CareAH helps you use your council Direct Payment budget to find CQC-registered home care agencies near you — with transparent pricing, GPS-verified visits and a full audit trail for your council.
Free for families · No registration required to search
A Direct Payment is money your local council pays directly to you (or your representative) so you can arrange your own social care, rather than letting the council choose your care for you. It gives you control over who provides your care, when it happens and how it is delivered.
You can use a Direct Payment to hire a CQC-registered home care agency to visit you at home. The council will ask you to keep records showing how you've spent the money — usually through bank statements and invoices from your agency.
In England, over 100,000 people receive Direct Payments each year. If you've been told you're eligible, CareAH makes it straightforward to find a suitable agency and stay on top of your council paperwork.
Everything you need to find good care and prove you're spending your budget correctly.
Every agency on CareAH is registered with the Care Quality Commission. Inadequate or deregistered agencies are automatically removed.
No phone haggling. Agencies submit their rate when bidding for your care. You see the cost clearly before committing — no surprises.
Every visit is GPS-timestamped at clock-in and clock-out. You receive a record of all delivered hours — your council evidence sorted automatically.
All reviews are tied to a real booking. You can trust what you read — no paid listings, no fake testimonials.
Three steps from postcode to booked care.
Search for CQC-registered home care agencies near you. Every agency on CareAH is verified against the Care Quality Commission register.
See transparent hourly rates, CQC ratings and real reviews from verified families. Submit one request and matched agencies respond directly to you.
Confirm your booking, and every visit is GPS-verified with timestamps. You get a complete record of delivered hours — exactly what your council needs.
Built-in council compliance
CareAH uses GPS clock-in and clock-out at every visit. Each confirmed visit generates a timestamped record you can use as evidence for your council's Direct Payment audit — no chasing invoices, no spreadsheets.
A Direct Payment is money your local council gives you directly to arrange your own social care, rather than the council arranging it for you. You use the money to hire a home care agency (or personal assistant) of your choice. You must keep records showing how the money was spent.
Yes. CareAH is ideal for Direct Payment recipients. You can search for CQC-registered agencies, compare their rates, book care and receive GPS-verified visit records — all of which help you account for your Direct Payment to your council.
CareAH automatically records every visit with GPS clock-in and clock-out times. After each visit you receive a record of delivered hours and the agreed rate. This gives you a clear, timestamped audit trail to show your council.
Yes. Using CareAH to find and manage home care is completely free for families and Direct Payment recipients. There are no sign-up fees or subscription charges.
You can pay through the platform — CareAH handles invoicing after GPS-verified delivery. Your agency receives their payment and you receive a receipt, making council reconciliation straightforward.
Your council's list may be out of date. CareAH pulls directly from the live CQC register so you'll always see current, active agencies. You can search for agencies your council approved — or find comparable alternatives nearby.
Enter your postcode to see CQC-registered home care agencies in your area. Free for families. No sign-up needed to search.
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