Domiciliary Care (Home Care)
Overview
Domiciliary care services are commissioned by local authorities to support adults to live safely and independently in their own homes.
These services are typically commissioned through Dynamic Purchasing Systems (DPSs), Frameworks, and call-off contracts, rather than informal arrangements.
Once approved, providers may be invited to deliver care packages under agreed terms and rates.
Domiciliary care contracts can cover long-term provision, spot purchasing, or specific service models, depending on local authority needs.
Most Commonly Suitable For
Domiciliary care contracts are commonly delivered by:
- CQC-registered home care agencies
- Personal care providers supporting older adults
- Home care providers supporting adults with disabilities
- Providers delivering reablement or short-term support
- Community-based care organisations
- Providers supporting hospital discharge or step-down care
- Organisations delivering medication support and monitoring
- Care agencies expanding into council-commissioned work
- Providers delivering specialist home care (e.g. dementia, learning disabilities, autism)
CQC Ratings and Eligibility
CQC registration and inspection ratings play an important role in domiciliary care commissioning, but requirements vary by local authority and by opportunity.
Some DPSs and frameworks:
- Require a minimum inspection rating
- Accept providers with limited inspection history
- Allow newly registered providers to apply with additional supporting evidence
Eligibility is assessed on an opportunity-by-opportunity basis, rather than by assumption.
BidElevate reviews each opportunity against your:
- CQC registration and inspection status
- Service model and scope
- Local authority eligibility criteria
Only opportunities you are eligible for and appropriately positioned to pursue are taken forward.
Registration, Capacity, and Readiness
In addition to regulatory status, local authorities expect providers to demonstrate that they have the operational capacity to deliver commissioned care safely and consistently.
This typically includes evidence of:
- Appropriate registration for the services being commissioned
- Sufficient staffing levels to meet anticipated demand
- Recruitment, training, and supervision arrangements
- Clear management, escalation, and quality assurance structures
BidElevate considers capacity and readiness alongside eligibility, ensuring that applications are only progressed where delivery expectations can be realistically met.
BidElevate does not submit applications where delivery capacity cannot be reasonably demonstrated.