Introduction

Starting a domiciliary care business in the UK requires more than just a solid business plan and regulatory approval, it hinges on having a domiciliary care staffing plan in place. Staffing is one of the most crucial factors influencing the quality, safety, and sustainability of your service. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) in England, alongside regulators in Wales (CIW), Scotland (Care Inspectorate), and Northern Ireland (RQIA), all place staffing at the heart of their registration and inspection criteria.

In this 10-part staffing guide, we break down everything you need to know to build a compliant, capable, and compassionate home care team. Whether you’re launching your first care agency or looking to scale responsibly, understanding each key role, from front-line carers to your registered manager, is essential.

This guide covers recruitment essentials, role responsibilities, training requirements, legal checks like DBS and right to work, and how to manage rotas and retention. It’s tailored to meet CQC’s expectations while offering practical insight for businesses supporting private clients, local authority packages, or blended models.

By the end, you’ll be equipped with a clear staffing blueprint that balances compliance, quality, and growth.

Understanding CQC Staffing Requirements for Home Care Providers

In domiciliary care, your staff are your service. They represent your values, deliver regulated care, and directly influence how clients and inspectors view your business. Without the right team in place, even the best business model will struggle.

Staffing impacts every area of your operation:

CQC Compliance – Safe, effective care requires adequate numbers of qualified staff, in line with Regulation 18 (Staffing).
Client Safety – Well-trained carers ensure medication is administered correctly, safeguarding is upheld, and emergencies are handled appropriately.
Business Sustainability – Poor recruitment leads to high turnover, increased agency costs, and inconsistent service quality.
Reputation and Ratings – Consistency and compassion in care delivery directly influence your CQC inspection ratings and local word-of-mouth.

If you’re launching or expanding your home care business, you must treat staffing not as a one-off task, but as an ongoing strategic priority. That means developing a clear workforce plan covering:

Core staffing ratios
Compliance with legal checks
Role responsibilities and delegation
Induction and training
Staff retention strategies

Whether you’re aiming for private clients or local authority contracts, a stable, competent workforce is your most valuable asset. Get staffing right early, and you’ll have the foundation for long-term success.

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Key Roles in a Domiciliary Care Team – From Care Workers to Managers

Staffing impacts every area of your operation:

CQC Compliance – Safe, effective care requires adequate numbers of qualified staff, in line with Regulation 18 (Staffing).
Client Safety – Well-trained carers ensure medication is administered correctly, safeguarding is upheld, and emergencies are handled appropriately.
Business Sustainability – Poor recruitment leads to high turnover, increased agency costs, and inconsistent service quality.
Reputation and Ratings – Consistency and compassion in care delivery directly influence your CQC inspection ratings and local word-of-mouth.

If you’re launching or expanding your home care business, you must treat staffing not as a one-off task, but as an ongoing strategic priority. That means developing a clear workforce plan covering:

Core staffing ratios
Compliance with legal checks
Role responsibilities and delegation
Induction and training
Staff retention strategies

Nominated Individual and Registered Manager: Roles and Legal Responsibilities

Two of the most critical positions required to register and operate a domiciliary care business under the Care Quality Commission (CQC) are the Registered Manager and the Nominated Individual. Both roles are mandatory for most providers and play a central role in achieving compliance, leading the service, and responding to regulatory requirements.

Registered Manager

The Registered Manager is the person responsible for day-to-day oversight of regulated activities. They are legally accountable for the delivery of care and the effectiveness of the team. Key responsibilities include:

Providing leadership and supervision to the care team
Maintaining oversight of safeguarding, incidents, and complaints
Ensuring compliance with the Health and Social Care Act and CQC regulations
Implementing audits, training plans, and improvement actions
Upholding the five Key Questions: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive, and Well-led

The Registered Manager must demonstrate they are “fit and proper” under CQC rules, typically holding an appropriate care management qualification and experience leading a service.

Nominated Individual

The Nominated Individual represents the provider organisation to the CQC and ensures that the service complies with all regulatory duties. They are often a director, senior manager, or business owner. Responsibilities include:

Overseeing governance and compliance across the organisation
Ensuring the Registered Manager is properly supported
Acting as the main point of contact for the CQC at the provider level
Ensuring adequate staffing, training, and quality monitoring systems are in place

Both the Nominated Individual and Registered Manager must be clearly identified in your CQC application and demonstrate a good understanding of the legal duties of care provision.

DBS Checks and Safer Recruitment: Your Legal Obligations

Safe recruitment is a legal requirement under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and a core expectation of the Care Quality Commission (CQC). As a registered provider, you are responsible for ensuring that all staff are suitable to work with vulnerable individuals before they begin delivering care.

This includes completing robust pre-employment checks for every worker, whether employed, self-employed, or bank staff. At a minimum, you must carry out:

Enhanced DBS Checks (Adults and/or Children) – Ensure the correct level of check is completed based on the client group. Adult-only services require a check for adults’ barred list; children’s services need a children’s barred list check.
Right to Work in the UK – Employers must retain evidence of a valid passport, visa, or immigration status.
Work History and References – At least two references, covering a minimum of three years of employment history. Any gaps should be clearly explained.
Proof of Identity – Confirm using government-issued documents such as passport, birth certificate, or driving licence.
Fitness to Work – Health declarations, including any physical or mental health concerns that could affect care delivery.

CQC Regulation 19 requires providers to follow safer recruitment practices not only during hiring but also throughout employment. This includes repeating DBS checks every three years, maintaining updated training records, and auditing recruitment files regularly.

Essential Training for Domiciliary Care Staff (Mandatory and Best Practice)

All domiciliary care providers must ensure that staff are trained to deliver safe, competent, and person-centred care. While some training is mandatory under CQC regulations, other areas are considered best practice and help providers exceed compliance standards.

