Care Agencies in Edinburgh - How Do You Make the Right Choice for Your Needs?
In its last official report, the Care Inspectorate mentioned that there were 197 registered care agencies in Edinburgh either providing home care or housing support, so if you are looking for a service provider who delivers care at home services in Edinburgh, then the Care Inspectorate website is a great place to start your research.
The Care Inspectorate grades care agencies under a number of criteria and then gives each agency a rating based on certain measurements. So how do you find this information on the Care Inspectorate Website?
Step 1 - Go to the main search section of the Care Inspectorate website and search for the care agency you wish to check.
On the homepage of the Care Inspectorate website, go to the search box we have highlighted in green above and enter the name of the care agency you wish to check.
Step 2 - Make sure the agency you are looking for appears in the search results.
You should see your chosen care agency appear at the top of the search results. Take note of the “Published on” date which shows how long that care agency has been listed on the Care Inspectorate website, a good measurement of reputation.
Now click on the purple “View” button as we have highlighted in the image above.
Step 3 - What does the Care Inspectorate Measure?
The Care Inspectorate measures and keeps track of various data and information on care agencies in Edinburgh. It is their role to provide unbiased reporting about the working practices of each care agency operating in Edinburgh.
This is the page you will land on once clicking the “View” button from Step 2.
When you land on this page, the important section to look at is on the left of the screen as we have highlighted. The tabs on the left contain all of the information you need to research to make an informed decision if a care agency is right for you.
Service Details - This tab shows all of the basic contact details and the official Care Inspectorate service number which any registered care agency should have.
Quality Grades - These are a measurement from 1 to 5 with 1 being inadequate and 6 being excellent
Inspection Reports - For seniors looking for a care-at-home service, this section is one of the most important. By clicking on the Inspection reports tab it will take you to the section below.
Always be sure to find the latest date and then click on the download section to get the full inspection report for this care agency.
Complaints - This is another important section to check to make sure that the care agency does not receive continuous complaints.
Enforcements - An enforcement is where the Care Inspectorate forces a care agency to make changes to improve their service levels.
Provider Details - Contact details of the agency that are listed.
Another question to ask is, if an Edinburgh care agency has been trading for several years but has re-registered with the Care Inspectorate, what is the reason? Is there a genuine reason, or is there something to hide i.e. poor past performance.
The Scottish Domiciliary Care Market in Numbers
With a strain on social services and healthcare, it is important to understand where care comes from.
In Scotland, there are 788 domiciliary care companies according to leading commercial insurance broker PolicyBee with Homecare.co.uk stating that 105 of the Edinburgh care agencies are registered with them.
Although that may sound like a large number, only a handful of those are classed as “very good” or “excellent” by the Care Inspectorate which leads to a lack of high-quality professional care services.
Seniors have been interviewed, and many thought that their care was provided by the local council, when in fact it was being organised through the local council but 83.1% is being delivered by private companies.
This then leads to the question of cost which increases if outsourced to private care agencies. Being one of the top 20 care agencies in Scotland and one of only 2 home care agencies in Edinburgh making the Top 20 Scotland list, we are proud to provide high-quality care at fair rates, being approximately 13% less expensive than the other Edinburgh care agencies that we would personally consider to be providing a similar level of care as 1st Focus Homecare.
Who are Scottish Care?
Scottish Care is an independent organisation (not the government) that is a body for the care companies and workers in the industry. They also champion the cause for quality person-led care.
In a recent report, they stated: “By focusing on people and communities, we can begin to understand the needs and aspirations for health, social care and wellbeing, and work together with people, communities and partners to identify the preferable and most appropriate ways to support these. This is critical amongst Scotland’s ageing population, with resources needed to support those living with dementia or advanced neurological conditions.”
That same report brought up some interesting statistics and numbers.
Private care homes account for 79% (32,168) of all care home places in Scotland.
Government funding for long-term residential care home places has been on a constant decrease in the last three years.
Nearly half (46%) of the local councils in Scotland saw a decrease in the number of hours of homecare purchased by service users.
The above points show clearly that there is a gap in funding for both residential and in-home care services, meaning seniors and their families may be stretched to receive the sort of high-quality care that they deserve.
Therefore, when looking for a care provider, whether that be residential (usually way out of reach financially for many) or a care-at-home provider, it really is important for families to research their options thoroughly.
Care At Home Top 10 Service Provider Checklist Tips
The aim of this article is to guide you and your family on how to find the best care provider that is right for you. It is not just about budget, although we realise that plays an important part.
It also comes down to your safety and security as well as the way in which you are treated.
Here are ten tips/elements you should check when making a decision about your care.
Care Inspectorate grades https://www.careinspectorate.com/index.php/care-services (do people really want a service looking after them or their loved ones rated as inadequate, weak, adequate or good when there are companies graded as very good or excellent?)
Care Inspectorate reports. (We explained how to find these at the beginning of this guide)
Look at the consistency over the years i.e. do their grades fluctuate or have they had bad reports in the past?
Any complaints on the Care Inspectorate site which they will find on the registration page for each agency
Google reviews (Type the name of the care agency in Google and check real human reviews)
Homecare.co.uk reviews (Very trusted external care company evaluation site)
How long has the company been trading (as a company grows it can be difficult to maintain standards)
Are they large enough to cover holiday sickness without too many problems?
Affordability. Do they offer any price guarantees i.e. no surprise rate increases/set up fees/hidden costs?
Check to see if they're a franchise or part of a large multinational as some people will be happy with this whilst others may prefer a fully independent company where they can actually speak to the owners directly before making a decision.
The above list gives you a structured way to check which care provider is right for you.
1st Focus Homecare is a high-quality provider in Edinburgh. Our own service levels are proven by our high scores on the Care Inspectorate website. We also have accreditation for the last two years from Homecare.co.uk as one of the top 20 care at-home providers in Scotland, and lastly the reviews from our clients which are easily found on Google.
But our advice to anybody is to go through the research exercises above and pick out 5 care agencies for a shortlist. Do the exercises above, invite them to a face-to-face meeting, and make sure you are truly comfortable with the company you choose.
This is not something you should rush into. Take some time and make sure you are happy with your choice.
If you have any questions then feel free to contact us. We are a quick phone call away.
Conclusion
The goal of this guide is to give you a framework for researching and selecting the right care at-home agency/provider in Edinburgh.
We have shown you how to use the Care Inspectorate website to check agencies thoroughly, as well as a ten-point checklist to help you make your final decision.
We realise that finding a care service can be stressful for both the seniors and their family members. Hopefully, this guide will help alleviate some of that stress.
Here at 1st Focus Homecare, we are always available to answer questions about what an in-home care life looks like. Feel free to give us a call at 0131-510-7878.
FAQ’s
Q1. Can I trust the information that is on the Care Inspectorate website?
A1. Yes, the Care Inspectorate is a government body that is totally unbiased. They have a job to police the care industry in Scotland and make sure that companies are providing a high level of care.
Q2. What are the rates for in-home care in Scotland?
A2. The range does vary, as much of the care is provided by private companies. You can expect to pay between £28 - £40 per hour for in-home care. Please also check for any additional set-up fees that some private companies will add to each hourly rate.
Q3. What is the best way to check if a care agency or provider in Scotland is reputable and can be trusted?
A3. 1. Check the service level scores for this agency on the Care Inspectorate website. 2. Are they listed in the Top 20 companies in Scotland on the Homecare.co.uk list? 3. Do they have strong public reviews listed on Google?
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