Home Care in Stratford-upon-avon

Stratford-upon-avon has 9 CQC registered home care agencies. 7 are rated Good, 1 Requires improvement, and 1 has not yet been rated. 6 of the 9 were last inspected more than three years ago.

Source: Care Quality Commission register, kept up to date as ratings change.

What home care in Stratford-upon-avon involves and what to check

How support at home is arranged

Home care is delivered as visits, timed around the parts of the day when help is needed most, commonly getting up, meals, medicines and settling at night. Some people need a single short call, others need four a day, and a few need a live in arrangement. The pattern is set out in a care plan, which should be written with the person rather than handed to them. Ask how often that plan is reviewed and who signs it off.

Reading a largely uniform set of ratings

Eight of the nine providers hold a Good rating and one has no rating yet. When most of a field carries the same word, the reports rather than the ratings are what distinguish them. Read the safe and responsive sections most closely, since late or missed calls and problems with medicines are what most often unsettle a household. Check the inspection dates too, since agencies change managers more often than buildings do.

Continuity and coverage

Ask first whether the agency covers the specific address, because a package that looks ideal is worthless if nobody can reach it. Then ask how many different care workers would come through the door in a typical week, whether the same people cover weekends, and what happens when someone is off sick. Ask whether visit times are fixed or given as a window.

Getting an assessment and working out funding

The assessment of need

Anyone who appears to require care and support can ask for a free assessment, whatever their savings. For care at home the assessment focuses on practical daily tasks and on the hours when help matters most, and it should also consider equipment and small adaptations. A relative providing regular unpaid care can request a separate carer assessment in their own right.

Who pays

Where needs are eligible, a financial assessment sets the contribution. Home care is treated differently from a care home place, because the value of the house someone lives in is not counted while care is delivered there. Savings above the national threshold usually mean paying privately, while people below it receive help towards the cost. Assessments and funded packages are arranged through Warwickshire County Council adult social care. Ask about a direct payment if you would rather choose the agency yourself.

How charges work

Home care is usually charged by the hour or by the visit, with higher rates at weekends, on bank holidays and overnight. Short calls add up faster than an hourly rate suggests, so calculate the weekly total before comparing agencies. Ask for a written rate card and ask what notice is needed to change or cancel a visit.

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