Choosing a Home Care Agency in London
A good home care agency in London is registered with the Care Quality Commission, manages its carers after it sends them, and can tell you plainly who will come and what happens when they can't. JNP Sidona is a CQC-registered agency based in Lewisham, and the first step with us is a free home assessment with Jackie, our registered manager.
How do I find a good home care agency near me?
Search "care agencies near me" anywhere in London and you get a long list of names, directory listings and adverts, and very little to tell them apart. Narrow the list to agencies that are registered to provide personal care, check what the regulator has found, then talk to two or three of them and listen to how they answer specific questions.
The NHS guide to help at home from a carer suggests the same starting points: your council's list of agencies, the Care Quality Commission website, and the Homecare Association's member search. Below are the checks in order, with where we stand on each.
Is the agency registered with the CQC, and how do you check?
Any agency in England that provides personal care in people's homes (physical help with washing, dressing, toileting, eating and drinking, or oral care, or prompting and supervising someone who can't decide to do these things alone) has to be registered with the Care Quality Commission. To check one, search the provider's name on the CQC's find care services page. The profile shows the registered address, the date of registration, the type of service and, once it has been inspected, its latest report.
CQC gives four ratings: Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement and Inadequate. It rates each service overall and against five key questions: is it safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led? Read the report, not just the headline: a "Good" overall rating can sit on top of a "Requires improvement" for safety.
Where we stand. JNP Sidona Support Services Ltd was registered with the CQC on 31 October 2023 for personal care, with specialisms in dementia, physical disabilities, sensory impairments and adults under and over 65. CQC has not inspected us yet, so we do not have a rating. You can see this for yourself on our CQC profile. Without a report to read, ask us everything on the list below and judge us on the answers, the assessment and the written care plan.
Managed or introductory: which kind of home care agency is it?
Two very different kinds of business both call themselves home care agencies.
- A managed (regulated) agency supplies carers and keeps managing them. Under CQC guidance on registration, it is responsible for selecting suitable workers, their induction, training and supervision, managing the agency's work (arranging carers' rotas is one example), and monitoring and improving the quality and safety of the care. If something goes wrong, the agency answers for it, and CQC inspects it.
- An introductory agency introduces you to a self-employed carer and then steps back. Because it has no ongoing role in the care, it does not need to register with the CQC. You, or the person receiving care, direct the carer and arrange cover when they are ill or on holiday. If you employ a carer directly, the NHS points out that you have the legal responsibility of an employer.
Introductory agencies suit some families, especially people who want to manage their own carer with a personal budget. Just know which one you are talking to. Ask directly: "Are you registered with the CQC for personal care, and who employs or manages the carer?" JNP is a managed agency. We plan the care, supervise it, cover absences and review it.
Questions to ask a home care agency before you agree to anything
Take this list to every agency you speak to, including us. Good agencies are glad to be asked.
About the carers
- What checks do you carry out before someone works for you? A registered provider must hold the information set out in Schedule 3 of the 2014 regulations, including proof of identity, a criminal record certificate, evidence of conduct in previous health or social care work, and a full employment history with gaps explained.
- What training do carers get, and is it specific to dementia, moving and handling, or medication if those apply?
- Have your carers supported someone with similar needs before?
- Where do your carers travel from? In a city this size, an agency's distance from your street affects how reliably visiting carers can turn up.
About the visits
- Will visits happen in an agreed time slot, and what counts as late?
- How long will each visit be? The NICE home care guideline says visits shorter than half an hour should be made only if the carer is known to the person, the visit is part of a wider package of support, and it allows enough time for specific, time-limited tasks or to check the person is safe and well.
- What happens if a carer is ill, or cannot get in, or finds the person has fallen?
About money and paperwork
- Will I get a written price list, a written care plan and a contract before care starts? The NHS says an agency should be able to give people paying for themselves a clear price list.
- What notice do you need if we want to stop or change the care?
- How do I complain, and what if I'm not satisfied with your answer? The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman looks at adult social care complaints, including care that is paid for privately.
Will we see the same carers each time?
Ask this before care starts. The NICE guideline tells agencies to prioritise continuity, so that the person is supported by the same carer or small team and gets to know them; to match carers to people carefully, and to warn people in advance if staff will change and say why.
