Choosing a residential home or supported care

There is a lot to consider when choosing a home or supported living placement. Issues such as standards of care and support, quality of life and peace of mind play a huge part in the decision.

This can be a stressful time. However your social worker or care manager will be able to help you make your decision.

Where do you start?

Ask around. Get a feel for what’s available from friends or your care team. People will often have experiences of residential homes or supported living that they can share with you.

A personal recommendation is a very good place to start. If you are a member of a church, social group or have contacts with local support groups perhaps someone will be able to recommend a suitable option.

Ask the professionals. Speak to your Doctor. What do they think about the local homes? What would they recommend?

Your social worker will be able to give you a list of all the homes registered in your area.

The Inspection Reports

Once you have a short list of options you are interested in you might find it useful to get hold of the most recent inspection report. These are independent reports that are produced by the authorities that are responsible for regulating care. You can find copies of the inspection reports on the relevant website.

In England it is the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI). Their web site is http://www.csci.org.uk

In Wales it is the Care Standards Inspectorate for Wales. Their web site is http://www.csiw.wales.gov.uk

In Scotland the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care at http://www.carecommission.com

The Mental Health Act Commission is responsible for keeping under review the implementation of the Mental Health Act 1983 as it relates to patients who are detained or are liable to be detained www.mhac.org.uk

The Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection have a statutory duty to assess the performance of healthcare organisations, award annual performance ratings for the NHS and coordinate reviews of healthcare by others. www.healthcarecommission.org.uk

Choosing the right home

If you are paying for the home yourself you can choose any care facility you want. If the local authority is paying part of your fees it doesn’t mean you have to go into a local authority home.

You can request any home that accepts service users funded by the local authority. If the home is more expensive than the local authority would normally pay you are allowed to “top up”. The top up would be paid by a third party source such as a friend, relative or Benevolent Fund.

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