The care inspection crisis: the home care provider safety strategy families need in 2026.

If you are arranging home care for a loved one, you are probably doing it in a moment of pressure…a fall, a hospital discharge, or a gradual decline you can no longer ignore.

You might assume there is a simple safety net in place, like regular inspections that help you confidently choose a good provider.

But recent analysis published by the Homecare Association highlights a growing issue: many homecare services have not been inspected recently, or have never been inspected at all.

This matters because home care happens behind closed doors, in people’s homes, often involving individuals who are frail, unwell, living with dementia, or unable to advocate for themselves.

This article will help you understand what that means for you, and exactly what checks to do before you choose a home care provider.

Many home care services do not have a recent CQC rating

According to the Homecare Association’s analysis (based on August 2025 data):

70.3% of home care providers in England do not have a recent CQC rating
33.5% have no rating
36.8% have a rating that is four to ten years old

The report also highlights that un-inspected locations increased by 64%, rising from 2,879 (June 2024) to 4,727 (August 2025).

If you are searching for home care today, you may be comparing providers where the most visible “quality indicator” is missing or out of date.

Why this matters when you are choosing care?

Home care is not just help around the house. It can include personal care, medication support, dementia care, complex support, and end-of-life care.

When care is outstanding, it protects dignity and gives families peace of mind. When care is inadequate or unsafe, the risks can include:

Missed medication
Unsafe moving and handling
Falls
Poor infection control
Neglect
Inconsistent carers and lack of supervision
Poor record-keeping, meaning professionals cannot make informed decisions
Emotional harm and loss of dignity

A recent CQC inspection rating can help families choose with confidence. But if inspections are delayed or outdated, families need to ask smarter questions and do their own checks.

The hidden danger: care offered outside the regulated system

There is a big difference between choosing a CQC registered provider and using a service that is not registered at all.

If an unregistered service is delivering personal care, medication support, or moving and handling without the right oversight, the risk to the person receiving care can be serious.

Without regulation, families often have no reliable way to confirm:

Whether carers are trained and competency-assessed for medication support
Whether carers can safely support transfers, walking, hoisting, or falls prevention
Whether there is supervision, spot-checking, or quality monitoring
Whether safeguarding concerns are recognised and reported correctly
Whether accurate care records exist to protect continuity and safety

This is not just a paperwork issue. Poor practice in medication or moving and handling can lead to real harm, including avoidable injury, hospital admissions, or serious safeguarding incidents.

And if something goes wrong, families may discover too late that the service does not have the right insurance protections in place.

12 questions to ask any home care provider before you choose them

These checks apply whether you are arranging short visits, daily care, or live-in support.

1) Are you CQC registered, and what is your rating?

Ask them to confirm:

Their registered provider name
Their location name
Their latest rating and inspection date

2) When was your last CQC inspection?

The Homecare Association analysis shows just how many providers have old or ‘not inspected’ ratings. If their last inspection was a few years ago, ask:

What internal audits and checks happen instead?
How quality is monitored in real time?
How concerns are identified before they become harm?

If the rating is old or the service has not been inspected yet, ask what quality monitoring happens in the meantime.

3) How do you recruit carers safely?

Ask whether they complete:

Enhanced DBS checks
References and employment history checks
Right to Work checks
Identity checks
Values-based recruitment

4) What training do carers complete before their first shift?

Do not accept vague answers like “full training is provided” Ask what training is included and how competency is assessed, such as:

Induction training
Safeguarding training
Moving and handling
Medication support training
Infection prevention and control
Dementia awareness
Mental capacity and consent

5) Who supervises carers, and how often?

Well-led providers don’t simply allocate visits and hope for the best. They actively supervise, review, and support their care teams to keep standards high and people safe.

Ask:

Who provides supervision and spot checks?
How often care is observed in the home?
How do carers receive feedback and support?
Do you use a digital care app and will my family be able to access updates?

6) How do you monitor missed or late calls?

Ask how they ensure:

Visits happen when agreed
Families are kept informed
Concerns are escalated quickly

7) How do you handle safeguarding concerns?

A safe provider should be able to explain clearly:

Who the safeguarding lead is
How concerns are reported and escalated
How quickly they act
How families are updated

8) What happens if needs increase?

Good home care adapts as needs change.

Ask:

How care plans are reviewed?
How quickly care can increase?
Whether they can support two-carer calls when needed?

9) Will I have consistent carers?

Continuity is not a luxury. For many people, it is essential to safety, trust, and emotional wellbeing.

Ask:

How they keep teams consistent?
How they cover sickness or holidays?
How introductions are handled?

10) How do you manage medication support safely?

Ask:

Whether carers are trained and competency assessed?
How medication changes are communicated
How medication errors are prevented and reported

11) What is included in the fees?

Ask for a clear breakdown of:

Hourly rates
Minimum visit lengths
Weekend and bank holiday rates
Any admin charges
Any cancellation terms

12) Where can I read genuine reviews?

Ask for:

Homecare.co.uk reviews (all independently verified)
Google reviews (with caution, because they can be inconsistent)
Testimonials and case studies
Recommendations from professionals

Want a quick way to compare providers side by side? Download our one-page Home Care Provider Safety Checklist and use it when making enquiries.

External checks you can do in 5 minutes – Home care provider safety strategy

Before choosing a provider, always check:

CQC inspection reports

Look for:

The provider’s rating
The date of inspection
What the report says about safety and leadership

Independent reviews

Use:

Homecare.co.uk – these are verified before publication
Google reviews – with caution, because they can be inconsistent
Local recommendations

Ask about governance and oversight

A professional provider should be able to explain:

Their quality monitoring process and share a copy of their internal audit
How concerns are recorded and learned from
How they protect people from risk
How they provide digital transparency to families

Whether you use google to find a provider, or social services, you still have a right to ask these questions, and an alternative if you are not satisfied with the provision.

A modern reassurance families should look for: a digital care app and family access

One of the best signs that a home care service is well-led is whether they use a digital care management app and give families access to updates through a secure family portal.

This matters because it improves transparency and reduces uncertainty. Instead of relying on second-hand updates or chasing the office, families can see reassurance in real time, such as:

Confirmation that a visit happened
Care notes logged at the time of care
Key observations and updates
Clear communication across the care team
A consistent record if carers change

If a provider is still relying solely on paper notes or informal updates, families may have far less visibility of what is happening day to day.

Beyond the rating: How Azure Care solves the transparency gap

We are proud to hold a CQC ‘Outstanding’ rating, dated December 2025. However, in an era where inspections are infrequent, we believe a badge on a website isn’t enough. Families deserve real-time reassurance that care is safe, well-led, and rigorously monitored.

This is why Azure Care operates with the level of transparency we’ve encouraged you to look for in this guide:

Verifiable Safety: Every carer undergoes robust, enhanced DBS checks and mandatory competency-based training before their first visit.
Digital Accountability: Visits are logged via GPS-verified technology. Our Care Circle portal allows families to view care notes in real-time, removing the “closed door” anxiety.
Clinical Governance: Medication and mobility support are treated as high-risk areas, with regular spot-checks and audits to ensure 100% compliance.
Professional Supervision: Our carers are not just sent out; they are supported and supervised by a dedicated management team that notices changes in health before they become emergencies.

Home care should never be a gamble. We believe in bringing “sunshine” to your home through consistent communication and uncompromising safety standards.

Confused about your options? If you are navigating the care system for the first time, we are happy to provide an honest, no-obligation discussion about what ‘Outstanding’ care should look like in 2026.

Click here or call or on 01634 968300 to find out more.

Download the HOME CARE PROVIDER SAFETY CHECKLIST