England plans neighbourhood home care commissioning to cut travel and improve continuity

Councils in England will be encouraged to arrange home care within smaller neighbourhoods, with one or two main providers serving each area, under plans announced by the Department of Health and Social Care on 12 November 2026.

The government says the approach aims to give people more familiar care workers and reduce the distance staff travel between visits. Guidance and toolkits are due in spring, with councils’ progress to be tracked over the coming months. Read the DHSC announcement of 12 November 2026.

In the announcement, the Homecare Association welcomes the direction while calling for fees that meet care costs, predictable work, payment for whole rounds and continued choice for people receiving support.

What providers can bring to local discussions

A provider’s first contribution could be a clear picture of its current rounds. Compare the travel time between visits, the number of different workers someone sees and the availability of staff at the times people need support. Use anonymised information when discussing patterns with commissioners.

Consider what happens at the edge of a proposed neighbourhood. A short journey on a map may take much longer on public transport, while an evening round may need different cover from a weekday morning. Ask how boundaries would accommodate specialist skills, double-handed visits and people whose preferred routines cross the proposed areas.

Test continuity as well as mileage

If a local pilot goes ahead, agree measures with the commissioner before it starts. Alongside travel time, a service could track whether planned workers arrive, whether visit times suit people and whether staff have enough time to complete the agreed support. Ask people what seeing a familiar worker means to them and how they would raise a concern about the arrangement.

England’s care and support statutory guidance already places weight on people’s wishes and participation in decisions. That provides a basis for discussing how a local commissioning model should respond to individual preferences. Care and support statutory guidance, chapter 1.

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