DCW72-Managing Delayed and Missed Visits Policy
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Registration Number: {{org_field_registration_no}}
Managing Delayed and Missed Visits Policy
1. Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to ensure that all home care visits provided by {{org_field_name}} are delivered as scheduled, and that in the event of a delay or missed visit, appropriate actions are taken to safeguard service users and maintain compliance with the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016and The Regulated Services (Service Providers and Responsible Individuals) (Wales) Regulations 2017. This policy also reflects the Welsh Government statutory guidance for care home and domiciliary support service providers and sets out how we will meet CIW expectations for safe, reliable and person-centred delivery of visits, including safeguarding duties, duty of candour, and required notifications. It should be read alongside our Safeguarding Policy and our CIW Notifications / Notifiable Events procedures.
2. Scope
This policy applies to all care staff, care coordinators, Registered Managers, Responsible Individuals, and administrative staff involved in scheduling and monitoring home care visits. It covers preventing, reporting, managing, and mitigating risks associated with delayed or missed visits, ensuring continuity of care and compliance with CIW requirements. It also applies to service users, their families, and representatives, providing them with clear guidance on how delayed or missed visits will be handled.
3. Principles of Managing Delayed and Missed Visits
3.1 Person-Centred and Proactive Approach
{{org_field_name}} is committed to delivering person-centred care, where the needs and well-being of service users are prioritised. Visits must be planned efficiently to minimise the risk of delays or missed visits, and in cases where delays occur, prompt action must be taken to inform the service user and ensure their safety. All decisions must align with the principles of dignity, respect, and personalised care, ensuring service users are not put at risk due to scheduling issues.
3.2 Preventing Delayed or Missed Visits
To minimise the occurrence of delayed or missed visits, {{org_field_name}} implements a robust scheduling and monitoring system that includes: Advanced rota planning, ensuring that care visits are allocated efficiently, avoiding overburdening staff and minimising last-minute changes. Real-time digital monitoring, allowing office staff to track care workers’ progress and receive live updates on visit statuses. Adequate staffing levels, ensuring that there is sufficient coverage to accommodate sickness, absences, or emergencies. Backup carers, identifying and allocating alternative staff to cover visits in cases of emergency. Clear communication protocols, ensuring care workers report delays or unexpected incidents as soon as they arise. Ongoing staff training, ensuring carers understand the importance of punctuality and effective time management.
3.3 Regulation 41 scheduling, travel time and visit length (Statutory Guidance requirement)
We will prepare and provide each domiciliary care worker with a schedule of visits which clearly separates travel time, visit (care) time and (where applicable) rest breaks. Travel time allocations will be realistic for distance and known factors such as congestion and parking. Visit durations will be sufficient to deliver care and support in line with the individual’s personal plan and will not normally be less than 30 minutes unless the statutory conditions allowing shorter visits apply and the rationale is recorded. We will keep an auditable record of time spent on travel, visits and breaks, and use this information to prevent late/missed calls and to evidence compliance during CIW inspection.
3.4 Identifying a Delayed or Missed Visit
A visit is considered delayed if the carer has not arrived within 15 minutes of the scheduled time unless prior notice has been given to the service user. A visit is considered missed if the carer fails to attend without prior notice, or if the visit is significantly delayed, leading to the service user not receiving the expected level of care. Real-time alerts through the digital monitoring system allow care coordinators to quickly identify if a visit has not been logged as started. If a carer has not checked in at the service user’s location within the expected time, an automated notification will be sent to the office, prompting immediate action.
3.5 Immediate Actions for a Delayed Visit
If a delay is identified, the following steps must be taken: The care worker must immediately notify the office, explaining the reason for the delay. The service user or their representative must be informed, providing an estimated arrival time and offering reassurance. The care coordinator will assess the level of risk, prioritising urgent visits where care is essential for health and safety. If the delay exceeds 30 minutes, a backup carer must be allocated, ensuring continuity of care. All communication and actions taken must be recorded in the service user’s digital care record.
3.6 Immediate Actions for a Missed Visit
If a visit is missed, the following urgent actions must be taken: An immediate welfare check must be carried out, calling the service user or their emergency contact to ensure their safety. If the service user is unresponsive, an emergency home visit must be arranged, or emergency services must be contacted if there are concerns for their well-being. A replacement care worker must be allocated immediately, and the service user must be informed of the new arrangements. The Registered Manager must be notified, and a full investigation into the cause of the missed visit must begin. A record of the missed visit and subsequent actions must be logged, ensuring transparency and regulatory compliance.
