Setting up a Health care Agency!!

Kaybenson

Hello Folks,

I am planning to form an agency recruiting care assistance for homes. I will need advice from guys who have set up a similar company.

Is there any need to register with government body?

Any other advise will be appreciated.

Cheers

jexygirl

What happened to exporting DAF trucks?
Anyhoo, firstly, do you have any experience in the care field at all?
Jex

Kaybenson

jexygirl wrote: »

1) What happened to exporting DAF trucks?
Anyhoo, firstly,

2) do you have any experience in the care field at all?
Jex

1) Still ongoing

2) My Business patner is a Manager in a home.

Savvy_Sue

Let's hope that you'd be required to register with the Care Quality Commission, or that they would know who you do need to register with.

You will also have to comply with all the legislation relating to recruitment agencies. And then be completely on top of all the legislation (about to change) relating to employing and placing agency staff. I have no idea where you'd start with that.

And just a tip from my experience of setting up out of school clubs: if parents already had good childcare arrangements, they were unlikely to ditch them in favour of a completely new and untried service. Same with agencies: if a home already has a good relationship with a reliable agency, why would they stop using that agency in favour of yours?

Good luck, I think you'll need it ... it's a minefield, margins are cut-throat.

jexygirl

Then your buisness partner will be more than aware of all the legislation /training required of the carers and related costs of that training /the record keeping necessary etc. etc.

There is an awful lot to ensure you comply with when offering care, and also dependant on whether you only want to supply a pair of hands to care homes, (unlikely as a buisness model because the home can pay £50 for an ad in the local paper for casual "as and when required" people that they pay minimum wage so are less likely to pay an agency fee unless forced) or supply good people to private home care / provide live in carers / companions / domestic help /totally reliant care / cooking and shopping duties as part of light caring etc. Most agencies offer all these different types of care, as well as qualified nurses available for a variety of work from twice daily visits to palliative live in.

Some people want someone 2 hours of a morning 7-9 to help wash dress cook brekkie and a quick tidy, then back at night to cook tea, undress, wash and help to bed - 4 hours but alot of tooing and frowing and they want the same person every day - or max 2, so days off are covered. Caring is a very personal thing.

This area is saturated with agencies who NEVER let a client down, and the reputation is built on it.
The 2 nursing agencies I am registered with (have to do so many hours a year to stay registered) - all the consultants there are qualified nurses - similarly the chef agency I use for here occasionally, all the admins there are also ex chefs.

The agencies - perhaps due to experience, always send me on jobs which suit me - similarly - send me chefs that suit - because they know what questions to ask and how things work, and also know their books and the people on them - they can also, if they have to, cover shifts themselves.

To build a reputation, you need to know what you are talking about, the right questions to ask and answers to give.

In this or any agency field ALWAYS deliver if you say you will - if someone says yes they will cover a shift, then throws a sicky last minute, be prepared to drop your plans and go yourself rather than let a client down (trust me, a few years of buisness exp have proved that no matter how many casual or full/part time staff you have, you will not have enough on the one shift you REALLY need covered so have to work it yourself)

I am not saying you need to be qualified in the area - but I would advise at least some experience - and with regard to your buisness partner, if they are managing a home, how much time will they actually be able to spend being a partner?


With regard to the agency a quick google brings up:
http://origin-www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2002/3214/contents/made

hth
Jex

Kaybenson

Thanks for your time in writing the piece.

I have contacted the care commission, they pointed me to a particular file on the website which i have down loaded.

The Patner even suggest a franchise to start with. Well... i will keep all options opened.

many thanks.

Kaybenson

Thanks everyone.