Everything you need to know about getting home care help and support.
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Your guide to home care services in Manchester
Everything you need to know about getting home care help and support.

This leaflet has been prepared by Manchester Local Care Organisation (MLCO) in conjunction with home care agencies operating in Manchester. It is for: People already receiving home care support People who may wish to access this in the near future Families and friends of people receiving home care services. This leaflet explains how the home care service works. While the full details are helpful, citizens told us they wish they had known the following key points from the start:

1. What is home care?

Home care services are for individuals who need support with daily living at their own home. They are designed to help you maintain your quality of life and live independently in your own home.

Typically, home care operates between 07.00 and 22.00, seven days a week.

Your social worker or social care assessor will carry out what we call a strengths based assessment to determine if you have eligible needs.

A strengths based assessment is a way of looking at things in a positive way. We focus on what works, what you can and would like to be able to do and what support you already have instead of asking what’s wrong and what you can’t do. That way we can understand what you want to achieve and build a plan to help you reach those goals.

If you are assessed as having eligible needs and home care is agreed as the best way to meet your needs, you’ll be offered three options for arranging it:

• Privately – You find and pay for the service yourself
• Direct payment – You receive funding to arrange your own care, giving you greater choice and control. You can speak to your social worker or Social Care Assessor for guidance
• Managed account – Manchester City Council arranges care on your behalf.

This guide explains how the managed account option works. We work with a number of home care agencies that are regularly monitored to ensure they meet quality standards and deliver safe, effective care. All agencies are registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the national regulator for health and social care services. You can view inspection reports at www.cqc.org.uk.

2. Important basic things to know

Homecare services typically operate seven days a week, between 07:00 and 22:00. Other than the standard service delivered between the hours noted above, service providers can also provide the following home care services:

• A daytime sitting and support service to provide respite (a break) to a carer by supporting a person in their own home, as outlined within their support plan
• A nighttime service, often referred to as a twilight service, to check on a person’s identified care needs throughout the night – but is not a waking night sit or sleep in service (ie the carer does not stay with you overnight)
• An overnight service where a member of staff is present through the night, either as a sleeping or waking night service (ie the carer stays with at your home overnight).

In most cases, you will meet your homecare provider before the service begins, giving you an opportunity to discuss your needs and preferences. However, in certain circumstances, this may not be possible, depending on the urgency or nature of your situation.

A folder will be left in your home containing provider details and your care plan. Homecare providers also use digital care record systems and will explain how you or your family can have access to your records if required. Personalised care and support planning is essential for anyone receiving health and social care services. Your care plan should clearly reflect your cultural and religious needs, such as prayer times or dietary requirements. Please share these details with your social worker or care assessor to ensure your care respects your values and preferences.

Homecare providers use a live digital system powered by real-time technology to deliver care more efficiently and support better communication between care staff, clients, and families. These systems include mobile apps for carers to manage schedules and record visits, family portals for transparency, and tools for electronic care planning, rostering, and medication management — all designed to help people stay independent in their own homes.

Visits are scheduled within a ‘time band’ , meaning they occur within a set time window rather than at a fixed time. If you need your care at a specific time due to an essential care requirement, or time-sensitive medication, your Social Worker or Social Care Assessor will make sure your care plan reflects these needs.

Carers must confirm their arrival and departure times usually by scanning a barcode, QR code or NFC tag in your care folder with a mobile device to confirm when they start and finish your care call. Some providers also utilise GPS tracking on handheld devices or phones. Please ensure your needs are met before the carer logs out.

To cancel a visit, contact your provider directly. If less than 24 hours’ notice is given, the visit will still be charged.

If you’re unexpectedly admitted to hospital, inform hospital staff that you receive home care and ask someone to notify your provider. This will avoid any charges being made whilst you are in hospital.

To cancel or change your care package, speak with your social care team/worker.

If you have concerns about your service, raise them with your provider first. If unresolved or serious, contact your care manager.

3. What to expect on your first visit

We aim to allow at least 24 hours after confirming your care provider before the start of your service. This gives the agency time to contact you, arrange a visit, and discuss your care package.

During the initial visit, the agency will explain how they operate and how your care will be delivered. You’ll be given a folder containing:

• Details about the home care agency and the services they provide
• A copy of your support plan, prepared by your social worker or social care assessor
• Any additional documents relevant to your care
• Contact information for the agency in case you need to change or cancel visits.

