Premises Requirements for Domiciliary Care Agency: UK Property Guide

A practical guide to finding, assessing and preparing suitable premises for a domiciliary care agency across London and the UK

Choosing the right premises is an important part of setting up a domiciliary care agency in England. Although care is delivered in clients' own homes, the agency still needs an appropriate base from which the regulated service is planned, coordinated and managed.

The Care Quality Commission identifies the premises from which domiciliary care is organised and managed as a location. These premises will usually be offices.

For a new provider, this means the property search should consider more than rent and floor space. The premises should support the day-to-day operation of the agency, provide appropriate facilities for staff and management, and allow the provider to demonstrate legal permission to operate from the location.

What Premises Does a Domiciliary Care Agency Need?

A domiciliary care agency will generally need a physical operational office from which its regulated service is managed.

The premises should be capable of supporting activities such as:

• Care planning

• Care coordination

• Staff management

• Staff supervision

• Training

• Meetings

• Record management

• Recruitment

• Administration

• Communication with service users and families

• Quality and compliance management

CQC states that a domiciliary care location is a place where care is routinely planned and coordinated and where the regulated activity is managed. This can include premises where records are maintained and staff meetings, supervision and training take place.

Does the Agency Need a Commercial Office?

A commercial office is often the most straightforward option.

Potential premises could include:

• A small commercial office

• A professional office suite

• A ground-floor office

• An office in a business centre

• A former healthcare or professional services office

• A larger office suitable for an established care provider

The property does not necessarily need to have been previously used by a care company. What matters is whether the premises are appropriate for the proposed operation and whether the provider has the legal right to operate from them.

A property advertised simply as "office space" should therefore still be assessed carefully before a lease is signed.

What Should the Office Contain?

There is no single CQC-prescribed office layout or universal minimum floor area for every domiciliary care agency.

The premises should instead be proportionate to the size and nature of the service.

Management Workspace

The registered manager and other management staff need somewhere suitable to oversee the service.

This could include desks, computers, telephone facilities and secure systems for managing the business.

Care Coordination Area

Care coordinators may need to organise rotas, communicate with carers, arrange visits and respond to changes in service users' needs.

A dedicated coordination area can make these activities easier, particularly as the agency grows.

Private Meeting Room

A private room can be useful for:

• Staff supervision

• Interviews

• Performance discussions

• Meetings with families

• Confidential conversations

• Care planning discussions

A dedicated meeting space can also help the business maintain appropriate privacy when discussing sensitive information.

Secure Records Facilities

Domiciliary care businesses deal with confidential information about service users and staff.

The premises should therefore support secure storage and management of records, whether information is held physically, digitally or through a combination of both.

How Large Should Domiciliary Care Premises Be?

There is no universal office size that applies to every home care agency.

A small start-up may only require a modest office, while an established provider with a large workforce may need considerably more space.

A smaller agency might require:

• Management desks

• Care coordination workspace

• A private meeting area

• Secure storage

• Staff facilities

A larger operation may additionally need:

• Several management offices

• Multiple care coordinator workstations

• Interview rooms

• Training facilities

• Larger meeting rooms

• Reception space

• Additional storage

The aim should be to choose premises that are suitable for the current operation without creating unnecessary property costs.

Can a Domiciliary Care Agency Operate from a Home?

A residential property should not automatically be treated as a suitable CQC location.

CQC's location guidance states that a private home is not a location where that private home is not the primary place from which the service is managed.

If a provider is considering a residential property as its business base, it should establish whether the property genuinely functions as the operational location and whether the intended business use is legally permitted.

For many providers, a dedicated commercial office offers a clearer property arrangement.

Can You Use a Virtual Office?

A virtual office is not an appropriate substitute for a genuine operational location.

CQC specifically states that a virtual office is not a location because it is not a physical office or space that people can visit. An address used simply to receive mail or divert calls is also not considered a location.

This is important for new care agencies attempting to minimise start-up costs.

