Methodology

How we score home care platforms

Introductory platforms are not CQC-rated, so CQC ratings cannot rank them. We score each one out of 100 on the questions families should ask before choosing, using facts the platform publishes itself.

Why these questions

The checklist follows the points Age UK, the NHS and the Care Quality Commission tell families to check when arranging private care: who employs the carer, what checks were done, what it really costs, and what happens when a carer is unavailable. It is the same checklist as our guide, how to compare UK home care matching services.

The score

A criterion earns its points only when the fact is published and positive. A fact we cannot find scores zero and is labelled “Not published”, never “No”. Ties break on review volume, then the platform name.

Vetting (25 points)

Enhanced DBS check before introduction: 7 points
Right-to-work check: 6 points
References checked by the platform: 6 points
Carer interviewed or assessed: 6 points

Price transparency (20 points)

No joining, registration or exit fee: 6 points
Every family-facing fee disclosed: 6 points
Live-in starting price published: 8 points

Flexibility (15 points)

No fixed term; short notice to end: 8 points
Trial period or free carer swap: 7 points

Family support (20 points)

Family chooses the carer: 5 points
Helps arrange replacement cover: 6 points
Online tools for schedules, visits and payments: 3 points
Insurance cover published: 3 points
Named human support line: 3 points

Third-party reputation (20 points)

Counted from an independent review site such as Trustpilot or Google, with at least 10 reviews. Points scale from a 3.0 rating (zero) to 5.0 (full points), and are weighted by volume: a platform with fewer than 100 reviews earns a proportional share. We cite where the figure came from and when it was checked.

Match With Care is scored too

We are an introductory marketplace and one of the platforms compared, so we are scored by the identical rules and the code makes no exception for us. Our rank is whatever the score produces. Where we lack a fact we say so on the page, including that we have fewer than 100 Google reviews, which limits our review points. “Best for” labels are chosen by the data, and a tie is shown as a tie.

Evidence and refresh

Every platform shows its source pages and the date they were checked.
Review figures are quoted with their source and are not our own surveys.
Platforms change their terms. We re-check each one at least quarterly and on any correction.
Each platform entry lists where it falls short, not only where it scores.

Corrections

Email hello@matchwithcare.com with the platform name and the source page. We will update the entry and the checked date.