐ Can you guarantee times for time-critical visits, such as medication for Parkinson’s?
• ☐ Can you provide early-morning, late-evening, weekend and bank holiday visits?

What a good answer looks like: a clear system for tracking visits, and a named person to contact when things go wrong. NICE guidance says home care visits should be at least 30 minutes, except for short visits agreed for a specific task (NICE QS123). See our guide to 15, 30 and 60-minute care visits.

6. Medication support

• ☐ What level of medication support can your carers give: prompting, assisting or administering?
• ☐ How do carers record medicines? Do you use a Medicines Administration Record (MAR)?
• ☐ How are carers trained and assessed for medication support?
• ☐ What happens if a dose is missed or refused?
• ☐ How do you work with the GP and pharmacy?

What a good answer looks like: medication support written into the care plan, recorded on a MAR, with trained carers whose competency is assessed annually (NICE NG67). Read our guide to medication support at home.

7. Specialist needs

• ☐ Do you have experience of dementia care? What specific training do carers have?
• ☐ Can you support conditions such as Parkinson’s, stroke, MS or end-of-life care?
• ☐ Can you provide two carers for visits that need a hoist?
• ☐ Can you provide overnight care or live-in care if needs increase?
• ☐ Do you work with district nurses and other health professionals?

8. Communication with the family

• ☐ How will you keep us updated? Is there an app or care log we can see?
• ☐ Who is our main contact, and how quickly will they respond?
• ☐ What is your out-of-hours contact?
• ☐ What happens if a carer finds my relative unwell or after a fall?

9. Safety, safeguarding and complaints

• ☐ What is your safeguarding policy, and how are carers trained to spot and report concerns?
• ☐ How do you handle keys, key safes and door entry?
• ☐ What are your rules on carers handling money, shopping and gifts?
• ☐ What insurance do you hold?
• ☐ Can we see your complaints procedure? How long do you take to respond?
• ☐ Have you had complaints upheld by the Ombudsman?

What a good answer looks like: clear written policies and an accessible complaints procedure, which CQC-registered providers must have. If you are unhappy later, see our guide on how to complain about home care.

10. Costs and contract

• ☐ What is your hourly rate on weekdays? What hours does it cover?
• ☐ What are your rates for evenings, weekends and bank holidays?
• ☐ Do shorter visits cost more per hour?
• ☐ Are there any extra charges: mileage, set-up, assessment or admin fees?
• ☐ Is your care VAT-exempt?
• ☐ Do you bill weekly or monthly, in advance or in arrears?
• ☐ How much notice do you give before a price rise?
• ☐ What is the notice period to end the contract?
• ☐ What happens to charges if my relative goes into hospital?
• ☐ Can we have a copy of the contract and full price list before we decide?

What a good answer looks like: a full written price list and contract before care starts. CQC-registered providers must give people who pay a written statement of terms and fees (CQC Regulation 19). Our guide to home care contracts explains what to look for.

11. Live-in care (if relevant)

• ☐ Is the live-in carer employed by you, or self-employed and introduced by you?
• ☐ How much break time does the live-in carer get each day, and who covers it?
• ☐ How long does each carer stay before a changeover?
• ☐ What does the carer need from us, such as a bedroom, food and internet?
• ☐ What happens if the carer is disturbed at night regularly?
• ☐ What is the weekly fee for one person, and for a couple?

Scoring: your comparison

What are the warning signs when talking to an agency?

Be cautious if an agency:

• cannot give a CQC registration but says it provides personal care;
• will not put prices in writing, or keeps adding extra charges;
• is vague about carer checks, training or supervision;
• cannot explain what happens when a visit is missed;
• pushes you to sign quickly, before you have seen the contract;
• says your relative will see “whoever is available”.

An introductory agency is not necessarily a bad choice, but you may take on more responsibility, and the care itself may not be CQC-regulated. See our guide to managed vs introductory care agencies.

How much should home care cost?

As of 2026, weekday visiting care in England typically costs about £32–£34 an hour. The Lottie Care Index for Q3 2026 puts the median at £33.49, and many agencies charge £26–£38. Prices vary by region, and London sits towards the top (about £30–£40 an hour). Weekend hours are typically 10–25% more. Live-in care for one person typically costs about £1,540–£1,610 a week. Sources vary, and prices depend on care needs, provider and postcode.

The Homecare Association puts the minimum sustainable price for home care in England at £34.42 an hour for 2026/27. A much lower price is worth questioning. Try our home care cost calculator for an estimate, and read our wider guide on how to choose a home care agency. To compare agencies near you, browse home care agencies by county; for London, see our home care in London hub.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most important question to ask a care agency?

Start with CQC registration and rating, because home care agencies providing personal care must be registered. Then ask about continuity: how many different carers your relative will see, and what happens when a visit is missed. These affect day-to-day quality more than almost anything else. Always get prices in writing too.

How do I check a care agency’s CQC rating?

Search for the agency by name or postcode on the CQC website. You will see its overall rating, ratings for the five key questions (Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led) and the latest inspection report. Check the report date too, as some services have not been inspected recently.

Should I ask to meet the carer before care starts?

Yes, it is reasonable to ask. Many agencies will introduce the main carer before the first visit, or send them with a supervisor. An introduction helps, especially for people living with dementia or those anxious about strangers in the home. Ask how the agency handles introductions when cover carers are needed.

How many agencies should I speak to?

Try to speak to at least two or three agencies, so you can compare answers and prices. In some areas, agencies may have limited capacity for certain visit times. If you need care urgently, ask each agency about availability early in the conversation.

Can I use these questions for council-arranged care?

Yes. Even if the council arranges care, you can ask the agency about carers, visit times, continuity and communication. If you receive direct payments, you choose and contract with the agency yourself, so the full checklist applies, including the questions about costs and the contract.

Sources

• Personal care: regulated activity – Care Quality Commission
• Personal care and introductory agencies – Care Quality Commission
• Regulation 19: Fees – Care Quality Commission
• Quality statement 4: length of home care visits (QS123) – NICE
• Managing medicines for adults receiving social care in the community (NG67) – NICE
• National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates – GOV.UK
• Real Living Wage and London Living Wage – Living Wage Foundation
• Research and reports: Minimum Price for Homecare – Homecare Association
• Welfare services and goods (VAT Notice 701/2) – HMRC
• Care at home costs – Lottie (September 2026)
• How much does home care cost in London – Steazforte (August 2026)

This guide is general information, not financial, legal or medical advice. Last reviewed September 2026.

Reviewed by The Care Panel team on 15 October 2026. This guide is general information about care in England, not legal, medical or financial advice. Rules and rates change; check with your council or an adviser before making decisions.