Most people who contact us have already thought about it longer than they’d like to admit. The assessment is where we sit down together and work out whether care makes sense, what it would look like, and whether it feels right. There’s no obligation at the end of it.
CQC-regulated and rated Good. Registered Manager Courtney Pike. 9.9/10 on homecare.co.uk.
What a care assessment is
A care assessment is a free visit, usually 60 to 90 minutes long, at the home of the person who’d be receiving care. Someone senior from our team, Courtney Pike, Megan Williams or Charlotte Offord, sits down with the person and any family present, talks through what’s happening, what support might help, and what’s possible. You’re under no obligation after.
Who comes to see you
One of three people will visit, all senior members of our team.
- Courtney Pike, our Registered Manager. Courtney is registered with the CQC and is responsible for the safety and quality of every care plan we run.
- Megan Williams, our Deputy Manager. Megan started as a carer with us, qualified through NVQ Level 3 and Level 5, and now leads day-to-day clinical oversight.
- Charlotte Offord, our Care Co-ordinator. Charlotte handles matching carers to clients, so if she runs the assessment she’s already thinking about who on the team would be the right fit.
Whichever of them visits, they’ll be the same point of contact afterwards. You won’t be passed around.
How long it takes
Most assessments take 60 to 90 minutes. We don’t rush them, and we don’t make them feel like a form-filling exercise. If the situation is more complex (advanced dementia, complex care needs, recent hospital discharge), we’ll allow longer.
What we’ll talk about
A care assessment is a structured conversation, not an interrogation. We’re trying to understand four things:
- What the day looks like now. Sleep, meals, medication, washing and dressing, mobility around the home, getting out and about, who’s already involved.
- What’s changed recently. A fall, a hospital admission, a memory decline, a spouse becoming exhausted, family living too far away to keep up.
- What support would actually help. Sometimes that’s two short visits a day. Sometimes it’s overnight care. Sometimes it’s a single longer visit so a family carer can rest. We’ll talk through options before suggesting one.
- What matters to the person being cared for. Routines, preferences, the things that make a day feel like theirs. This is the most important part. If we get this wrong, nothing else works.
If the person being cared for has difficulty making or communicating decisions, we’ll involve family carefully and follow the Mental Capacity Act. Our safeguarding page explains how we handle this.
What to have ready
Don’t overthink this. Helpful but not essential:
- A current medication list, or the actual boxes
- GP practice name and any recent letters from hospital or specialists
- A rough sense of the routines you’d want a carer to follow
- Any questions the person being cared for wants answered
If you have none of these, we’ll work through it together at the visit.
What happens afterwards
Within a few working days, we’ll send you:
- A written summary of what we discussed
- A proposed visit pattern (frequency, length, what each visit would cover)
- An honest cost estimate based on our published rates, and any funding routes that might apply
- A suggested start date based on our current availability
If you want to go ahead, the next step is the care plan, which turns the assessment into a working document for the carers.
If you don’t want to go ahead, that’s the end of it. We won’t follow up beyond a single check-in call, and only if you’ve said you’d like one.
Common questions
Is the assessment really free?
Yes. No charge, no deposit, no registration fee. No obligation afterwards.
Can my Mum or Dad say no during the assessment?
Of course. The person receiving care leads the conversation wherever possible. If they want us to leave, we leave.
Can I sit in if I live far away?
Yes. We can include family by phone or video call during the assessment. Just let us know when you book.
What if we’re not sure care is the right answer yet?
That’s a fine reason to book one. Plenty of families use the assessment as a way of working out what level of help, if any, would actually make a difference.
Book your assessment
Call 01636 646915 Monday to Saturday between 8am and 6pm, or request a care assessment online. We’ll usually offer an assessment within a week.
