Finding a care provider in Hertfordshire  

If you are funding domiciliary care yourself you may have a wide choice of carers and agencies available to choose from. You need to find a carer who is right for you but it isn’t easy to make that decision.

Your council social services or local library may have lists of approved care agencies. The national regulators also have lists, with copies of inspection reports where available. The regulators are:

England           www.cqc.org.uk

Wales              www.csiw.org.uk

Scotland          www.carecommission.com

N. Ireland        www.rqia.org.uk

You could also contact the UKHCA, who are the professional national representative association for homecare providers. www.ukhca.co.uk/memberlist.aspx

Yellow Pages and Thomson Local directories have care agencies listed under Home Help Services, Care Agencies, Homecare Services or Nurses Agencies.

Some people advertise themselves as carers but be careful. They can be unregulated and may not have the training or experience required to carry out the work competently.

Once you find an agency you are interested in, ask them for a price list and a brochure. They should be able to provide these. The next thing to do is ask questions. These will depend on your individual circumstances but it is important to have answers to the following:

• Are you insured?
• Are you registered with a statutory regulator or a member of UKHCA?
• Have your carers had CRB checks and have their references been checked? Do you provide training for them?
• What are your charges and methods of payment? Any hidden charges or minimum charges?
• How do your carers respect clients’ dignity and privacy?
• How do you match careworkers to clients? Can I meet the carer before deciding?
• Do you have emergency contact numbers?

If you ask these questions, then you should have enough knowledge to make an informed decision.