A virtual business address may have uses for ordinary business administration, but it should not be confused with premises from which the regulated domiciliary care service is routinely managed.

What About a Serviced Office?

Serviced offices need to be assessed carefully.

CQC distinguishes genuine operational premises from temporary premises, including serviced offices used for short periods for recruitment.

If you are considering a serviced office, check whether the arrangement provides a genuine and ongoing operational base rather than occasional access to meeting rooms or desks.

The provider should also establish that the agreement gives it appropriate legal permission to operate from the premises.

Legal Occupancy Is Essential

One of the most important premises requirements is evidence that the provider has the legal right to operate from the chosen property.

CQC currently requires home care agencies applying for registration to provide evidence of legal occupancy. The evidence must be valid when the application is submitted and clearly demonstrate legal permission to operate the service from the location. CQC also expects the evidence to contain specific details showing how the location is suitable for the proposed service.

For a rented office, this makes the lease particularly important.

Before signing, check:

• Who the tenant will be

• Permitted business use

• Lease length

• Break clauses

• Repair obligations

• Alteration rights

• Landlord consent

• Service charges

• Business rates

• Access arrangements

Do not assume that a standard office lease automatically provides everything a care agency needs.

Does the Property Need Planning Permission?

Planning should be investigated before committing to premises.

A property may already have office use, but the proposed operation and any alterations should still be assessed against the relevant planning and building requirements.

Consider:

• Existing planning use

• Proposed business activities

• Planning restrictions

• Building regulations

• Alterations

• Accessibility

• Fire safety

• Signage

• Parking

Where building regulations approval is required, CQC currently requires a building control final certificate with the provider application for locations that require building regulations approval.

Planning permission and building regulations approval are separate matters, so both should be considered where relevant.

What CQC Documents Relate to the Premises?

The property forms part of a wider registration application.

For new domiciliary care agencies, CQC currently requires additional supporting documents including:

• Business plan and financial forecast

• Evidence of legal occupancy

• Service user guides

• Staff training plan

An additional form for personal care providers is also required.

All provider applicants must also submit core documents such as a statement of purpose, complaints policy, safeguarding policy, governance and quality assurance policies, recruitment policy and other relevant documentation.

The office should therefore be selected with the wider registration application in mind.

Statement of Purpose and Your Premises

The premises are also relevant to the provider's Statement of Purpose.

CQC requires registered providers to maintain an accurate Statement of Purpose explaining what they do, where they operate and who their service is for. The document includes information about the locations from which regulated activities are provided or managed.

The address and operation described in your registration documentation should therefore correspond with your actual business arrangements.

Should the Office Have Training Space?

A dedicated training room is not necessarily required for every domiciliary care agency.

However, training is an important consideration when assessing premises.

A flexible meeting room could potentially be used for:

• Staff induction

• Training sessions

• Team meetings

• Supervision

• Management meetings

CQC currently requires a staff training plan from new home care agencies as part of their supporting documentation.

The size and layout of your premises should therefore reflect how training and staff management will actually be delivered.

Should the Office Have a Reception Area?

A reception area is not necessarily essential for a small agency.

However, it can be useful for a growing provider receiving:

• Staff

• Job applicants

• Families

• Professionals

• Visitors

• Inspectors

For smaller premises, a simple entrance and waiting area may be sufficient.

The priority should be operational suitability rather than spending money on an unnecessarily elaborate reception.

Accessibility and Facilities

The office should be practical for the people who need to use it.

When inspecting potential premises, consider:

• Entrance access

• Stairs

• Lifts

• Toilet facilities

• Parking

• Public transport

• Internal layout

• Meeting facilities

• General condition

The appropriate arrangements will depend on the property and the people using it.

A property that is difficult for staff, visitors or inspectors to access may be less practical than another office with a simpler layout and better transport connections.

Fire Safety and Building Condition

Fire safety should form part of the property due diligence process.

