Care at home
Personal care at home
Hands-on help with washing, dressing, medication and the rest of daily life, given with dignity and without fuss. Available to anyone who needs it.
- Available to everyone, no referral needed
- Registered with and inspected by the Care Quality Commission
- Visits from one hour up to twenty-four hours a day
Working in partnership with the NHS
Regulated by the Care Quality Commission. See our rating and the full inspection report.
What personal care covers
This is the part of care people find hardest to ask for. It is also the part our carers are trained to make feel ordinary rather than awkward.
The mix below is a starting point. We will talk it through at a free home visit, and nothing is agreed until you are happy with it.
Asking is the hard part
Most people put this off longer than they need to. A conversation costs nothing and does not commit you to anything.
Support we can help with
- Help washing, bathing and showering
- Dressing and undressing, at their own pace
- Support with medication
- Help using the toilet and with continence
- Meals, drinks and staying hydrated
- Help with mobility around the home
- Getting up in the morning and settling at night
- Physical disabilities, challenging behaviour and associated mental health needs
How we try to work
Personal care done badly takes someone’s dignity with it. These are the habits our carers are asked to hold to.
What helps
- Doing only the parts someone cannot manage themselves
- Explaining before doing, every time
- Keeping the same faces where the rota allows
- Privacy, doors closed, no audience
- Working at their pace, not the clock's
What does not
- Taking over because it is quicker
- Talking over someone while helping them
- Treating a routine as a task list
- Changing how something is done without saying why
- Assuming a bad day means more help is wanted
How care starts
You get in touch
Call us, or ask a social worker or discharge team to. Tell us as much or as little as you like.
A free home visit
We come out to understand what is needed, at no cost and with no obligation.
Agreeing the goals
What a good week looks like, and what matters most to the person.
Support begins
We introduce the team, and the plan is reviewed as things change.
Questions families ask us
Do I need a referral for personal care?
No. Personal care is available to anyone who needs it, whether you arrange it yourself or a social worker does. Just ring us.
Can I have personal care as well as other support?
Yes, and most people do. Personal care sits alongside enablement, night cover, dementia support or anything else in the plan.
Will it be the same carer each time?
We keep to the same faces as far as the rota allows, because familiarity matters a great deal with this kind of support. We will be honest with you about what we can promise.
Can you help with continence and toileting?
Yes. It is a normal part of personal care and our carers are trained for it. Please do not let embarrassment stop you asking.
What areas do you cover?
Plymouth, Torbay, Newton Abbot and Teignmouth, plus the surrounding towns and villages. If you are not sure whether we reach you, just ask.
What will it cost?
Support is priced by what is actually needed, so there is no single figure we can honestly put on this page. Where a council or the NHS is arranging the support, the funding routes are set out on our care costs page.
Which kind of support is this?
Personal care
Hands-on help with washing, dressing, medication and the rest of daily life.
Open to anyone. No referral needed, just ring us.
Enablement
Keeping hold of independence and building it back, for as long as it helps.
Open to anyone. Not an add-on and not time-limited.
Reablement
Short-term, goal-based support to get back on your feet after illness, a fall or hospital.
Commissioned. Arranged through a social worker or discharge team.
Could you do this work? We are recruiting carers across Devon, and no experience is needed to start.
Ready to talk about personal care?
There is no pressure and no obligation. Just an honest conversation about what would help.