Setting Up a Domiciliary Care Agency

Setting up a domiciliary care company

When it comes to setting up a business, it’s always going to be an overwhelming and stressful time. When
the business is focused on caring for some of our most vulnerable citizens, it can make the process much more difficult.

Registering a domiciliary care agency

Before you offer any care services in England, it is a legal requirement under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 to register both your organisation, and the individual who will be your Registered Manager, with the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

The key elements of registration are:

1. Apply for a CQC countersigned DBS (Disclosure Barring Service) check, so you can lawfully work with vulnerable adults. This is the very first action which you must undertake and can take up to eight weeks to receive back. The DBS check needs to be carried out for:

• Individuals registering to provide a care service
• All partners (if there are any)
• Registered Manager

2. References

3. A letter from a financial specialist with the application confirming you have the financial resources to provide the services you are applying for.
4. A substantial Statement of Purpose, including details of your services, contact details and your aims. The CQC offers guidance for your Statement of Purpose.

See a checklist for registration on the CQC website

Setting up your care business insurance

When you reach out to get a quote as a start up business within the care sector, we will ask for some key pieces of information and documents, before we can speak to our insurer to get you the best terms.

This may seem counterintuitive, as you want to have an insurance quote to be able to start your journey, but
we need to know more about the business we may be insuring.

To do this, as well as a completed proposal form, we also require:

• Your business plan
• Your three-year financial projection
• Your registered managers CV
• Your statement of purpose

Use a domiciliary care legal hub

Towergate are here to help protect your business and as part of our domiciliary care policies, we provide access to a business hub, your very own legal information portal which delivers up-to-date legal information and a wide range of legal precedents that you can fully tailor to suit your business needs, helping reduce your reliance on expensive solicitors for legal advice as your business gets up and running.

With over 40 years of experience working within the care sector, we are the experts when it comes to
understanding exactly what is required when starting a business within the sector, because we’ve been
there and know what it takes.

Talk to domiciliary care experts

Once you send us all the relevant documents, one of our team of dedicated care insurance specialists will
be in touch to discuss your requirements further. This will include a short review so we can understand your unique business needs and it also presents you with a chance to ask any questions that you may have regarding insurance and risk management.

Following this, we will be able to approach our insurer, who will produce a quote unique to your business that includes the cover requirements discussed, ensuring you are protected for the right amount with the right policy.

Confirm you have the right domiciliary care cover for your needs

It is essential that once you receive your domiciliary care quote from us, you understand each section and are happy that the policy meets your needs. Our team are available to discuss this further, should you need any advice or clarification.

Along with your quote, you will receive your policy wording, which should be kept and saved in a safe place. Once you confirm with us that you are happy, we will start the policy on a date that suits you.

All our quotes are valid for 30 days, so should you get in touch with us to agree to the terms outside of this timeline, we will have to speak to our insurer again, meaning we will need a few days to get an up-to-date quote back over to you.

Once you have insurance in place, you are ready to trade!

Domiciliary care insurance from Towergate

As standard, Towergate’s domiciliary care insurance covers includes:

• Property - contents
• Computer breakdown
• Increase in cost of working following business interruption
• Loss of registration (up to £100,000)
• Employers liability, public and products liability
• Malpractice
• Fidelity guarantee (up to £25,000)
• Directors and officers
• Legal expenses
• PR crisis management

Get a domiciliary care insurance quote online page, call us on 0330 123 5342 or request a callback at newcare@towergate.co.uk.

Care home insurance from Towergate

We can also provide cover for care homes. See our care home insurance page, call us on 01438 739280 or request a callback at newcare@towergate.co.uk.

Recruitment agency insurance from Towergate

We can also arrange insurance for recruitment agencies, covering a range of professions, including care
home workers, domiciliary carers as well as supply staff in hospitals, nursing homes and care homes.

About the author

Carolyn Baker-Mellor is a respected industry leader with over 35 years' experience within the care insurance sector. She works across a wide spectrum of insurance product and policy development, delivery and optimisation for care industry clients, including managing global corporate accounts, working closely with trade associations, and helping clients in protecting their businesses and personal assets. Her areas of expertise within the sector include care homes, nurseries, domiciliary care, hospices and charities.

Carolyn currently works at Towergate as Head of Care Insurance. Towergate is the UK’s leading independent insurance broking platform and forms part of the Ardonagh Group, an international network of over 100 offices and 7,000 people which incorporates leading brands in both Lloyd’s of London and global markets.

She previously worked for 10 years at Aon as a director, client services leader and assistant director for claims.

 

This is a marketing article by Towergate Insurance.

Sources:

1: De Silva D. Helping people help themselves. London: The Health Foundation, May 2011, www.health.org.uk/publications/evidence-helping-people-help-themselves

2: De Silva D. Helping people help themselves. London: The Health Foundation, May 2011, www.health.org.uk/publications/evidence-helping-people-help-themselves