Before taking an office, assess:

• Fire exits

• Escape routes

• Fire alarm arrangements

• Emergency lighting where applicable

• General building condition

• Electrical installations

• Gas installations where applicable

• Any required building works

The exact requirements depend on the property and its use.

If significant alterations are required, establish whether building regulations approval is needed and ensure the relevant work is completed before relying on the premises for registration.

Location Requirements for a Domiciliary Care Agency

The office does not necessarily need to be in a particular type of neighbourhood.

Instead, the location should make sense for the geographical area served by the agency.

Consider:

• Target service area

• Staff recruitment

• Public transport

• Road access

• Parking

• Client accessibility

• Local workforce

• Property costs

• Future expansion

For example, a domiciliary care agency serving several London boroughs may benefit from good transport connections, while a provider operating across suburban areas may place greater emphasis on parking and road access.

Can One Office Serve Multiple Branches?

A provider can have multiple locations where its operational structure requires them.

CQC's location guidance explains that where domiciliary care is managed from multiple branch offices, each office from which the regulated activity is directly managed can constitute a location.

For example, an agency covering a large geographical area could operate several branch offices, with each branch coordinating care for its particular service area.

However, a separate headquarters used only for administration or records would not necessarily be a CQC location if regulated care is not managed from there.

When Should You Secure the Premises?

The premises should be secured before submitting the CQC application.

CQC's current application guidance states that applicants should only apply when everything is ready to start providing services and specifically says providers should have set up their premises and recruited their staff before applying.

This means the property search should form part of the early business planning process.

Do not wait until after submitting the application to start looking for an operational base.

What Should You Give a Property Agent?

A clear property brief can make the search considerably easier.

When contacting a commercial property agent or consultant, explain that you need:

Business type: Domiciliary care agency

Purpose: Operational and CQC location

Property type: Commercial office

Location: Target London boroughs, town or service area

Occupancy: Rent or purchase

Size: Based on current staffing and expected growth

Facilities: Management workspace, care coordination, private meetings, secure records and training

Compliance: Appropriate legal occupancy and permitted business use

Budget: Total occupation cost

This is more useful than simply requesting an "office for a care business".

Renting Premises for a Domiciliary Care Agency

Renting is often a practical option for a new provider.

However, the total cost should be considered rather than focusing only on the advertised rent.

Calculate:

• Rent

• Service charge

• Business rates

• Utilities

• Insurance

• Deposit

• Maintenance

• Fit-out

• Professional fees

Also examine the lease carefully before committing.

A cheap office that requires extensive refurbishment or has restrictive lease terms may ultimately be less practical than a slightly more expensive property that is already suitable.

Buying Premises for a Domiciliary Care Agency

Established care providers may consider purchasing their office premises.

Ownership can provide greater control over the property and potentially create a long-term business asset.

However, the purchase should be assessed against:

• Purchase price

• Financing

• Stamp Duty Land Tax where applicable

• Maintenance

• Insurance

• Business rates

• Refurbishment

• Future expansion

• Resale potential

The property should support the care business both now and as it develops.

A Practical Premises Checklist

Before committing to a property, a domiciliary care provider should ask:

• Is this a genuine physical operational base?

• Can I legally operate the agency from this address?

• Do I have evidence of legal occupancy?

• Does the lease permit the intended use?

• Is the property suitable for CQC registration?

• Is there sufficient management workspace?

• Is there adequate care coordination space?

• Can confidential records be stored securely?

• Is there a private meeting area?

• Can staff training be accommodated?

• Is the building accessible?

• Are fire safety arrangements appropriate?

• Are planning or building approvals required?

• Is the location practical for the service area?

• What are the total occupation costs?

• Can the premises support future growth?

How Fraser Bond Can Help

Finding premises for a domiciliary care agency involves more than finding an available office.

Fraser Bond can assist care providers, landlords and investors with identifying suitable property, assessing premises, supporting lease and property requirements, and coordinating wider property services.

Whether you need a domiciliary care office to rent, an office suitab