My Care at Home - people's experiences of home care in Suffolk

Healthwatch Suffolk surveyed 517 people and conducted 50 detailed interviews to understand experiences of domiciliary (home) care across Suffolk. Overall satisfaction was high, with most respondents rating their care as good or excellent, and many praising carers for being kind, respectful, helpful and providing valuable companionship. 

The strongest positive theme was the quality of relationships between service users and carers. People particularly valued carers who knew their needs, treated them with dignity, took time to talk and offered consistent support. Many respondents said seeing the same carers regularly helped build trust and improved the quality of care. 

The main concerns related to how services were organised rather than the carers themselves. Common problems included carers arriving late, not attending at all, visits taking place at unsuitable times, frequent changes of carer, poor communication about delays or rota changes, and difficulties contacting provider offices. Service users often felt management and scheduling issues undermined otherwise good care.

Healthwatch concluded that home care in Suffolk is supported by a committed and highly valued workforce, but improvements are needed in consistency, communication, timekeeping, staff training, care planning and invoicing processes. The report's central message was that strong relationships between carers and service users are the foundation of good home care, and that providers should better support these relationships through more reliable and responsive service management.