Mandatory Training

At minimum, the following courses are expected for all care staff:

Manual Handling / Moving and Handling
Basic Life Support and First Aid
Medication Awareness
Safeguarding Adults (and Children if applicable)
Health and Safety, including Infection Control
Fire Safety
Food Hygiene
Dementia Awareness (where relevant)

These courses should be refreshed regularly – most annually – and documented clearly in each staff member’s file. Providers must keep evidence of completed training and monitor expiry dates.

The Care Certificate

The Care Certificate is the recognised national standard for induction training in social care. While not legally required, the CQC expects new care workers to complete it as part of their onboarding.

It includes 15 standards covering everything from person-centred care and communication to safeguarding and privacy. This sets a consistent baseline of knowledge across your workforce.

Best Practice Additions

Additional training may be required based on your service type or client group. Examples include:

PEG feeding
Catheter care
Learning disabilities awareness
Autism training
End-of-life care

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Building a Recruitment Process: Attracting and Selecting the Right Staff

Recruiting care staff in today’s climate is a serious challenge. High demand, limited local pools of experienced candidates, and competition from other providers mean that having a defined recruitment process is no longer optional – it’s essential for business stability.

Start by clarifying your offer to candidates:

What sets your agency apart (culture, flexibility, career path)?
Do you offer guaranteed hours or mileage reimbursement?
What training, support, or progression do you provide?

Then build your recruitment process:

Job Advertising – Use local job boards, social media, Indeed, and your own website. Be clear about role expectations, hours, and pay.
Applicant Screening – Use phone or video screening to assess communication, attitude, and availability early.
Structured Interviews – Ask situational questions and test understanding of care values (e.g. dignity, respect, person-centredness).
Conditional Offers – Clearly outline next steps including reference checks, DBS, and start date expectations.

Tip: Consider attending job fairs or working with local colleges offering Health & Social Care diplomas. These relationships can generate long-term recruitment leads and show commitment to local workforce development.

Writing Job Descriptions That Meet CQC and Operational Needs

Job descriptions aren’t just HR admin – they’re a foundation for both compliance and performance. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) expects all staff to have clear role definitions that align with the responsibilities they are given. This helps ensure safe delegation, adequate supervision, and accountability across your team.

Every role in your domiciliary care business should have a job description that covers:

Job title and reporting lines – Who they report to, and whether they supervise others
Purpose of the role – Clear summary of what the role is meant to achieve
Key duties and responsibilities – Grouped logically (e.g. personal care, medication, record keeping)
Person specification – Required skills, qualifications, and behaviours
Safeguarding and regulatory expectations – Including adherence to policies and values

Avoid vague phrases such as “assist as required” – instead, describe actions, frequencies, and expectations. This supports care planning, supervision, and performance reviews.

Tip: Use your job descriptions to guide your induction and supervision plans. CQC inspectors often ask staff to explain their role – make sure their answer aligns with what’s on paper.

Staff Scheduling and Rota Management: Tools and Tips for Efficiency

Effective rota management is essential to delivering safe, person-centred care. Without proper scheduling, care visits can be missed, staff can become overworked, and your service may breach CQC’s expectations for continuity and reliability.

Key Principles for Rota Management

Match staff to client needs – Consider continuity, client preferences, and complexity of care
Ensure sufficient rest – Comply with Working Time Regulations, including breaks and weekly limits
Balance staff availability – Take into account contracted hours, travel time, and requested leave
Communicate early – Share rotas at least one week in advance where possible
Plan for gaps – Build in cover arrangements for sickness or no-shows

Tools That Can Help

Using digital systems improves reliability and saves time. Many providers use software like:

CarePlanner
StaffPlan
PeoplePlanner
Access Care Planning
Log my Care or Birdie (for small providers)

These platforms support live updates, alerting, mileage tracking, and even payroll integration.

Tip: CQC often looks for evidence of how you ensure consistency in staff-client matching. Good rota software, backed by thoughtful scheduling, helps demonstrate this clearly.

Retaining Quality Care Staff: Strategies to Reduce Turnover

High staff turnover is a persistent issue across the UK care sector, with many domiciliary care providers struggling to retain even experienced workers. Investing in staff retention doesn’t just improve morale – it boosts care quality, reduces recruitment costs, and supports a consistent client experience.

Understand Why Staff Leave

Before you can improve retention, it’s important to identify key causes of attrition. Common reasons include:

Low pay or unpredictable hours
Lack of recognition or progression opportunities
Poor work-life balance or excessive travel
Inadequate support or supervision
Burnout or physical strain

Practical Retention Strategies

To keep your best carers, consider:

Guaranteed hours contracts – Offer stability where possible
Regular 1-to-1s – Use supervision sessions to support wellbeing and development
Clear progression paths – Outline how staff can grow into senior or specialist roles
Recognition schemes – Celebrate good practice and loyalty
Flexibility and consistency – Give carers predictable schedules and rota input

Tip: Exit interviews and anonymous surveys can give you valuable feedback to improve your culture and reduce preventable loss.

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Conclusion

Delivering high-quality domiciliary care begins with a well-structured, legally compliant, and supported team. From selecting the right Registered Manager and Nominated Individual to developing robust recruitment and retention practices, your staffing approach is key to building a safe and sustainable business.

By following the guidance in this 10-part staffing guide, you’ll not only meet CQC expectations but also create a workplace that attracts and keeps committed care professionals. Consistency in staff leads to consistency in care – and that’s what sets the best providers apart.

If you’re unsure where to start or need help with any stage of your staffing plan, our team is here to support you.

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