Frequently Asked Questions
To help you understand how Care Sourcer works, we’ve answered some frequently asked questions below. If your question is not answered, please contact providers@caresourcer.com. We’ll be happy to help!
Why is my phone number wrong on my profile?
We add a unique tracked telephone number to your profile. This means we can tell you how many people are contacting you via Care Sourcer and advise if you miss any calls. As long as the number you give us is correct, we will do the rest! You can view and update your enquiry number by going to Edit profile.
My CQC ID is wrong - what should I do?
The CQC number we use is your location ID. Every care provider profile is linked to the CQC. If you think your CQC ID is wrong, please check your location ID. If you still believe this is wrong, contact us at providers@caresourcer.com.
Can I display my CQC/CI rating on my profile?
Your profile is linked to the CQC and CI. Your regulator rating is automatically visible on your profile.
How do I add images to my profile?
Adding photos is the best way to ensure more potential clients find your home. To upload photos to your Care Sourcer profile, follow the instructions below.
- Sign in to your Care Sourcer account
- On the My locations page, click the profile you’d like to edit
- Click Edit profile
- In the Photos section click Manage photos
- Under Upload photos click Choose files
- Select the images you would like to add to this profile and click Open
- Click Upload
Your photos will appear in this order on your profile. To edit this order, click Edit sort order in Manage photos then drag your photos into your desired order and click Confirm changes at the bottom of the page.
How do people find my care home on Care Sourcer?
People in need can browse care homes by performing a postcode search on caresourcer.com. If your home meets their needs, they will contact you directly.
To maximise the number of enquiries you receive, complete your profile so care seekers have the information they need to make an informed decision and ensure your availability is up to date.
Search results display care homes within a 5 mile radius. Care seekers can increase this to 10 or 15 miles if they wish.
How are care homes ranked on Care Sourcer?
The sort order for Care Sourcer search results is based on these three things, in this order:
- Availability
- Distance from the search postcode
- Regulator’s rating
Care Sourcer Premium members appear higher in relevant searches. If you’re interested in joining, read the Care Sourcer Premium Terms and Conditions or contact providers@caresourcer.com.
How do I increase the number of care enquiries I receive?
The most effective way to increase engagement with your profile is to ensure that you rank as highly as possible in relevant searches.
There are a number of things you can do to improve your ranking on Care Sourcer:
- Update your care home’s availability each week
- Add pricing information to your profile
- Ensure your profile has up-to-date images
How often should I update my availability?
You should update the availability of your care home(s) fortnightly. If you mark a care home as ‘available’ or ‘unavailable’, after 14 days it will revert to ‘unknown’.
After 14 days availability information is considered out of date and no longer useful to people searching for care.
Update your availability fortnightly to ensure it remains live and you’re appearing at the top of care searches in your area.
How do I remove ads for competitors from my profile?
All unclaimed or Care Sourcer Free profiles feature a suggested local care home in the ‘You might also like‘ section.
To remove this section from your profile, and feature in this section on other care homes profile, join Care Sourcer Premium. If you’re interested, contact providers@caresourcer.com.
How do people find my service on Care Sourcer?
People in need can find your service by performing a postcode search on caresourcer.com. If you can meet their needs, they will contact you directly. There are no actions for you to take other than ensuring your capacity is up to date.
For more urgent enquiries, we will contact you by email so you can respond on Care Sourcer.
What is a care request?
A care request is an Care Sourcer enquiry which includes more specific detail about the care required. We’ll tell you about these enquiries in real-time so you can respond in a timely manner. You can view live care requests in your area on your Care Sourcer dashboard.
How do I respond to a care request?
Click View to review the enquiry in detail. If you can help this individual, click Make offer. Enter a personal message and price then click Send offer to respond through Care Sourcer. You will be notified of the outcome of the request via email.
What price should I offer?
The cost of your service is your decision, we do not set any guidelines on this. Please treat care enquiries on Care Sourcer the same as you would any other potential clients.
What should I write in the personal message?
This is up to you. We recommend making it personal but appreciate you are busy, a short message advising you can offer support will suffice in most cases.
I responded to a care request but I didn't hear back?
Please remember that you are not the only care provider responding in most instances. The choice of provider is always with the care seeker, not Care Sourcer.
Continue with your day-to-day marketing activities. If you do not hear back after a couple of weeks, you can assume that care has started with another provider. Where we can, we will alert you when a care request has closed.
What happens if I don’t receive care requests?
If you cannot see any care requests, it means there are no open enquiries on Care Sourcer in the areas which you operate. Make sure that you are seeing all relevant care enquiries by going to Edit profile and selecting the local authorities in which you offer care.