Finding reliable staff is a major operational concern for care homes and home-care agencies. This guide explains how a care staffing agency can help providers manage staff shortages, what to check before choosing an agency, and how to assess whether a staffing partner is suitable for their needs. It also introduces Cevero Support Services' staffing support service.
Care providers need enough suitably skilled staff to deliver safe, consistent and person-centred support. However, sickness, annual leave, vacancies and unexpected changes in demand can make it difficult for care homes and home-care agencies to maintain their rotas.
A care staffing agency can help providers explore additional staffing options when their existing teams cannot cover every shift. Depending on the agency’s services and available workforce, this may include temporary care staff, short-notice cover and support with ongoing staffing requirements.
Choosing a staffing partner involves more than finding someone to fill a shift. Providers need to consider staff suitability, recruitment checks, experience, availability, communication and the arrangements for handling problems.
This guide explains what care staffing agencies do, how temporary staffing works and what to ask before entering into an agreement.
A care staffing agency connects care providers with workers for staffing requirements that cannot always be met by their permanent teams.
The precise service depends on the agency. Some organisations supply temporary workers for individual shifts, while others provide longer-term staffing arrangements or support with recurring workforce gaps.
Care staffing services may help eligible providers with:
Not every agency provides every type of worker or accepts every assignment. Before relying on a provider, confirm which roles it supplies, the locations it covers and whether it can meet your particular requirements.
Temporary care staff may be worth considering when a provider has identified a genuine staffing gap and its usual arrangements are insufficient.
For example, a residential care home may need additional cover after an unexpected absence. A domiciliary care agency may be reviewing its workforce because of recruitment delays or changes to its planned rota.
Before requesting external support, consider whether the gap can be addressed through internal bank staff, voluntary overtime, adjusted rotas or other established arrangements. Any changes must remain consistent with safe staffing levels, workers’ competence and appropriate working arrangements.
External staffing may then provide another option to explore.
The important point is to assess the actual requirement rather than treating every staffing shortage in the same way. A shift involving complex support needs may require different skills and experience from a shift with more routine responsibilities.
The right staffing partner should understand your setting, communicate clearly and be able to explain how it assesses whether workers are suitable for assignments.
Ask the agency to explain its recruitment process and what evidence it can provide for the workers it supplies.
Depending on the role, relevant matters may include identity verification, employment history, references, appropriate Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks, right-to-work checks and confirmation of relevant qualifications or registrations.
The required checks depend on the position and duties involved. A DBS check does not replace a right-to-work check.
The Care Quality Commission’s guidance on Regulation 19: Fit and proper persons employed explains that providers must have effective recruitment procedures and make appropriate checks. Its guidance also makes clear that relevant requirements apply to agency and bank staff.
Care providers should therefore establish what the staffing agency checks and what the receiving organisation must verify for itself.
A worker’s availability does not automatically mean they are suitable for a particular shift.
Explain the duties, setting, required experience and any essential competencies before confirming an assignment. Ask how the agency checks that workers are appropriate for the work being offered.
Where a role requires specific qualifications, training or professional registration, establish how these requirements will be verified.
The objective is to match the person to the assignment, rather than simply fill a gap on the rota.
A staffing agency may advertise a broad service area without being able to fulfil every request in every location.
Before entering into an agreement, ask:
Ask for clear answers rather than relying on general statements about nationwide coverage or emergency staffing.
Staffing costs depend on the agreed service and contractual arrangements. Do not assume that every agency charges the same rates or applies the same terms.
Request a written explanation of the charges, including any applicable minimum booking periods, cancellation arrangements, out-of-hours charges and processes for changing a booking.
Clarify invoicing, payment terms, responsibility for checking documentation and the procedure for raising concerns.
A transparent agreement makes it easier to compare providers and budget appropriately.
Good communication matters before, during and after an assignment.
Ask who will handle staffing requests, how availability will be confirmed and whom you should contact if a worker is delayed or a problem arises.
It is also useful to establish how feedback is recorded and what happens if a worker is not suitable for an assignment.
Choose a partner whose processes are clear and whose commitments are realistic.
External staffing should support safe care, not become a substitute for assessing the needs of the people receiving it.
The CQC’s Regulation 18: Staffing states that providers must deploy sufficient suitably qualified, competent, skilled and experienced staff to meet people’s needs and applicable regulatory requirements.
When considering temporary care staff, providers should therefore review:
Do not assume that using an agency transfers all responsibility for safe staffing to that agency. The receiving provider should establish its own responsibilities and confirm that appropriate arrangements are in place.
For further guidance on checks for adult social care roles, consult the official GOV.UK guidance on DBS checks.
Care homes and home-care agencies often have different staffing requirements, so a useful staffing solution should begin with an understanding of the setting.
Residential and nursing care settings need staffing arrangements that reflect residents’ needs, the duties required and the skills available on each shift.
When exploring temporary support, provide the staffing agency with accurate information about the role, shift times, location, essential competencies and any relevant site requirements.
If a position involves specialist clinical duties, confirm that the proposed worker has the required professional qualifications and registration. Do not assume that a general care staffing service supplies registered nurses or other clinical professionals unless this has been expressly confirmed.
Domiciliary care agencies organise support across clients’ homes, making travel, scheduling and continuity particularly important.
When discussing staffing requirements, explain the geographical area, visit times, duties and any essential experience. Clarify how the worker will receive the relevant care information and how changes or missed visits will be communicated.
A staffing arrangement should fit the operational realities of community-based care, not just the number of hours requested.
Cevero Support Services lists a staffing support service for health and social care organisations experiencing workforce shortages.
Its published service information describes vetted and trained care and support workers to help organisations manage staffing shortages, including temporary and urgent cover where needed.
If you manage a care home or home-care agency and are exploring additional staffing support, you can contact Cevero to discuss your requirements and establish whether its current service is suitable.
When enquiring, explain:
Cevero’s published service information does not establish availability for every role or location. Confirm these details directly before relying on a staffing arrangement.
You can read more about Cevero’s staffing support service or visit its contact page to make an enquiry.
A care staffing agency helps care providers explore staffing options by supplying or arranging workers for eligible assignments. Depending on the provider, this may include temporary cover, short-notice requests or ongoing staffing arrangements.
Some agencies consider urgent requests, but availability depends on the roles required, location, timing and workforce capacity. Confirm the provider’s current availability and response arrangements before depending on it.
The appropriate checks depend on the role and duties. These may include identity and right-to-work checks, references, employment history, relevant DBS checks and confirmation of qualifications or professional registration where required. Providers should establish which checks have been completed and what evidence is available.
Some staffing providers support domiciliary care agencies, but services vary. Confirm that the agency covers your locations, supplies the roles you need and can accommodate the scheduling and travel requirements of community-based care.
Visit Cevero’s staffing support page or contact the organisation through its website. Explain your setting, location, required roles and dates so the team can establish whether your request matches its service.
A suitable care staffing agency can give care providers another option for managing workforce gaps, but choosing a provider requires careful checks.
Look beyond the promise of available staff. Assess recruitment procedures, role suitability, geographical coverage, communication, contractual terms and the arrangements for maintaining safe care.
By defining your staffing needs clearly and asking the right questions, you can make a more informed decision about whether temporary care staff or an ongoing staffing arrangement is appropriate for your organisation.
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