Working with the NHS
How SW Care partners with NHS Gloucestershire to deliver safe, effective home care across Cheltenham.
Being There When You Need care After a Hospital Discharge
Families ask about our NHS working relationship because it tells them whether a care provider meets the clinical standards expected by the health service.
Learn more about SW Domiciliary Care and the values that guide our care.
SW Care has a strong working relationship with the Stroke Early Supported Discharge Team at Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust. This relationship reflects the clinical standards, reliability and professionalism that define everything we do as a home care provider.
Whether a patient needs support following discharge after a stroke or other acute episode, ongoing Continuing Healthcare at home, or short-term reablement care, our team is ready to deliver safe, compassionate care that meets NHS standards, often at short notice of referral.
Visit our home care company in Cheltenham for more information about our team and approach.
Working with the NHS Stroke Early Supported Discharge Team
Our close working relationship with the NHS Stroke Early Supported Discharge Team in Cheltenham means we work alongside NHS clinical teams to support patients in the community. This is not a casual arrangement. It is a professional relationship built on trust, shared standards and a mutual commitment to patient outcomes.
We receive referrals directly from NHS teams when patients need domiciliary care at home. Our Registered Manager coordinates closely with NHS discharge coordinators, district nurses, occupational therapists and social workers to ensure that every care package is tailored to the individual and delivered without delay.
Being trusted by NHS teams is a responsibility we take seriously. It means we hold ourselves to the same rigorous standards that NHS patients expect from any healthcare provider. Our CQC-rated Good status, our investment in carer training, and our fully digitised care platform all help us meet and exceed those expectations.
Hospital Discharge Support
Coming home from the hospital can be a vulnerable time. Patients may be recovering from surgery, managing new medications or adjusting to reduced mobility. Families are often anxious about whether their loved one will receive the right support at home.
Our hospital discharge care service is designed to make this transition as smooth and stress-free as possible.
How We Support Hospital Discharge
- Responsive care capability. We work to begin care promptly after referral, helping patients return home sooner longer than necessary while waiting for a care package to be arranged.
- Coordinated handover. We work directly with NHS Cheltenham Stroke discharge team to understand each patient’s clinical needs, medication regime and mobility requirements before they leave the ward.
- Tailored care plans. Every discharge care plan is written specifically for the individual, based on clinical notes, family input and our own assessment. We do not use generic templates.
- Consistent carers. We assign familiar carers to each patient from the outset, so there is continuity from the first visit onwards. This reduces anxiety and helps patients settle back into their home routine.
Hospital discharge care can be short-term, supporting recovery over a few weeks, or it can transition into longer-term personal care, live-in care or complex care if needed. We adapt to whatever the patient and their family require.
> “Dad was in Cheltenham General for three weeks after a fall. The hospital put us in touch with SW Care, and they had everything set up before he was even discharged. The carers were brilliant from day one, calm, capable and kind. We could not have managed without them.”, Richard F., son of client in Charlton Kings
Continuing Healthcare
Some patients qualify for NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC), fully funded care at home for individuals with complex or ongoing health needs. If your loved one has been assessed as eligible for CHC, SW Care can deliver the care package on behalf of the NHS.
What Continuing Healthcare Covers
CHC is available for people whose primary need is health-related, regardless of their diagnosis. It can cover a wide range of domiciliary care services, including:
Everything we do reflects who we are — read more learn more about SW Care.
- Personal care, washing, dressing, toileting and mobility support
- Complex care, medication management, wound care and clinical observations
- Dementia care, specialist support for people living with dementia
- Overnight care, waking or sleeping night support
- Live-in care, 24-hour care in the patient’s own home
Whether your care is privately funded or funded through NHS Continuing Healthcare, the standard of care you receive from SW Care is exactly the same. We do not operate a two-tier system. Every client receives fully trained carers, a personalised care plan and access to our digital care platform.
If you are unsure whether your loved one qualifies for CHC, our care advisers can explain the process and help you understand the assessment criteria. You can also speak to your GP or the NHS Continuing Healthcare team at NHS Gloucestershire.
How We Maintain NHS Standards
Delivering care on behalf of the NHS requires more than good intentions. It requires robust systems, qualified staff and rigorous quality assurance. Here is how we ensure that every care visit meets the standards expected by the NHS and the Care Quality Commission.
Qualified, Trained Carers
Every member of our care team completes the Care Certificate (15 modules) before their first client visit and is funded to achieve NVQ Level 2 or Level 3 qualifications in Health and Social Care. All carers are Dementia Friends certified through the Alzheimer’s Society and receive ongoing training through our Flourish digital training platform.
Enhanced DBS checks are completed and funded by SW Care for every carer. You can read more about our recruitment standards in our DBS checks policy.
Digital Care Records
Our fully digitised care platform ensures that every visit is recorded accurately, care plans are updated in real time and clinical observations are flagged immediately. This level of documentation is essential for NHS-referred patients, where clinical accountability and accurate record-keeping are paramount.
Care Procedures
Our Registered Manager maintains oversight of all care delivery, with regular spot checks, supervision sessions and care plan reviews. For clients with complex clinical needs, we coordinate directly with district nurses, GPs and NHS clinical teams to ensure joined-up care.
You can learn more about our approach to quality in our quality assurance process and clinical oversight framework.
CQC Compliance
We are registered with and regulated by the Care Quality Commission, with registration number 1-6720068087. Our most recent inspection rated us Good across all categories. This means families and NHS teams can trust that our care is safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.
“The NHS referred us to SW Care when Mum needed CHC-funded care at home. We were nervous about the transition, but the team made it completely straightforward. They worked with the district nurse to get everything right, and Mum’s care has been excellent from the start.” – Karen B., daughter of client in Cheltenham
Getting Started Takes One Phone Call
Most families feel unsure about this first step. That’s completely normal. Here’s what happens.
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One Phone Call Changes Everything
01242 352 554
Mon–Fri 9am–5pm
Send your enquiry by email →
No waiting. No call centres. You’ll speak directly to Kasha, Kamila or Stacey — real people who’ve helped hundreds of Cheltenham families find the right care. Tell them what’s worrying you. They’ll be honest about what we can do.
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We Visit. We Listen. We Plan.
We come to your parent’s home — not an office, not a hospital. We sit down, learn their routine, what matters to them, and what worries you. Then we build a care plan around their life — not a template. If you’re paying privately, we’ll work within your budget. No surprises.
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Your Parent Gets Their Own Small Team
We match a small team of carers to your parent — people they’ll actually look forward to seeing. They arrive on time, every time. You get updates on the app after every visit. Same familiar faces at the door. No strangers. And for the first time in months, you can breathe.
The Smartest Way to Start Your Care Search Is a 10-Minute Phone Call.
Speak directly to Stacey, Kasha, Kamila or Faisal at our Cheltenham office. No call centres. No sales pitch. Just clear answers about what care looks like, what it costs, and whether it’s the right step.
There’s never any obligation.
The Smartest Way to Start Your Care Search Is a 10-Minute Phone Call.
Speak directly to our care team: Stacey, Kasha, Kamila or Faisal – at our Cheltenham office. No call centres. No sales pitch. Just clear answers about what care looks like, what it costs, and whether it’s the right step.
Out of hours? Leave a voicemail
There is never any obligation.