Homecare Check - Annual Report 2024-25 (January 2026)
On behalf of Brighton & Hove City Council, Healthwatch Brighton and Hove volunteers regularly interview residents who have homecare services provided by independent companies, but that are paid for - fully or partly - by the council.
Residents may be living in their own home, private or council rented accommodation, or private or council senior housing venues with extra care facilities on site. Throughout the report we refer to those receiving home care as Service Users or SU’s.
The volunteers ask those receiving care about the quality of service they receive from their homecare provider. We report our findings to the council so they can share them with the care providers and assess the quality and safety of services being provided.
For this report, we have taken the interviews from 211 people receiving care from 9 different providers that were assessed between June 2024 to July 2025. Two of the providers were delivering services in Extra Care facilities – senior housing venues which have care staff on site - which is reflected in some of the responses and comments.
Common themes
Although there can be a variability of service within and across providers, there are a number of common themes.
- Care workers are greatly valued, but there can often be a considerable variation in opinion, often with the same provider. The regular core team is generally rated higher than those that cover evenings/weekends and staff holiday/absences (especially newer employees).
- The relationship with the office team and managers is less positive, with fewer service users knowing who is in charge or who they can speak to about their care. This is reflected in how they feel about when their complaints are dealt with.
- The majority of service users find the support they receive from their care provider is very useful and meets their needs. Though fewer feel that they are listened to when decisions are made about their care.
- Many service users do not get a regular rota and are often not told when there are changes to their planned care, which can be very frustrating for them.
- Some service users suggested that carers being trained to prepare food during the visit would be welcomed and in consideration of specific needs such as diabetes.
Council Response
“Brighton & Hove City Council thanks Healthwatch and the Home Care Check Service for producing this report and for supporting efforts to improve home care and extra care services. Feedback from people using these services is essential in shaping quality and ensuring provision meets residents’ needs.
The council continues to work with providers to make improvements based on individual feedback and wider themes identified across the city. While it is positive that most people are satisfied with their care, we remain committed to addressing areas for development and ensuring people have choice and control over how their outcomes are achieved.”
Claire Rowland
Commissioning and Performance Manager - Home Care and Extra Care - Homes and Adult Social Care
Brighton & Hove City Council
Experiences of being a volunteer on the homecare check service:
“Visiting people to talk about their experiences of the care they receive at home is a real eye-opener and it is also tremendously rewarding. It makes you aware of the many challenges people face and how care givers can really make a difference to their well-being. It also allows people to share any concerns they have, and you realise that even small changes in their care arrangements can make a big difference to them. Part of the work of a volunteer is feeding back such issues to care provider organisations, via the Healthwatch core team, who are then able to act upon these.
I think the other important aspect of volunteer home visits is the opportunity to engage more informally with people and enjoy a ‘bit of a chat’ with them. I have been enthralled by the many stories I have heard from people about the fascinating lives they have led!”
Conor Sheehan, Lay Assessor Volunteer
Downloads
You can download the full and summary reports here, and below, you can watch a video by Jessica Harper, Business & Development Manager (HASC) at B&H City Council, explaining why and how the Homecare Check Service was designed and put in place.
