Many local authorities now review double-handed homecare packages, usually led by an occupational therapist, to see whether equipment and different techniques could let one carer work safely instead of two. A 2022 survey of English local authorities, published in Health and Social Care in the Community, reported more than 12,000 such reviews in a year across the 53 authorities in its findings.
A review is an assessment, not a target
Single-handed care is right for some people and not for others. A review has to consider the person, their wishes and wellbeing, the task, the equipment and the environment, and the safety of the carer, who is protected by the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992. Some reviews confirm that two carers remain the safe option, and a good review records why either way.
Why the plan matters most at this point
A review that changes a package from two carers to one changes what happens at every visit. If the written plan still says two carers, or an old copy stays in the folder, the care team is left to decide which to believe. The review is only as good as the plan that carries it out.
What the updated plan should say
- The number of carers, stated plainly, for each task.
- The equipment that makes single-handed care possible, named precisely, with its checks.
- The technique, step by step, and where the carer stands.
- Stop points, and what to do if the task cannot be done safely by one person on the day.
- When the arrangement will be reviewed, and what would trigger an earlier review.
Getting it to everyone at once
The change has to reach every carer who visits, including agency staff and new starters, before their next visit. With Handling Plan the plan is updated once and the same code shows the new version to everyone who opens it, with a record of who has read it.
If the arrangement does not work in practice, the carer should stop, keep the person safe, and tell the assessor, and the plan should say so.
Sources: 'Single-handed care' initiatives and reviews of double-handed homecare packages in English local authorities, Health and Social Care in the Community (2022); Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992; Care Act 2014. General information: decisions about care are made on individual assessment.