What we've done

We aim to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 at level AA. Our website:

works on phones, tablets and computers, and when you zoom in up to 400%; can be used with a keyboard alone; uses clear headings and labels that work with screen readers; describes images with alternative text; uses colours with good contrast; follows your device's light or dark setting; and reduces animation if you've asked your device to.

Known limitations

Some older documents and PDFs may not be fully accessible. Photos supplied by families and staff may not always have detailed descriptions. We're working to improve these.

Other formats and help

If you need information in a different format, such as large print, Easy Read, audio or another language, or you'd simply prefer to talk, call us free on 0800 049 2881 or email admin@healthcare1stchoicelimited.co.uk. We'll do our best to help.

Tell us about a problem

If you find something on our website that's hard to use, please tell us at admin@healthcare1stchoicelimited.co.uk. We'll aim to reply within 5 working days.

Last updated October 2026

Our promise

Every complaint is taken seriously, recorded and followed by action. Raising a concern will never affect the care you or your loved one receives.

In line with our Duty of Candour, if something has gone wrong we will be open and honest with you, explain what happened, apologise and tell you what we're doing to put it right.

How to raise a concern or complaint

You can tell any member of our team, who will pass it to the right manager. Or contact us directly:

Phone: 0800 049 2881
Email: admin@healthcare1stchoicelimited.co.uk
Post: Complaints, Healthcare 1st Choice Ltd, Planetary House, Planetary Road, Willenhall WV13 3SW

You can complain on behalf of someone else with their permission, or if they're unable to give it and you're acting in their best interests. If you'd like help to make a complaint, just ask.

What happens next

We will acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days and tell you who is looking into it.

A manager will investigate, which may include talking to you, the person receiving care and our staff.

We aim to give you a full written response within 28 days. If it will take longer, we'll tell you why and keep you updated.

Our response will explain what we found, what we will do and how we'll make sure it doesn't happen again.

If you're not satisfied

If you're unhappy with our response, please tell us so we can try again. If it still isn't resolved, you can contact:

For privately funded or local authority funded care: the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, lgo.org.uk, 0300 061 0614.

For NHS-funded care: the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, ombudsman.org.uk, 0345 015 4033.

For children's services: the local authority that arranges the care, then the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

You can also share your experience with the Care Quality Commission at cqc.org.uk or on 03000 616161. The CQC doesn't investigate individual complaints, but it uses feedback to inform its inspections.

Compliments

If you'd like to thank a carer or the team, we'd love to hear it. We share compliments with the staff involved, and with your permission we may share them anonymously on this website.

Last updated October 2026

Who we are

Healthcare 1st Choice Ltd (“we”, “us”) is a care provider registered in England and Wales, company number 09313006. We are the data controller for personal information collected through this website.

If you have any questions about this policy or how we use your information, contact us at admin@healthcare1stchoicelimited.co.uk, call 0800 049 2881, or write to us at Planetary House, Planetary Road, Willenhall WV13 3SW.

Our ICO registration number is ZA461353.

Information we collect through this website

Care enquiries (the “Find the right care” form): your name, telephone number and email address; who needs support; the type and amount of support; when it's needed; the postcode where care is needed; how care may be funded; and anything else you choose to tell us.

Professional referrals: the referrer's name, organisation, job title and contact details; the individual's initials or reference, age and postcode area; the type of support, hours, staffing ratio, start date and funding authority; and a brief summary of needs.

Job applications: your name, contact details, postcode, age confirmation, driving status, experience, qualifications, availability, right-to-work and sponsorship answers, how you heard about us, and any CV you upload.

Family guide sign-ups: your first name, email address and, if you choose, your telephone number.

Information about someone's care or support needs can be health information, which the law treats as special category data. Please only share what's needed for us to respond, and don't send detailed medical records through the website.

How and why we use your information

To respond to your enquiry or referral, arrange an assessment and, if care goes ahead, plan and provide that care. Our lawful basis is taking steps at your request before entering into a contract, or our legitimate interests in responding to enquiries.

Where your enquiry includes health information, we process it because it is necessary for the provision of health or social care (UK GDPR Article 9(2)(h)), or with your explicit consent.

To consider your job application and carry out pre-employment checks, as steps before entering into a contract and to meet our legal obligations, such as right-to-work and DBS checks.

To send you the family guide and, only if you agree, occasional related information. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Who we share information with

We only share personal information where necessary, for example with our IT, email and form providers who process it on our behalf; with the local authority, NHS or other professionals involved in someone's care, where appropriate; and, for job applicants, with the Disclosure and Barring Service and referees.

We never sell your information. We may share information where the law requires it, including to protect someone from harm.

We use Google Workspace to receive and store enquiries submitted through this website. Google may store information outside the UK. Where it does, your information is protected by safeguards approved under UK data protection law, such as UK adequacy regulations or the International Data Transfer Agreement.

How long we keep information

We keep personal information only as long as we need it. Our retention periods are: enquiries that don't lead to care, 12 months; unsuccessful job applications, 6 months; guide sign-ups, until you unsubscribe. Records of people we care for are kept in line with our care records retention policy.

Your rights

You have the right to ask for a copy of your information, ask us to correct or delete it, object to or restrict how we use it, and withdraw consent where we rely on consent. To make a request, contact us using the details above. We will respond within one month.

If you're unhappy with how we've handled your information, please tell us first. You can also complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.

Cookies

This website uses only the cookies it needs to work. If we add analytics cookies to understand how the site is used, we will ask for your consent first. [Update once the website's cookie set-up is confirmed.]

People we care for

This policy covers information collected through our website. People who receive care from us are given a separate privacy notice explaining how their care records are used and protected.

Last updated October 2026

If someone is in immediate danger

Call 999. If someone is at risk of harm right now, contact the emergency services first.

Our commitment

We have zero tolerance of abuse and neglect. We work with local authorities, the police and health partners to protect the people we support, and we follow the safeguarding procedures of each local authority area we work in.

How we keep people safe

Safer recruitment: enhanced DBS checks, references and right-to-work checks before anyone starts.

Training: every member of staff is trained to recognise and report abuse and neglect, with training appropriate to their role and to working with children or adults.

Clear procedures: staff know exactly how to report a concern, and managers act on every report.

Oversight: safeguarding is overseen by our Registered Manager and reviewed as part of our quality and governance systems.

Speaking up: our whistleblowing policy means staff can raise concerns without fear.

How to raise a safeguarding concern

If you're worried about someone we support, or about the behaviour of any of our staff, please contact us straight away on 0800 049 2881 or at admin@healthcare1stchoicelimited.co.uk. Ask to speak to the manager on duty.

You can also contact the safeguarding team at the local council where the person lives. We work across the City of Wolverhampton, Walsall, Dudley, Birmingham, Coventry, Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Worcestershire and Herefordshire. Search for your council's name and “safeguarding” to find their contact details, including out of hours.

For our staff

Always follow our safeguarding and whistleblowing policies and report concerns to your manager or the on-call manager immediately. If you don't feel able to raise a concern internally, you can contact the local authority safeguarding team, the Care Quality Commission on 03000 616161, or the whistleblowing charity Protect.

Last updated October 2026