For families · 13 July 2026
Inviting a care provider into your home — or your mum's, or your dad's — is an act of trust. The right provider will welcome hard questions; the wrong one will dodge them. Here are seven worth asking, whoever you speak to.
1. Are you registered with the CQC, and what is your rating?
Every provider of personal care in England must be registered with the Care Quality Commission. Check the answer yourself at cqc.org.uk — you can read the full inspection report, not just the rating. If a provider is newly registered, they may not have a rating yet, which is normal; ask instead about the experience of the people running it.
2. Who will actually come to my home?
Ask whether you will see the same small team of familiar faces or a rotation of strangers. Continuity is one of the biggest differences between good and poor home care — it matters for trust, for spotting changes in health, and for simple human dignity.
3. How do you check and train your staff?
Listen for specifics: enhanced DBS checks, references, full employment histories, induction aligned to the Care Certificate, and ongoing training. Vague answers here are a red flag in a regulated sector.
4. What happens if my carer is off sick?
Reliable cover arrangements are the test of a well-run service. You want a clear answer, not "we’ll sort something out".
5. How will you involve me in my care plan?
Good care is planned with you, not for you. Your routines, preferences and goals should shape the plan — and you should be able to read it, question it, and change it.
6. What exactly will it cost — in writing?
Hourly rates, evening and weekend rates, travel, cancellations, notice periods. A reputable provider puts all of this in writing before care begins. If pricing feels evasive, walk away.
7. What happens when something goes wrong?
Every provider has complaints occasionally. The difference is how they handle them. Ask to see the complaints procedure, and ask what they changed after their last complaint. Honest providers have an answer.
A note from us: Haverton Care's home care service is in development for Swanley, Sevenoaks, Dartford, Bexley and Bromley, and will launch once our CQC registration is complete. We publish questions like these because we intend to be measured against them. If you are exploring future care options, you can register your interest through our contact page — with no obligation and no pressure.