During your first visit, let the agency know if you have any language or cultural preferences. For example, you may need a carer who speaks your preferred language, understands your cultural background, or is familiar with specific customs or traditions. Sharing this information early helps ensure your care is respectful, comfortable, and tailored to your needs.

4. When will my home care provider visit me?

Your social worker or Social Care Assessor will discuss preferred visit times with you. However, due to the high number of citizens and the need to minimise travel time between visits, care is scheduled within time bands rather than at fixed times.

This approach helps providers manage their rotas efficiently while still aiming to meet your preferences wherever possible. Our time bands are:

Breakfast 07.00 – 11.00
Lunch 11.30 – 14.00
Tea 15.00 – 18.30
Bed 18.30 – 22.00
Overnight (Twilight) 22.00 – 07.00

Your home care visits will be scheduled within agreed time bandings, as discussed with your social worker or social care assessor. These are not fixed appointment times. Once your care is booked with a provider, they will confirm the expected visit time.

Where possible, your preferred visit times will be considered when staff rotas are arranged. Please share any preferences with your social worker or social care assessor during your initial discussions.

Once your care package becomes part of the agency’s regular route, visits should occur at roughly the same time each day. However, delays or early arrivals may happen due to unforeseen circumstances. We usually allow for the carer to arrive up to 30 minutes before or after the planned visit start time. If you have other commitments that could be affected by this, please inform your provider.

In exceptional circumstances, your time banding may need to change. You will be notified in advance and given the opportunity to discuss any impact.

What if my carer does not arrive?
If your carer does not arrive within the expected time banding, please contact the agency directly. Their phone number will be in the folder left in your home.

5. How do you know a visit has taken place?

When the carer arrives, they will use a smartphone to scan a barcode in your support plan folder. This system, called Electronic Call Monitoring (ECM), records the start and end times of each visit. Please ensure all your care needs are met before the carer ends the visit using ECM. Carers also record notes on a handheld device. You can request access to your care records, ask your agency for details. Home care agencies send visit reports to Manchester Local Care Organisation. If you pay for your care, these reports are used to calculate your charges.

6. Changing or ending your care package

If your care package no longer meets your needs, speak to your Social Worker or Care Assessor. Adjustments may be made in consultation with your provider.

To end your care service, contact your care manager. The agency will continue visits until they receive an official termination notice from the Council.

If you need to go into hospital
If you go into hospital unexpectedly, please ensure the hospital contacts your home care agency.

If you take a short break
Inform both your home care agency and your Social Worker or Social Care Assessor if you are going on a short break. The agency will try to keep you on their rota, but this isn’t guaranteed.
If they can’t resume care after your break, a new provider will be allocated.

7. Charges and invoices

Everyone receives a financial assessment to understand any charges they may have to pay towards their care costs. Some people will be assessed to pay for all their care costs, some part of their care costs, and others will not have to pay towards their care costs.

The outcome of your financial assessment is based on national Care Act legislation and Manchester’s nonresidential Charging policy (Paying for support for adults and older people | Manchester City Council).

The financial assessment is the maximum weekly charge you will have to pay towards your care costs. You will receive statements every four weeks that show your charges over a period. The weekly charge will be based on your maximum charge and the amount we pay your provider for the care.

• If the cost of care drops below your maximum weekly charge, we will charge you the lower amount
• If the cost of care increases, we will not charge you more than your maximum weekly charge.

The cost of the care that we use to calculate care charges, is based on the planned time of any visit, and not the actual time spent. The only exception is when the carer needs to spend more time on your visit than planned.

If your needs change slightly (you need slightly less or slightly more time), your agency can refer you to the Manchester Local Care Organisation Trusted Assessor Model. This is a system that allows the home care agency to quickly and easily make a referral to increase or decrease your commissioned time depending on your circumstances.

8. What happens with my medication?

Unless it has been agreed in your care plan, carers will not be able to give you your medication. They will be able to help you open bottles and blister packs, if this is part of your plan.

If your care plan states that your carer can give you your medication, the carer will complete a ‘Medication Administration Record’ – this record will likely be completed digitally. Some home care agencies also keep a copy in the file in your home.

Medication will only be given if you have previously signed a consent form. This information is also used by doctors and paramedics if they are called out to you in an emergency.

If your GP has prescribed an additional, or a change in medication, please make your carer is aware of this so that the record can be updated.

9. What happens if I have an emergency situation?

In cases where a carer arrives at your home and you are in difficulty, the carer will immediately call the emergency services and will also contact your family so that they can accompany you to hospital and make sure that your property is secure. Home care carers are not able to accompany you to hospital.

Emergency contact details for your home care agency can be found in the folder the agency leaves in your home.

Carers follow Manchester City Council’s Adult Safeguarding Policy and statutory duties under the Care Act 2014. If they notice signs of harm, neglect, or abuse, they will immediately report this to their agency manager and the MLCO Safeguarding Team. The Council may involve your allocated social worker and, in serious cases, the police. All actions are taken in line with Manchester’s safeguarding procedures to protect you. Your safety and wellbeing are our highest priority.

10. Respecting each other

Your carers will treat you with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect and it is expected that you will also treat carers with respect. If you feel that you are not being treated appropriately, please contact your home care agency.

Your carers should also be able to carry out their job without fear of being insulted, shouted at, threatened with violence, or assault by service users or their relatives. If the carer feels that he/she is not treated appropriately, they will contact their manager to report this.

Carers will respect your cultural and religious beliefs, including dress codes, prayer times, and dietary needs. They will also take into account customs, traditions, and any personal preferences that are important to you, such as gender preferences for carers, observance of fasting periods, or specific communication styles.

Please inform your care provider of any requirements during your assessment or first visit so these can be included in your care plan and shared with all staff supporting you.

11. Carers Code of Conduct

Carers have a code of conduct they are expected to follow and are aware that they must not: accept gifts; financial inducements be made a beneficiary of a will obtain any other benefits from those they care for. Please do not be offended when carers refuse to accept any of these things from you.

12. How do I raise any concerns about the service I receive?

If you have any concerns or complaints regarding your care:

• Contact your home care agency in the first instance. Their contact details can be found in the file left in your home.
• If you feel you are unable to do this, or your concern is of a serious nature, then you should contact your social worker or social care assessor – their details will be shown on your ‘Support Plan’ in the file.
• If you cannot find their contact details, you can contact us in different ways: If you have any concerns or complaints regarding your care:
  Telephone: 0161 234 5001
  Email: mcsreply@manchester.gov.uk
  SMS Text: 07860 003160
  Sign-video: www.manchester.gov.uk/signvideo

Summary of terms you may hear related to your care and what they mean

Social Worker or Community Social Care Assessor – The person from the Council/Local Care Organisation social care team who has carried out your assessment of need with you, and who will work with you to make sure services continue to meet your needs.

Managed Account – Where the Council organise care on your behalf.

Care Quality Commission – The organisation who registers and inspects adult social care providers.

Home care Agency – The organisation who delivers your homecare.

Carer – Staff who work for the home care agency who will visit your home to help you carry out day-to-day tasks.

Time Band – The period of time in which a carer will aim to arrive at your home.

Care Package – The services that the carer will deliver in your home to help you carry out day to day tasks.

Electronic Call Monitoring (ECM) – The system that monitors how much time carers spend in your home on each visit.

Temporary Interruption to the Service – Time when you have an unplanned visit to hospital.

Extended Break – Instances when you know that you will not be at home for a period of time so do not need home care services eg going on holiday, accessing short break services.

Termination Notice – This is issued by the Council to the home care agency to stop you receiving home care services.

Financial Assessment – This will help you understand any financial charges that you may need to pay.

Medication Administration Record – List of all medication that the carer has helped you to take – this will only be completed if your care plan says that the carer can help you to take medication.

Trusted Assessor – The Trusted Assessor model is a system used to streamline care assessments. It allows trained and authorised staff – often from home care agencies – to carry out assessments to help ensure that care packages are right for people, using evidence such as Electronic Call Monitoring (ECM) data.

Digital Social Care Record (DSCR) – A Digital Social Care Record (DSCR) is an electronic system used to record, store, and share information about the care and support provided to individuals in adult social care settings. It replaces traditional paper records and enables real-time, secure access to care data by authorised professionals across health and social care.

NFC Tag – Near field communication (NFC) technology is used in the healthcare industry. This facilitates the secure exchange of data when positioned closely, typically within just a few centimetres. It will be used by carers to scan a barcode that records their arrival and departure time from your house.