Hello Sheila,

Does supporting a person to shop & cook class as personal care, if they do not require prompting or physical support to eat?

If we are not providing any other type of personal care, and the support we provide is non-medical, social interventions, then do we require ccc registration?

Kind regards

Answered by Sheila Scott

Dear S,

The simple answer to your question is no.

The Care Quality Commission defines personal care as:

‘The regulated activity of personal care consists of the provision of personal care for people who are unable to provide it for themselves, because of old age, illness or disability, and which is provided to them in the place where those people are living at the time when the care is provided. As an example, this includes personal care provided by a domiciliary care agency.’ 

https://www.cqc.org.uk/sites/default/files/documents/ra_1_personal_care.pdf

Shopping and cooking is not personal care and nor is assisting someone to eat.

Personal care could be called intimate care and includes the following tasks:

• Personal hygiene including washing, taking a bath or shower and oral care

• Assistance with dressing

• Assistance with going to the toilet

• Care for people who are incontinent

Provided that you are not providing intimate care, you do not need to register with the Care Quality Commission. You should, however, keep the services you are providing under review in case they change and registration is required.

Best wishes,

Sheila

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