Home & Visiting Care

Home Care

Flexible Home Care That Fits Around You

Our visiting home care gives you as much or as little support as you need, from a single 30-minute call to several visits a day. Whether it's help getting up in the morning, a check-in at lunch or support at bedtime, our Care Professionals fit around your routine.

Visiting care is ideal for staying independent at home while getting a helping hand with the things that have become harder, delivered by the same friendly, familiar faces wherever possible.

How We Can Help

• ✓Personal care, washing & dressing
• ✓Medication reminders
• ✓Meal preparation
• ✓Companionship & outings
• ✓Shopping & errands
• ✓Getting up & going to bed

From short daily visits to more intensive packages, we build a flexible schedule around you. Every Care Professional is vetted, trained and supported by our local team, with 24/7 back-up so you're never left without cover.

What Actually Happens During a Visit

A visit is not a rushed tick-list. It follows a written care plan that says exactly what help is needed and how the person prefers it done. A morning call typically covers helping someone out of bed safely, washing or showering, dressing, continence support, prompting medication, making breakfast and leaving a drink within reach. A lunchtime call might be a hot meal, a medication prompt and a check that things are as they should be. An evening call helps with supper, changing for bed and settling down safely.

Alongside the practical tasks, a good Care Professional notices things: a fuller pill box than expected, a slip in appetite, new bruising, a change in mood or confusion. Flagging those early is one of the quiet ways visiting care prevents a hospital admission.

Choosing the Right Visit Pattern

Most families start small and build up. A single 30-minute call a day suits someone who mainly needs help getting started in the morning or a reliable medication prompt. Two or three calls a day suit people who need help at set points but manage in between. Longer visits of an hour or more work better where there is personal care, a meal to cook and time to sit and talk, because half an hour rarely stretches that far.

It is worth being honest about the limits. Between calls, nobody is there. If someone is falling regularly, becoming distressed in the evenings, or needs help at unpredictable times, adding more short visits often is not the answer. That is usually the point at which live-in care or overnight support becomes the safer option, and we will say so rather than sell you more calls.

How We Set It Up, and How Quickly

We begin with a conversation about what has changed and what you are hoping for. An assessment then covers health conditions and medication, mobility and falls risk, how the person manages washing, dressing and eating, their routine and preferences, diet, faith, pets, key access to the property and who else is involved, from family to GPs and district nurses. From that we write a personalised care plan, agree the visit times and introduce the Care Professional. Visiting care can often start within 24 to 48 hours, including after a hospital discharge, and our consultants are contactable around the clock.

Continuity, Vetting and Cover

Continuity is what makes visiting care feel personal rather than transactional, so we aim to send the same small team of familiar faces. Everyone is checked before they are placed, with an enhanced DBS check, identity and right-to-work verification and references, followed by induction, ongoing training and supervision. If a Care Professional is unwell or delayed, our team arranges cover and lets you know, and any replacement is briefed on the care plan before they arrive. Protocol Healthcare Services Ltd has arranged care and staffing since 2016, is an FSB member and is REC affiliated. In England, services providing personal care at home must be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC); in Wales it is CIW, in Scotland the Care Inspectorate and in Northern Ireland the RQIA. Ask any provider, including us, where they stand on the register.

When Needs Change

Care plans are reviewed regularly and whenever something shifts. Visits can be added, lengthened, moved or reduced, and we can bring in an NMC-registered nurse where a clinical task such as wound or catheter care is needed. Many families step visits up temporarily after an illness and back down again afterwards.

Paying for Visiting Care

We quote on an individual basis rather than publishing a rate, because the cost depends on the number, length and timing of visits and the level of support. Anyone can ask their council for a free care needs assessment, whatever their income. In England, a financial assessment then applies the Care Act 2014 capital thresholds of £23,250 (upper) and £14,250 (lower), and the value of the home you live in is not counted while you receive care there. Where needs are primarily health-related, NHS Continuing Healthcare is fully funded and not means tested. Our paying for care page explains the routes.

Read More

• ✓The complete guide to home care in the UK →
• ✓Paying for care: assessments and benefits →
• ✓Check the areas we cover →

Not sure visiting care is the right fit? Compare it with respite care and dementia and specialist care, or get in touch for a free chat.