Thousands of Home Care Services in England Still Awaiting Inspection

New data reveals that nearly 5,000 home care services across England are operating without having been inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). This statistic shows that 46% of these services are either uninspected, rated inadequate, or require improvement.

According to CQC guidelines, all care facilities should be inspected within 12 months of opening. However, the current situation suggests a significant number of services have not yet been evaluated. 

Our founder, Dr. Jackie Gray has said the figures raise questions about the quality of care being provided.

Listen to our Founder chatting to BBC Radio Merseyside’s Kevin Doula

“The information suggests that under half of England’s home care services are known to be of adequate quality. Britain is ageing as a society, so as more people need support, both they and their families deserve the peace of mind that comes with knowing that they can access decent home care services. 

“Sadly, our recent analysis shows that this level of reassurance is missing for many home care services so we hope the new Government can act swiftly to repair both the broken care system and the NHS.”

Home care services are becoming increasingly used by the UK’s aging population.

They provide help in the home with day-to-day tasks like eating, getting dressed and bathing, and typically involve a care worker visiting the property.  

According to the CQC, analysed at the start of July, there are 13,431 home care services for older adults in England.

Of those, 7,208 have been rated either good or outstanding by the regulator and 4,919 have not yet been rated. 

According to Dr Gray, with so many relatives under pressure to organise quick care, a ‘good’ CQC rating should be the “bare minimum” to expect for any service.

“Often people enter care suddenly, after illness, injury or a hospital stay, so it is vital that adult carers – or carents – can know that the service is up-to-scratch,” added Dr Gray.

“Usually they don’t have the luxury of shopping around, and even when they do, the preferred service isn’t always available – so they have to resort to other options.

“Arranging care with an unrated provider might feel a bit risky as these services haven’t yet been tried and tested.”

While councils fund some home care services, Dr Gray highlighted that the support is means-tested, and after a few weeks, those with savings above £23,250 must organise and fund their own care.

According to Dr Gray, that’s one of the factors fuelling the growing number of unpaid adult carers – or carents – who often juggle full-time jobs and running a home with caring for older relatives.

“Although carents want the best for those they love they find it hard to find suitable care services guaranteed to provide a good standard of care,” added Dr Gray, who said adult carers can find the process “incredibly challenging”.

“Helping adult carers to navigate the system is one of the reasons The Carents Room was launched. 

“Adult carers are Britain’s biggest caring cohort and will only grow in the coming years, so we wanted a platform to support and help guide them through the journey – with information and guidance on everything from finances to navigating the NHS. 

“And our message to anybody arranging home care services for an older person is very much buyer beware.

“Make sure you ask the home care team’s management when the service was last inspected, what the inspection rating was, and read the inspection reports in detail on the CQC’s website.”

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Summary of CQC Data (July 2024)

• Total home care services for older adults: 13,431
• Outstanding: 364
• Good: 6,844
• Needs Improvement: 1,247
• Inadequate: 57
• Not rated: 4,919

Regional Breakdown:

• North East and Yorkshire: 1,662 services (507 not rated)
• North West: 1,434 services (508 not rated)
• Midlands: 2,935 services (1,241 not rated)
• South West: 1,160 services (336 not rated)
• South East: 2,145 services (784 not rated)
• East of England: 1,853 services (695 not rated)
• London: 2,242 services (848 not rated)
  

Percent of Total: