How to Get Clients for Your Care Business
Care Sync Experts provides complete client acquisition support for domiciliary care agencies, supported living services, and other care providers across England.
We help you build the marketing infrastructure, the referral relationships, and the commissioning pathways you need to grow your client base consistently.
Getting clients is the single biggest challenge for new and growing care businesses. You can have the best policies, the strongest team, and a perfect CQC rating, but without a steady flow of clients your business cannot survive.
400,000+
People served weekly in UK
£8.5bn
Sector valuation
£4.2bn
LA annual care spend
1,200+
Clients we've supported
Where Do Care Agency Clients Come From?
Understanding the different sources of clients is essential before you invest time and money into any marketing activity.
Local Authority
Local authority commissioned care typically accounts for 60 to 70% of revenue for most domiciliary care agencies. Local authorities commission care packages for people who have been assessed as having eligible needs under the Care Act 2014.
Accounts for 60–70% of revenue for most domiciliary care agencies
Requires being on the council's approved provider list
Rates typically £18–£25 per hour
Each council runs its own procurement process
NHS Referrals
NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) is a package of care funded entirely by the NHS for adults with complex health needs. Hospital discharge teams refer patients who need care at home following a hospital stay.
NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) funded by Integrated Care Boards
Hospital discharge teams for post-stay home care
Community nurses and district nursing teams
GP surgeries and specialist nurses
Private Clients
Private clients (self-funders) pay for their own care. This segment is growing as more people with means choose to arrange their own care rather than go through the local authority assessment process.
Rates typically £25–£35+ per hour
More flexibility and personalised service expected
Found via Google search, directories, and referrals
Social proof and reviews are critical conversion factors
For supported living services, clients are almost exclusively referred by local authority learning disability or mental health teams. For supported accommodation (Ofsted registered), placements are made by local authority children's services teams. Our client acquisition service helps you build referral pathways across all three channels, tailored to your service type and your local market.
Getting on Local Authority Approved Provider Lists
For most new care agencies, getting on your local council's approved provider list is the most important step toward securing regular client referrals.
Understanding Procurement Models
Approved Provider List
Local authorities use different procurement models. Some operate an approved provider list (sometimes called a framework agreement) where any provider that meets the qualifying criteria can join.
Spot Purchasing
Others use spot purchasing, where the council contacts providers on an ad-hoc basis for individual care packages.
Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS)
Some use dynamic purchasing systems (DPS), which allow providers to join at any time. And some use competitive tenders for specific contracts or geographical areas.
Competitive Tenders
And some use competitive tenders for specific contracts or geographical areas.
Where to Find Tender Opportunities
Contracts Finder (the UK government's free tender notification service),
Your local council's procurement portal
Regional care market position statements (published by most local authorities)
Specialist procurement platforms.
What You Need to Demonstrate
CQC registration and a Good or Outstanding rating
Financial stability (audited accounts or management accounts)
Adequate insurance: employers' liability, public liability, professional indemnity
Staff recruitment and training procedures
Safeguarding policies and procedures
Quality assurance frameworks
References from existing clients or commissioners
We support you with identifying the right procurement opportunities in your area, preparing your applications, and writing tender responses that score highly against the evaluation criteria.
Building NHS Referral Relationships
NHS referrals can be a significant source of clients, particularly for agencies that provide complex care, hospital discharge support, or specialist services.
The Main NHS Referral Pathways
NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC)
The main NHS referral pathways for domiciliary care agencies are NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) assessments, where the Integrated Care Board (ICB) in your area
Hospital Discharge Teams
Who arrange care packages for patients being discharged home; community health teams
Community Health Teams
Including district nurses, community matrons, and specialist nurses who identify patients needing care at home;
GP Surgeries
GP surgeries, where practice staff may signpost patients to local care providers.
How to Access NHS Referrals
To access NHS referrals, you need to make your service known to the relevant teams.
Contact your local ICB's commissioning team to understand their procurement processes
Build relationships with hospital discharge coordinators
Registering your service on NHS Choices so patients and professionals can find you.
Introducing your service to community health team leads,
We help you identify the key NHS contacts in your area and develop a structured approach to building these referral relationships.
How to Get Domiciliary Care Contracts
Winning local authority and NHS contracts is how most care agencies grow. Our guide covers the tendering process, framework agreements, dynamic purchasing systems, and what commissioners look for.
Attracting Private Clients
Private clients represent the fastest-growing segment of the domiciliary care market. Families increasingly search online for care providers, compare options, and make decisions based on websites, reviews, and personal recommendations.
To attract private clients, you need a professional, trustworthy online presence. Private clients often want more flexibility, more choice, and a more personalised service than the standard local authority-commissioned package provides.
£32.14
Private hourly rate
£18–£25
LA hourly rate
Your Website
Your website must be mobile-friendly, fast-loading, and optimised for local search terms like “home care in [your area]” or “domiciliary care [your town].” It should clearly explain your services, pricing, CQC rating, and how to get in touch.
Include testimonials from existing clients and families
Social proof is one of the most powerful conversion factors in care
Clearly display your CQC rating and service areas
Google Business Profile
Google Business Profile is essential. When someone searches “home care near me” or “domiciliary care [location],” Google Business Profile listings appear prominently in search results. A care agency with 20+ positive Google reviews will significantly outperform competitors with no reviews.
Claim and optimise your profile with accurate business information
Add service descriptions and photos of your team and office
Actively encourage clients to leave Google reviews
Care Directory Listings
Care directory listings increase your visibility on platforms where families actively search for care providers. Keep your listings updated with current CQC ratings, service descriptions, and contact details.
Register your service on homecare.co.uk, NHS Choices, carehome.co.uk (if applicable),
List on relevant local directories in your area
Keep your listings updated with current CQC ratings, service descriptions, and contact details.
Social Media
Social media helps you build trust and stay visible. Facebook is particularly effective for reaching families of older adults. LinkedIn helps you connect with other professionals and commissioners.
Share client stories (with consent) and staff achievements
Post community involvement and informative care content
Facebook for families, LinkedIn for professionals and commissioners
Paid Advertising
Paid advertising through Google Ads allows you to appear at the top of search results for keywords like “home care in [your area].
Even a modest budget of £200–£500 per month can generate meaningful enquiries
Target your exact geographical service area
Only pay when someone clicks your advert
Our marketing service covers website development, Google Business Profile setup and optimisation, directory listings, social media management, and paid advertising, all tailored specifically for care providers.
The role of CQC Ratings in Client Acquisition
Your CQC rating has a direct impact on your ability to attract clients.
Local authority commissioners
Local authority commissioners check CQC ratings when awarding contracts and making referrals. Some councils will not refer to providers rated Requires Improvement or Inadequate.
NHS commissioning teams
NHS commissioning teams apply similar standards. Private clients and their families check CQC ratings online before contacting a provider.
Publicly visible ratings
Your CQC rating is publicly visible on the CQC website, and from April 2025, providers in Wales will also be required to display their ratings publicly. A strong rating is not just a compliance matter: it is a competitive advantage that directly drives client acquisition.
Referral Relationships and Networking
Building relationships with the right people is one of the most effective long-term client acquisition strategies. The professionals below most commonly refer clients to care agencies.
Referral relationships and networking
Adult Social Care
social workers and care coordinators in adult social care teams
NHS Hospitals
Hospital discharge planners and coordinators
NHS Community Health
Community nurses and district nursing teams
Primary Care
Hospital discharge planners and coordinators
Allied Health
Occupational therapists and physiotherapists
Legal
Solicitors handling elder law, estate planning, and Court of Protection work
Housing
Housing association support teams
Third Sector
Charities and voluntary organisations working with older people or people with disabilities
How to Build These Relationships
Attend Networking Events
NHS commissioning teams apply similar standards. Private clients and their families check CQC ratings online before contacting a provider.
Introduce Yourself in Person
A short visit to a hospital ward coordinator or a GP practice manager can open a referral pathway that generates clients for years.
Join Local Care Associations
NHS commissioning teams apply similar standards. Private clients and their families check CQC ratings online before contacting a provider.
Sponsor Community Events
Sponsor or participate in community health events to raise your profile among both potential clients and professional referrers.
Run Informative Workshops
Provide informative talks or workshops on care topics at community venues to establish your agency as a trusted, knowledgeable resource.
Word-of-Mouth Referrals
Word-of-mouth referrals from existing clients and their families remain one of the most powerful sources of new business. Delivering consistently excellent care, communicating proactively with families, and going beyond what is expected creates a reputation that generates referrals organically.
Formal Referral Programme
Consider implementing a formal referral programme where existing clients receive a small incentive for recommending your service to others.
Pricing Your Services Competitively
Getting your pricing right is critical. Price too high and you lose local authority contracts to cheaper competitors. Price too low and you cannot deliver quality care, retain staff, or sustain your business.
Local Authority Work
Your pricing needs to cover all direct costs plus overheads plus a margin. The Homecare Association minimum price for homecare for England in 2025–26 is £32.14. This reflects the true cost of delivering one hour of care, including the April 2025 National Living Wage increase to £12.21 per hour and the increase in employers' National Insurance contributions from 13.8% to 15%.
What Your Price Must Cover:
Staff wages at or above National Living Wage (£12.21/hr from April 2025)
Travel time between visits
PPE and consumables
Staff training and development
Office and technology overheads
Employers' National Insurance contributions (increased to 15% from April 2025)
A reasonable profit margin
Many local authorities still commission care at rates below the Homecare Association minimum, which puts providers under financial pressure. Winning a contract at an unsustainable price is worse than not winning it at all.
