Community Voices

In the most recent instalment on Petersfield’s Shine Radio, Nickki, Duncan and Lynn shared their expertise and tips with listeners to help them find the best care options for themselves or their loved ones. The list below collates recommendations from their discussion and includes helpful information sources and questions to ask.

Online due diligence

Whether or not you have a trusted recommendation for a care provider, it is a good idea to understand what support and care facilities are available in the local area. Searching the regulators and reputable care reviewers can help you to develop a shortlist of providers that can meet your specific care needs:

Care Quality Commission (CQC): Much like Ofsted’s ratings for schools, the independent regulator of health and social care in England – the CQC – provides ratings of Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement or Inadequate based on their inspections of local care providers. By visiting their site, you can search care homes or in home care agencies in your local area to access their reports, giving you an idea of how they measure up and perform overall. Remember to look at when their last inspection took place. (https://www.cqc.org.uk/)

homecare.co.uk: This ‘Trip Advisor’- style site allows you to compare prices and reviews for all UK home care providers based on the type of care and location. Each office has its own dedicated page with information on the type of care, specialisms, hourly rates and genuine, verified reviews from clients and their loved ones.  Pages also feature links to the latest CQC reports, awards and recognitions and news updates, providing a fuller picture of each care provider. 

Speak to the team

Once you’ve compiled a shortlist of your preferred providers, it is important to get to know them from a personal perspective; to understand the team – who they are, how they work and the type of skills and specialist care they can offer.

The best way to do this is to pick up the phone and call the office. Note how long it takes them to answer the phone. Is their manner friendly and professional? Are they able to answer your questions or put you in touch with someone who can? 

How the team fields your call and answers your questions can help to give you a feel for how they work and whether they will be a good fit for your care needs. Keep in mind that the care team will not just be supporting the individual in need of care, but coordinating and communicating with the whole family.

Consistency of care

Speaking to team members can also give you an insight into how the organisation works, how well they support their CareGivers and how comfortable and happy they are in their roles. For example, care companies who provide ongoing support, training and opportunities for career growth are more likely to retain their CareGivers. This translates to more consistency in the care you or your loved one will receive, as well as the opportunity to get to know, trust and feel comfortable with your CareGivers, rather than have a revolving door of different people each day.

Sourcing the right care really comes down to finding the right people. By taking time to research options online, speak directly with care teams, and consider the consistency and quality of care provided, you will be better positioned to make an informed choice that meets your specific needs.

Listen to the full interview on Shine Radio’s Website: https://shineradio.uk/2025/04/how-do-you-know-we-are-getting-the-right-sort-of-care-when-the-time-comes/

The Right at Home team is always available to discuss your care requirements and answer any questions you may have about the process, so please feel free to get in touch with us: https://www.rightathome.co.uk/havant/contact-us/