Launching a Domiciliary Care Agency
                     LAUNCHING A 
DOMICILIARY CARE 
AGENCY
Building a new care business is really a daunting task, and there are various things to consider to ensure that you’re 
getting it correct. With the added burden of CQC registration, building your vision needs you to consider different 
factors. In our April blog post, Care Agency Media have outlined where to begin with establishing your business and 
what things to consider to ensure a smooth process.
According to King’s Fund, between 2019 and 2020, 838,530 adults received funded long-term social care, primarily 
within their own homes and nursing homes. These figures demonstrate how essential domiciliary care is in the care 
market.
Upon starting your business, it’s essential to have the proper policies and procedures in place to make sure that you 
successfully register with the regulator and that you can pass inspections. This pertains to the Care Inspectorate in 
Scotland and the Care Inspectorate in Wales, as it does for the CQC policies and procedures in England. This blog 
post outlines the fundamentals you should consider when approaching your business.
Registration
Before offering a care service in England, you need to register with the cqc domiciliary care. Under the 2008 Social 
and Health Care Act you must register your organization and he average person who will act as your Registered 
Manager. This is often yourself if you have the relevant qualifications and so are not employing or working in a 
partnership with someone else who will fulfil those requirements.
You can begin your registration with the CQC at Register as a new| Care Quality Commission.
Qualifications and Training
The CQC states that ‘care providers show that they comply with the relevant regulations covering staff competence 
and training’.
All care staff must have completed the Care Certificate that applies to the adult social care sector, and these standards 
should be met by you within 12 weeks of commencing employment.
Registered Manager
Beyond the Care Certificate, certain roles require specific qualifications to be in place before you can provide care. 
The person responsible for this is the Registered Manager, and they are an important aspect of your business. When 
recruiting a Registered Manager, you must ensure that they maintain the relevant experience and skills required 
before providing a care service. This is a fundamental role within your establishment and one that the CQC shall 
analyses from the registration stage.
Responsible Individual 
The role of the Responsible Individual is a key management position. The post holder must demonstrate they 
possess all the experience and skills required to oversee a care business. This isn’t necessarily a position in which the 
post holder provides care. It's quite common for the same person to perform as the Registered Manager and the 
Responsible Individual in a start-up business. In this circumstance, all of the above requirements for the Registered 
Manager apply.

Funding
Ensuring an adequate cash flow for your business could be problematic in the start-up stage. Winning tenders is 
likely to be a significant element in securing the income you require, and understanding the process is one of the 
keys achievements. Once a tender is advertised, you need to register your expression of interest with the tendering 
body. Succeeding this is a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) sent to you with a deadline for completion and 
return. The shortlist of providers is established from the submitted PQQs. If you make the shortlist successfully, you 
can tender to provide a service officially.
Employing Staff
Successfully running a domiciliary care agency could be an extremely challenging task. The logistics of providing 
care in multiple locations on recruiting suitably qualified and experienced staff rely. You should be certain of the 
required experience and qualifications when sourcing suitable candidates. It’s important to consider background 
checks with the DBS also, where to advertise for positions, which agency to use, and how exactly to conduct an 
interview.
When establishing your domiciliary care agency, you should consider factors outlined in this blog. Below is a 
checklist you can use to remain mindful of the key factors to consider to ensure your business is compliant and 
successful. 
Checklist:
• Register with the CQC, Care Inspectorate or CIW – both your agency and the Registered Manager
• Marketing,
• Setting up your business,
• Insurance,
• Marketing,
• Tendering,
• Recruitment and Training,
• Pay and VAT,
• DBS,
• Company registration, 
• Funding.
 
At Care Agency Media, we are committed to assisting you build your business stress-free. One of the most 
stressful factors of running a social care company is dealing with the CQC. We offer support with:
 Registration  
 CQC Pre-Inspection Audits 
 CQC Awareness and Service Development Training 
 Registered Manager Awareness Training 
 CQC Compliance Workshops
At Care Agency Media, we provide our clients with the tools and the resources they need to start and run 
a successful domiciliary care company. We research and come up with a suitable concept specific to your 
business, which we share with you and if you are not happy with the concept, we will provide further 
concepts based on your feedback and input.