Private Client Pricing
For private clients, you have more flexibility on pricing. Private rates typically range from £25 to £35+ per hour depending on your area, the complexity of care, and the time of visits (evenings, weekends, and bank holidays usually attract higher rates).
Be transparent about your pricing on your website or in initial conversations. Families appreciate clarity and are more likely to choose a provider who is upfront about costs.
CQC Rating Improvement Guide
Stuck on Requires Improvement or Inadequate? Our guide walks you through the recovery process, what inspectors need to see at reinspection, and how to build an evidence portfolio that demonstrates sustained improvement.
Marketing Collateral and Offline Strategies
While digital marketing is essential, traditional marketing methods still work well for care agencies, particularly for reaching older adults and their families who may not primarily use the internet.
Professional flyers and brochures
Professional flyers and brochures distributed to GP surgeries, pharmacies, community centres, libraries, places of worship, and retirement communities can generate enquiries. Ensure your materials clearly state your services, your CQC rating, your contact details, and a compelling reason to choose your agency.
Local newspaper and magazine advertising
Local newspaper and magazine advertising reaches the demographic most likely to need care services. Many areas have community magazines, parish newsletters, and local publications that offer affordable advertising.
Community presence
Community presence matters. Sponsoring a local event, running a care awareness workshop at a community centre, or having a stand at a health and wellbeing fair all help build your name in the local area.
Vehicle branding
Vehicle branding on company cars or staff vehicles creates repeated visibility in your service area. Professional vehicle graphics with your logo, phone number, and website turn every journey into an advertisement.
Our client acquisition service includes designing and producing your marketing collateral, from flyers and brochures to vehicle graphics and branded materials.
Measuring Client Acquisition Performance
You need to track what is working so you can invest more in the strategies that generate results and stop spending on those that do not.
Start Tracking From Day One
Use a simple CRM or spreadsheet to track enquiries and their sources from day one. This data becomes invaluable as you scale your marketing activity and make decisions about where to invest.
Key Metrics to Track
Enquiries per month
Broken down by source: local authority, NHS, private, website, phone, referral
Conversion rate
The percentage of enquiries that become active clients
Cost per acquisition
How much you spend on marketing and sales activity per new client
Client lifetime value
The total revenue a client generates over their time with your service
Website traffic & search rankings
Which keywords are driving visitors to your site
Google Business Profile views
How many people find your profile and click to call or visit your website
CQC rating trend
How your rating is perceived by commissioners and families over time
What Our Client Acquisition Service Includes
Our complete client acquisition service covers every channel and strategy you need to grow your care business.
Local authority registration and tendering
Identifying procurement opportunities in your area, preparing approved provider list applications, writing tender responses, and supporting you through the evaluation process.
NHS referral pathway development
Mapping the NHS referral routes in your area, identifying key contacts, and developing a structured approach to building referral relationships with ICBs, hospital discharge teams, and community health teams.
Website and SEO
Building an SEO-optimised website that ranks for local care search terms, creating service pages, testimonials, and content that converts visitors into enquiries.
Google Business Profile
Setting up, optimising, and managing your Google Business Profile to maximise visibility in local search results.
Directory listings
Registering your service on homecare.co.uk, NHS Choices, carehome.co.uk, and relevant local directories.
Social media
Creating and managing your Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram profiles with regular content that builds trust and visibility
Paid advertising
Setting up and managing Google Ads campaigns targeted to your service area, with budget management and performance reporting.
Marketing collateral
Designing and producing flyers, brochures, business cards, vehicle graphics, and branded materials.
Referral programme development
Creating a structured referral programme to encourage word-of-mouth recommendations from existing clients and families.
Performance tracking
Setting up enquiry tracking, providing monthly reports on marketing performance, and continuously optimising your strategy based on results.
Why Choose Care Sync Experts for Client Acquisition
Marketing Agencies vs Care Sector
Most marketing agencies do not understand the care sector. They do not know how local authority commissioning works, they do not understand CQC ratings, and they cannot write a care tender that scores highly. Most care consultancies, on the other hand, understand regulation and compliance but do not have marketing expertise.
The Care Sync Experts Difference
Care Sync Experts combines both. We understand the regulatory framework because we help our clients register with CQC and Ofsted. We understand commissioning because we help our clients win local authority and NHS contracts. And we understand digital marketing because we build websites, run Google Ads campaigns, and manage SEO for care providers every day.
Trusted by 1,200+ Clients
We have supported over 1,200 clients across the care sector. Our client acquisition service is not generic marketing advice: it is a practical, hands-on service that helps you win real clients from real referral sources.
Support for New and Growing Providers
If you are setting up a new care business, our business setup service includes marketing and client acquisition support as part of the complete package. If you are an existing provider looking to grow, our standalone client acquisition service gives you everything you need.
Frequently asked questions
Still have questions?
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