Ask an agency how many different carers a person on a typical package sees in a month, and how they introduce a new one. Our answer: we try to keep the same few carers with each person, Jackie takes time over the match, and if a carer is not the right fit we change them. We are small and owner-managed, so you speak to the person who makes those decisions.
How much do home care agencies in London charge?
Rates vary between agencies and with the type of care, the time of day, weekends and bank holidays, how many carers a visit needs, and whether it is visiting or live-in care. Be wary of an agency that quotes a firm figure before anyone has seen the person or the home. We give a written quote after the assessment. Our guide to what home care costs in London explains what drives the price.
Whatever agency you choose, check funding first. The council can carry out a care needs assessment and then a financial assessment; if it funds care, you can ask for direct payments and choose your own agency. NHS Continuing Healthcare is free care arranged and funded by the NHS for some people with long-term complex health needs. Attendance Allowance is not means-tested. It is for people of State Pension age or older whose disability or health condition means they need help caring for themselves or someone to supervise them, and it can go towards the cost of care. Our page on paying for care in London sets out each route.
Our domiciliary care agency in London: what we provide, and where
We are a domiciliary care agency registered for personal care, with an office at Tower House on Lewisham High Street, SE13. Our carers in London support people at home with:
- Personal care and medication support
- Home help, companionship and a sit-in service
- Dementia care, complex care and palliative care
- Hospital discharge support and respite care
- Live-in care for individuals and couples
Live-in care works anywhere in London, because the carer moves in. Visiting care depends on having carers available near you, which is most realistic in south-east London: Lewisham, Greenwich, Southwark, Bromley and Bexley. Further out, ask us and we will tell you honestly. See areas we serve for every borough.
How starting with JNP works
- Call or message. Ring 0203 375 4047, or call or WhatsApp 07446 010486. Tell us what is happening and what worries you.
- Free home assessment. Jackie visits, talks with the person who needs care as well as the family, and looks at the home: stairs, bathroom, equipment and routines.
- Written care plan and quote. You get the plan in writing, setting out who comes, when, and what they do, with the cost. Nothing starts until you agree it.
- Introductions and first visits. We introduce the carers and stay in touch with you as care settles in.
- Regular reviews. The plan changes as needs change, after a hospital stay, say, or as dementia progresses.
Related pages
- Elderly care at home in London
- Private home care in London
- 24-hour care at home
- Urgent home care
- Care for elderly parents
- All our home care services
- Live-in care in Kensington and Chelsea
- Carer jobs in London
- Support worker jobs
- Live-in carer jobs
Questions about home care agencies in London
How do I check if a home care agency is CQC registered?
Search the agency's name on the CQC website. A registered agency has a profile showing its address, registration date and any inspection reports. If you can't find it, ask the agency for its CQC location ID. An agency that supplies and manages carers for personal care should have one. If it doesn't, it is either an introductory agency or not registered as it should be.
JNP has no CQC rating. Should that worry me?
It means CQC has not inspected us yet, not that we were inspected and given a poor result. We registered on 31 October 2023 and are waiting for our first inspection. Until then the fair way to judge us is the same way you would judge any agency in person: ask the questions on this page, meet Jackie at the assessment and read the care plan before you agree to anything.
Is a local agency better than a national one?
Not automatically. What matters for visiting care is how far the carers travel to you, because that affects punctuality and cover. A national brand still works through a local branch. Ask any agency, large or small, where its carers are based in relation to your street.
Can I switch home care agency if it isn't working?
Yes. Check the notice period in your contract. If the council funds the care, speak to your social worker; if you receive direct payments, you can usually move to another agency. A new agency should assess the person before taking over, so the handover is planned.
What is the difference between home care and domiciliary care?
Nothing. Domiciliary care is the formal name for care in someone's own home, and you will see both terms used for the same kind of agency. CQC lists these as homecare agencies.
Can the council choose the agency for us?
If the council arranges and funds the care, it usually places it with an agency it contracts with. If you would prefer to choose, ask for direct payments, which give you the money to arrange care with an agency of your choice, including a private one such as JNP.
Talk it through with Jackie
No call centre and no obligation. Tell us what you are dealing with and we will tell you honestly whether we can help.