Home Care Questions & Answers
These are the questions families ask us most often when they are arranging care for a relative. If yours is not answered here, please phone the office. We would rather answer it directly than have you guess.
Getting started
What is domiciliary care?
Domiciliary care, also called home care, is professional support delivered in your own home, covering personal care, meal preparation, companionship and more.
How do I know if home care is right for my family?
If daily tasks are becoming harder to manage safely alone, a free assessment can help identify exactly what support would help.
How do we arrange care with Ency Care?
Phone our Hoddesdon office or complete the assessment form. We will ask about the situation, explain how we work, and arrange a free at-home assessment. After that visit you receive a person-centred care plan, and you decide whether to go ahead.
What happens at a care assessment, and does it cost anything?
The assessment is free and there is no obligation to proceed. We visit at home, usually with the family present, and talk through daily routines, health and mobility, medication, the home itself, and what your loved one wants to keep doing independently.
How quickly can care start?
Timescales depend on the assessment and care plan, but our local team will always confirm this with you directly.
Do you need a referral from a GP or social worker?
No. Families can contact us directly. We also work alongside professionals where they are already involved, and we are happy to speak to a social worker, GP or hospital discharge team with your permission.
Does my relative have to agree to receive care?
Wherever possible, yes, because care works far better when the person receiving it has been part of the decision. Where someone is not able to make that decision themselves, we will discuss the right process with you, including who holds legal authority to decide on their behalf.
What if we are not sure which service we need?
That is the normal starting point, not a problem. Describe what is happening and we will explain the options. If we think a different kind of provider would suit your loved one better, we will tell you that too.
Our carers
How are your carers checked and vetted?
Carers are interviewed, asked for references, and hold a Disclosure and Barring Service check before they work with anyone. Right to work in the UK is confirmed as part of recruitment.
What training do your carers receive?
New carers complete a structured induction covering personal care, safeguarding, moving and handling, medication awareness, infection control and condition-specific training such as dementia awareness. Training continues alongside regular supervision.
Will the same carer visit each time?
We prioritise continuity of carers wherever possible, so your loved one is supported by familiar, trusted faces. Complete consistency cannot be promised, since carers take holidays and have days off, but cover is planned in advance.
Can we request a male or female carer?
Yes. Please tell us your loved one's preference at the assessment, particularly where personal care is involved, and we will do our best to match it consistently.
What if a carer is not the right match for my relative?
Please tell us. Being supported in your own home is personal and it does not always click first time. We would far rather change who visits than have your loved one put up with an arrangement that is not working.
Do your carers wear a uniform?
Yes. Every Ency Care carer wears an Ency Care uniform, so families always know who is at the door.
How care works day to day
What is a care plan and who writes it?
The care plan is the written record of what support is provided, when, and how your loved one wants it done, including preferences rather than only tasks. We write it after the assessment, with your loved one and family involved, and you receive a copy.
Can the care package be changed after it starts?
Yes. Needs change, and the plan is meant to change with them. Care plans are reviewed regularly and after any significant change such as a hospital stay or a fall.
How will we know what has happened at each visit?
Carers record what they did and anything they noticed at each visit. We agree at the start how and how often you want updates, and who should be contacted.
Do carers help with medication?
Carers can prompt and remind someone to take their medication, and can assist where this has been agreed in the care plan and the carer has the relevant training. What is appropriate is decided at the assessment and recorded in writing.
What happens if a carer notices my relative is unwell?
Carers are trained to escalate concerns rather than wait. They contact the office, who will contact you and, where appropriate, the relevant health professional. In a medical emergency they call 999.
Can I combine services, such as domiciliary visits with occasional respite cover?
Yes, care plans can combine services as needs change. This is agreed with your family during the assessment.
Costs and funding
How much does home care cost?
Cost depends on how much support is needed, how often, and which service. We give you clear written costs after the free assessment, before you commit to anything. Please phone the office for current rates.
Might my relative be entitled to help with funding?
Possibly. Some people fund care privately, and some receive support following a local authority needs and financial assessment. Your local council adult social care team is the place to start for a funding assessment, and we can explain how our service works alongside it.
Are there extra charges we should know about?
Anything beyond the agreed rate, for example mileage where a carer takes your loved one out, is set out in writing before care starts. We do not want families finding out about charges after the event.
Quality, safety and complaints
Is Ency Care regulated?
Yes. Ency Care Ltd is registered with and monitored by the Care Quality Commission, the independent regulator of health and social care in England, under provider ID 1-10973222456.
How do you keep people safe from abuse and neglect?
We have a safeguarding policy that all carers are trained on during induction, and a duty to report concerns. Carers are background checked, visits are recorded, and concerns raised by families are investigated rather than filed.
What if we are unhappy with the care provided?
Please tell us as soon as something is not right, because most issues are resolved quickly by a phone call to the office. If you want to take it further, our complaints policy sets out the formal process, and you can also raise concerns with the Care Quality Commission or the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
How is the quality of care monitored?
Through care plan reviews, contact with families, supervision of carers and spot checks. If something is going wrong we would rather find it ourselves than have you discover it.
More detail
Questions about a specific service
Each service page has its own questions and answers covering the details that only apply to that kind of care.
Still have a question?
Phone the Hoddesdon office and describe your situation. There is no charge for a conversation and no obligation to arrange care.