Where a missed visit results in (or may result in) neglect, harm, improper treatment, or an unmet essential need (for example medication support, continence care, meals/hydration, or welfare checks), this must be treated as a safeguarding concern. Staff must follow the Safeguarding Policy, take immediate action to protect the individual, make appropriate referrals to the local authority and/or other agencies, and record the allegation/evidence, actions taken and referrals made.
3.7 Risk Management and Escalation Procedures
Each service user is assessed for risk factors at the point of their initial assessment, identifying individuals for whom a missed visit would pose a critical risk. These individuals are flagged as high-priority in the digital monitoring system. If a missed visit occurs for a high-risk service user, escalation protocols must be followed, including immediate senior management intervention and emergency services engagement if necessary.
3.8 Reporting and Recording Missed Visits
All missed visits must be formally recorded, including: The reason for the missed visit, if known. The actions taken to resolve the issue. Any impact on the service user’s health or well-being. Steps taken to prevent recurrence. Missed visits are reviewed in monthly operational meetings, where patterns and root causes are analysed to prevent future occurrences. Regulatory bodies, including CIW, must be informed if a missed visit leads to significant harm or places a service user at risk.
Notifications to CIW and other authorities (Wales requirements)
Where a delayed or missed visit meets the threshold for a notifiable event, the Registered Manager (or delegated person) will make a notification to CIW without delay, in writing, and in the form/manner CIW requires (CIW Online). Notifications will be made in line with Regulation 60 / Schedule 3, including where the missed/delayed visit:
• involves abuse or an allegation of abuse relating to an individual (including neglect arising from missed care), and/or
• results in a serious accident or injury, an incident reported to the police, or other notifiable outcomes, and/or
• is part of (or causes) an event that prevents, or could prevent, the provider from continuing to provide the service safely (for example significant staffing shortfall leading to repeated missed calls).
CIW notifications will be submitted using CIW’s notifications process (CIW Online).
4. Efficiency in Managing Delayed and Missed Visits
To ensure efficiency in managing visit schedules, {{org_field_name}} employs: Automated scheduling software, reducing human error and ensuring real-time monitoring of visits. Real-time GPS tracking, allowing staff to see care workers’ locations and expected arrival times. Immediate response teams, ensuring delays and missed visits are dealt with swiftly. Comprehensive incident review procedures, ensuring lessons are learned from previous issues. Enhanced staff training, focusing on reliability, punctuality, and problem-solving in case of delays.
4.1 Monitoring, learning and quality assurance (CIW evidence and ratings)
We will monitor delayed and missed visits through auditing of call monitoring data, incident logs and complaints. We will analyse themes (including staffing, scheduling/travel time, training, and communication issues) and implement corrective actions. Learning from missed/late calls will be used to improve rota design, travel time allocation, risk escalation and staff competency. Performance and improvement actions will be evidenced for CIW inspection, including published ratings arrangements introduced for domiciliary services from April 2025.
5. Service User Communication and Transparency
Service users must be informed from the outset about how delayed and missed visits are managed. During the initial service agreement, they must be provided with: A copy of this policy, explaining how we handle delayed or missed visits. A designated contact number, allowing them to report concerns or seek reassurance if a visit is delayed. Regular updates, ensuring that they are informed of any changes as soon as possible.
Information will be provided in an accessible format (for example large print, audio, translated versions) and we will support individuals to understand what it means for them. Service users will be told how to raise concerns/complaints, how to access advocacy support, and how to contact relevant oversight bodies (including the Citizen Voice Body Llais) where appropriate.
5.1 Duty of Candour (open and transparent communication)
We will act in an open and transparent way with individuals receiving care and support and, where appropriate, their representatives. Following a missed visit (or a delay that placed a person at risk), we will explain what happened, apologise, describe immediate actions taken to protect the person, and outline what we will change to reduce the risk of recurrence. Where the incident meets notification thresholds, we will also ensure this is reported through CIW notification arrangements.
6. Related Policies
This policy should be read alongside:
- Emergency and Business Continuity Plan (DCW19)
- Risk Management and Assessment Policy (DCW18)
- Receiving and Acting on Complaints Policy (DCW14)
- Person-Centred Care Policy (DCW07)
- Staff Supervision, Training, and Development Policy (DCW27).
7. Policy Review
This policy will be reviewed annually or sooner if legislative changes occur or operational improvements are identified.
Responsible Person: {{org_field_registered_manager_first_name}} {{org_field_registered_manager_last_name}}
Reviewed on: {{last_update_date}}
Next Review Date: {{next_review_date}}
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