The short version
- Confirm the whole first week, not just one starting date.
- Make tasks, access and medicines responsibilities clear.
- Keep the person involved in how carers are introduced.
- Review real visits and resolve gaps promptly.
On this page (11 sections)
Before home care starts, agree the assessed tasks, visit schedule, staffing and care plan. Confirm access, equipment, medicines responsibilities, emergency contacts and payment terms. Make the first visit an introduction as well as a care call, then review whether the actual support matches the agreement.
Confirm what the start date actually covers#
Ask the agency which visits it has accepted, at what times and for how long. If two carers are needed, confirm both. Request the first week's schedule and find out when the names of the carers will be available. A morning start does not establish that lunch, evening and weekend calls are arranged.
Check anything the service depends on: equipment delivery, a professional instruction, safe access or another provider completing a handover. Ask who will confirm each item is ready. If something essential is missing, agree the alternative arrangement before the first worker arrives.
If care follows a hospital stay, use our hospital discharge guide alongside this checklist. Ask the discharge team and agency to resolve their responsibilities directly. Family members should not have to reconstruct contradictory instructions after everyone has left.
Use the agency assessment to describe real life#
Show the assessor what an ordinary day involves. Explain how the person likes to be addressed, what they prefer to do independently and how long familiar tasks usually take. Include hearing, sight, language and communication needs, as well as what makes accepting support easier.
Walk through the actual rooms and equipment involved. Discuss the way into the property, pets, where personal care will happen and any tasks needing specialist assessment. Be honest about support that relatives currently provide and what they are willing to continue.
CQC describes good home care as having a written plan reflecting individual needs and choices. Read the proposed plan before relying on it. If a detail is wrong, ask for it to be corrected and explain how every visiting worker will receive the updated version.
Make a short start sheet#
A short summary helps people find the essentials quickly. It should point to the agreed care plan and professional instructions, not replace them. Keep personal information securely and share it only with the people who need it.
| Topic | Record | Confirm with |
|---|---|---|
| First week | Visit times, durations and staff numbers. | Agency coordinator. |
| Getting in | Agreed access and what to do if entry fails. | Person and agency. |
| Care instructions | Where current plans and task instructions are kept. | Assessor and relevant professionals. |
| Medicines | Who orders, collects, supports and records. | Agency and relevant clinician or pharmacist. |
| Concerns | Ordinary, urgent and out of hours contacts. | Agency manager. |
| Review | Date, person responsible and changes to discuss. | Person receiving care and agency. |
Prepare access without turning the home into a workplace#
Agree how carers will identify themselves and enter. If a key safe is used, arrange secure sharing of its code with the agency rather than leaving it in public notes or a group message. Check what staff should do if the person does not answer or access fails.
Put agreed supplies and equipment where the person and carers can find them. Ask the agency what it supplies and what you need to provide. Do not buy unfamiliar moving equipment or improvise a method of assisting someone before the relevant assessment and instructions are in place.
Keep personal preferences visible in the plan. Which bathroom do they prefer? Should visitors remove shoes? Where do they want private belongings left? These details should support the person's control over their home. Ask before moving furniture or reorganising cupboards for convenience.
Allocate medicines responsibilities clearly#
Find out exactly what the agency has agreed to do with medicines. Prompting someone, helping with packaging and administering medicines are different tasks. Ask the provider to explain its role in plain English and how changes are authorised and recorded.
Agree who requests repeat prescriptions, collects or receives supplies, checks that enough is available and contacts the relevant professional when something is unclear. Do not assume the new agency takes over every step. Avoid creating a second handwritten instruction that conflicts with the current prescription or care record.
At the start, ask the agency and relevant clinician or pharmacist to resolve any discrepancy in the information. Family members should not guess a dose, change a time or tell a carer to use old instructions. Record where the agreed information is available and who must be called about uncertainty.
NHS medicines guidance for carers explains why questions about timing, missed doses or refusal should be discussed with the relevant health professional.
Make the first visit understandable to the person#
Tell the person who is coming, why and what support has been agreed. Ask whether they would like someone familiar present, and check that this is practical. Where possible, give the carer time to introduce themselves before starting tasks.
Support the person to speak for themselves. A relative can explain background without answering every question on their behalf. Show the worker where agreed items are kept and then allow privacy where the person wants it. Check whether the worker has received the current plan rather than retelling sensitive information unnecessarily.
If the person declines part of the support, the response needs to respect consent and the agreed escalation plan. Discuss what happened with the agency. Our guide to a parent refusing care explains how to explore concerns without treating a signature or family agreement as blanket permission.
Check what happens during the first week#
Keep brief notes about arrival, tasks, changes and the person's experience. Was enough time allowed? Did new carers know the routine? Did someone have to repeat important instructions? Ask the person privately whether the support felt respectful and useful.
Raise practical problems while they are small enough to address. Give the coordinator a concrete example and ask for a specific response. If the visit time does not work, establish whether the agency can actually change it. If essential care is not being provided, explain the immediate unmet need.
The care plan can be reviewed as circumstances change. The NHS explains care plan reviews. Agree an early agency review rather than relying solely on a later council review. Use our missed visit guide if a scheduled call fails and support is needed now.
Finish the start process with a real review#
At the review, compare the actual visits with the plan and contract. Confirm what is working, what must change and who will update the records. Ask for the revised schedule and the date any new charge applies. Keep one current version rather than several conflicting notes.
Check the first bill against the accepted quote and recorded changes. Query unexpected travel, weekend or extra time charges. A successful first week is not only one in which every call occurred; it is one in which the person received the agreed support and everyone understands the ongoing arrangement.
If you are still comparing services, our agency selection guide covers the earlier decision. Find Care's home care search can help you identify providers by postcode district, but start dates and suitability must be confirmed with the service.
Home care ready to start#
- Confirm every visit in the first week.
- Read the current care plan and correct errors.
- Agree secure access and failed entry arrangements.
- Check equipment and required supplies are ready.
- Allocate medicines responsibilities.
- Agree introductions, privacy and information sharing.
- Save daytime and out of hours contacts.
- Set the first review and check the first bill.
Common questions#
Do I need to be there for the first care visit?
Ask the person what they would like and agree it with the agency. A familiar person can help with introductions, but their presence should not override privacy or consent. If nobody can attend, arrange the information and access the worker needs beforehand.
What should I buy before home care starts?
Ask the assessor for a specific list and clarify what the agency supplies. Check ordinary care items separately from equipment requiring assessment. Avoid buying devices or changing the layout on the assumption that a worker can safely use whatever is available.
Will the same carer come every day?
Confirm the expected regular team and how changes are communicated. Holidays, sickness and shift patterns need cover. Ask how replacement carers receive the plan and whether introductions can be arranged when a new person joins the team.
Can the agency start before all the paperwork is finished?
Ask what information, agreements and risk arrangements are essential for the proposed support. Urgency does not remove the need to understand the tasks, consent, access and escalation. Get the agency to state what it can safely provide and what remains outstanding.
Who should have access to the care app?
Agree this with the person and provider, taking account of consent or other appropriate authority. Ask what each user can see and how urgent concerns are communicated. An app should not be the only route for someone who cannot use it.
What if the first week shows the visits are too short?
Give the assessor examples of tasks that are unfinished or rushed. Ask for a review of time, staffing or the plan, and clarify how needs will be met while changes are arranged. Get any revised charges and start date in writing.