You think your mum’s carer arrives at 8am every weekday. The rota says so. Mum tells you the carer “came round earlier” but she’s not always sure of times. You’re an hour’s drive away. Did the visit actually happen at 8am, or 8:45am, or not at all?
This guide is for adult children, partners, and other relatives who want to know — practically and without confrontation — whether home-care visits are happening as scheduled. There are six things you can do, ordered roughly from least to most reliable.
1. Ask the agency for the visit log
Most UK domiciliary care agencies record visits electronically. Carers either tap in and out on their phone, scan a tag at the property, or log times in an agency app. You can ask for the visit log — typically weekly — covering your relative.
What to ask for, in plain language: “Could I get a copy of Mum’s visit log for the last two weeks, showing the carer’s arrival and departure times?”
You’re entitled to ask. Care providers are required to keep accurate records of every visit as part of CQC compliance. If the agency replies that they don’t have one, or it’ll take weeks, that itself is information — most decent providers can email a CSV or PDF the same day.
What to look for in the log:
- Were the times within the planned visit window? Most rotas allow ±15 minutes flexibility.
- Are there visits where the carer logged in but didn’t log out? That’s a red flag for record-keeping.
- Are there missing visits? Cross-reference against the planned rota.
- Are there long visits or short ones that don’t match the planned duration?
2. Look at the carer’s daily notes
Carers usually leave handwritten notes in the home — typically a notebook in the kitchen or by the front door. The notes record what was done, when, and any concerns. They’re meant to be a continuous record across visits.
Three things to check:
- Are the times legible and consistent? “8am Tues” written in someone’s handwriting can be filled in after the fact, but a complete daily run with arrival and departure times suggests a carer who’s recording honestly.
- Are there visits the agency claims but the book doesn’t show? Or vice versa?
- Does the signature pattern match the rota? If one carer’s signature appears on every visit but the rota shows three different people, that’s worth a quiet conversation with the agency.
The notebook isn’t proof — it’s a private informal record — but it’s a useful cross-check against the agency’s log.
3. Ask your relative
Your relative may not know exact times, but they often know patterns. “She came twice today, both quick.” “He didn’t come this morning, only this afternoon.” “I had to wait until lunchtime.”
Two practical tips for asking without sounding like you’re investigating:
- Make it part of a normal conversation, not a phone call made specifically to check. “Did you have a good day? How was the carer?”
- If your relative has cognitive issues, anchor questions to something concrete: a meal, a TV show, a phone call. “Was the carer here before EastEnders or after?”
This won’t give you minute-level accuracy but it’ll usually tell you within the hour whether someone visited.
4. Use a video doorbell
Many families use a video doorbell (Ring, Nest, or similar) to confirm someone arrived. It’s less intrusive than a camera inside the property, and most carers expect doorbell cameras at the front door.
What this gives you:
- Timestamped video of arrival and departure
- Independent confirmation that a person came
What it doesn’t give you:
- What the carer did during the visit
- Cover at side doors, back doors, or carers who let themselves in via key safe
It’s also worth knowing that some agencies are uncomfortable with cameras pointed at carers — even at front doors. The Information Commissioner’s Office generally allows residential video doorbells provided they’re recording your own property and not the public footpath. If you go this route, tell the agency you’ve installed one. It removes friction and is the kind of thing a good agency expects.
5. Use a real-time check-in system
The most reliable option is a system that records when carers arrive and leave at the moment it happens, with timestamps you can rely on.
How these typically work:
- The carer scans a QR code or taps a tag on arrival, then again when they leave
- The system records the exact time
- The family (or the agency) sees it in real time on a dashboard
- Many systems also send a daily summary email so you don’t have to log in to check
This is what your agency may already use behind the scenes. The difference with a system designed to include the family is that the family can see it too — and get notified.
6. If you’re still not sure: raise it formally
If you’ve done some or all of the above and the picture still doesn’t add up — visits seem to be missed, times don’t match, your relative reports things the records contradict — there are formal routes:
- First, raise it with the registered manager of the agency (not just the duty office). Put your concern in writing — an email is fine — and ask for a written reply within a defined time. A fortnight is reasonable.
- If unsatisfied, complain formally. Every CQC-registered care provider must have a published complaints procedure. Ask for it if you haven’t seen it.
- If still unresolved and the council commissioned the care: complain to the council’s adult social care team. If they don’t resolve it, escalate to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
- If you suspect safeguarding concerns (neglect, deliberate harm, financial abuse): contact the council’s adult safeguarding team directly. This is more serious than a complaint and follows a different procedure.
You can also tell the Care Quality Commission. CQC doesn’t investigate individual complaints, but it takes “share your experience” reports as inspection intelligence — your information feeds into the next inspection of that provider.
A practical first step this week
If you’re reading this because you’re worried right now, do one thing this week:
Email the agency’s registered manager. Ask for your relative’s visit log for the last two weeks, with carer attendance times. Most decent providers will send it by close of business the next day. The response itself — speed, completeness, tone — tells you a lot about how the agency is run.
If the log is fine and matches your other observations, that’s reassuring. If it has gaps, raise them clearly and ask for an explanation. If the agency can’t or won’t produce one at all, you have a problem worth escalating.
Questions or corrections about this guide are welcome. Email john@myfamilycare.app — a real person reads every one.