In this guide, we will identify the key things to look for and considerations to make when hiring a care service such as home care and a care home.
Things to Looking For When Hiring A Care Service
Whether you are choosing a care home, an at-home care worker, or a secure patient transport company, you need to know what to look for to make sure you are receiving the highest level of care. In this guide, we will identify the key things to look for and considerations to make.
Identify Your Needs
When choosing a care service, it is important to do so based on your specific needs. Whether you are choosing a care home, home care service or secure transport make sure they can accommodate your specific requirements. Before committing to a care service make sure you have accounted for all your needs. Consider everything from the frequency of visits (in the case of home care) to the specific activities you need assistance with.
Check Inspection Reports
There are four care regulators in the UK:
- The Care Quality Commission (CQC), England
- The Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA), Northern Ireland
- The Care Inspectorate, Scotland
- The Care Inspectorate Wales, Wales
These organisations are independent watchdogs that inspect registered care providers to ensure their services are up to standard. You can use these regulators’ reports to further assess the quality of care provided by a registered care provider.
Ask About Caregiver Background Checks
Care providers may be organisations but fundamentally they are a collection of people and they are often only as strong as their weakest link. Every team member needs to provide to be able to their job to the highest level. Hiring standards are paramount to receiving a high standard of care. When considering a care service make sure to ask about hiring practices and inquire about things such as caregiver background checks. Before choosing a care provider you should be confident in their hiring processes and the quality of their staff.
Ask About Caregiver Training
In addition to good hiring practices, a competent care team is built on good training. You should enquire about training when considering a care service. As with the level of training, the areas staff are trained in is very important. You should look for basic essential qualifications such as first aid and CPR training as well as special skills and training.
Personal Care Plan
Good carers should carry out their own assessment in order to build a care plan. If a care service does not carry out an assessment it may be a sign that they cannot deliver care tailored to your needs. If they do an assessment there are a few things that if they ask about could be an indication of a higher level and more tailored care service. Some examples of things they may ask about the person receiving care include:
- Medical conditions and medication
- Level of mobility and mobility equipment
- Cultural and religious needs
- Dietary requirements
There is nothing more important than the health and wellness of yourself and your loved ones. That is why it is vitally important to carry out due diligence when choosing a care service. It is essential that you choose a service which is not only good but capable of meeting your specific requirements. One service may be highly praised but if you require carers with experience working with people with autism, for example, and they do not deliver that they are not right for you.
Using the tips in this guide you can identify high-quality care services which can cater to your needs. Use these tips and resources listed to make sure you and your loved ones receive the very best care whether you are looking for a care home, private patient transport or secure ambulance transport.
Related content
Do Private ambulances give patients more control over their care?
How to care for your mental health