The Companionship Standard: what to ask for in writing
We read 13 provider websites serving Greater Manchester for what companionship visits are promised in writing. What we found, and the ten things we commit to.
In September 2026 we read the public websites of 13 providers offering companionship visits across Greater Manchester and recorded what each one commits to in writing. Every one of them offers companionship as one service within a wider home-care offer. Five state some form of same-companion continuity, all of them qualified; two say the family gets a written note after each visit; three name the level of DBS check; one gives a notice period in figures; none names a backup companion the client meets in advance. The Companionship Standard is Whitegreen's answer: ten commitments, in writing, about the visit itself, so that you can compare any provider against a clear list.
Why we did this
When comparing companionship services, the practical questions matter: who comes, what the visit includes, what it costs and what the person and family can expect afterwards. A written answer gives you something specific to discuss.
We wanted to know what is promised in writing, because writing is what you can hold someone to. So we read the websites and recorded what they say. Then we wrote down what we commit to, on the same list, so that anyone in Greater Manchester can compare.
How we did it
On 6 September 2026 we read the public websites of 13 providers that describe companionship visits and serve at least one Greater Manchester borough: Bluebird Care (Manchester North and Salford), Caremark (Stockport), Companions In Care (Bolton), Curam, Helping Hands (Manchester), Home Instead (South Manchester and North Trafford), Homecare Services (Burnage), My Health Care Support, Ollie Care, PrimeCarers, Radfield Home Care (Altrincham, Sale and Trafford), Right at Home (South Trafford) and Visiting Angels (Manchester East). For each we read the companionship page, the how-it-works or FAQ page, and the pricing page where one existed, and recorded whether eleven things were stated. The exact pages we read are listed at the end of this guide, so anyone can check.
Two honest limits. We read websites, not contracts, so a provider may commit to more in its service agreement than it publishes. And "not stated" means we did not find it on the pages we read, not that the provider does not do it. If you run one of these services and we have missed something on your site, email hello@whitegreencompanions.co.uk and we will correct it.
What we found
Companionship is a service line, not a service. All 13 offer companionship alongside personal care. None of the 13 is a business whose whole offer is the companionship visit; there may be others we did not find. That shapes everything else: the visit is described in the language of care packages, and the things that make companionship work are rarely spelled out.
The same person, mostly. Five of the 13 state some commitment to continuity. Every one of those is qualified: a small team rather than one person, the same person "wherever possible" or "typically", or the same person with substitutes allowed. None makes a plain promise of one named companion.
What the family hears afterwards. Two of the 13 say the family gets a written record after each visit, in one case through an app. Eleven do not mention it.
Checks. Three name the level of DBS check as enhanced. Three say "DBS checked" without a level. Seven do not mention checks at all. None mentions the adults' barred list, for which eligibility depends on the actual duties rather than working alone or the client's age alone.
Employment. Five state that their companions are directly employed. Two are introduction platforms and say so. Six do not say either way.
Meeting first. Six state that the first consultation or assessment is free. Three describe a home visit without saying whether it costs anything. Four do not mention one.
Cover. Four say they will arrange cover when the usual carer is away, which is the right answer. None says the client will have met that person before they need them, which is the question we think matters: a familiar face on a bad week, rather than a capable stranger.
Terms. One states a notice period in figures. One mentions an agreed notice period without a figure, one asks for reasonable notice, and ten say nothing about notice, deposits or minimum terms. Five state a minimum visit length, from 30 minutes to an hour. Four publish an hourly price.
Replying. One gives a written commitment on how quickly it replies to an enquiry.
None of this means the visits are poor. Many of these providers are well regarded, and several are rated by the CQC for the regulated care they do. It means that if you want to know what a companionship visit will be, you usually have to ask, and you should ask for the answer in writing.
The Companionship Standard
These are the ten things we commit to, in writing, for every client. Each one comes with the question to put to any provider.
1. One named companion, every visit
Your relative is matched with one person, on interests and temperament, and that person comes every week. Not a small team, not whoever is on the rota. Ask: will it be the same named person every visit, and what happens if we want a different one?
2. A named backup they have already met
Every regular client has one named backup companion, introduced within the first month, with the absence arrangements discussed before visits begin. Ask: who covers when the usual companion is away, and will we have met them first?
3. Employed, trained and insured by us
Our companions are our employees. We pay them properly, supervise them monthly and carry the employer's and public liability insurance. When something goes wrong, it is our responsibility and our phone number. Ask: is the companion employed by you or self-employed, and who holds the insurance?
4. DBS checks for the role, and references spoken to
Every companion has DBS checks appropriate to their role, including the adults' barred list where eligible, two references taken up by telephone and a face-to-face interview before a first visit. Eligibility for the barred-list check depends on specified duties and the circumstances in which they are performed. Ask: what level of DBS check applies to this role, and can you explain the checks before visits start?
5. A free meet-and-greet before anything is booked
The companion we have in mind comes to the house with us, with the timing and postcode availability confirmed first. Nothing is booked and nothing is charged until your relative says yes. Ask: can we meet the companion first, and does it cost anything?
6. A written note after every visit
A few lines from the companion to whichever family member your relative nominates, after every visit: what they did, how they seemed, anything worth knowing. Anything urgent is a phone call. Ask: how will we know how each visit went, and can we see an example?
7. A monthly call from a named person
One named contact at Whitegreen with a direct line, and a phone call every month to talk about how it is going and whether anything should change. Ask: who is our contact, and how often will you check in?
8. No minimum term, no deposit, one week's notice
Visits are booked by the hour and can stop on one week's notice from either side, with no deposit and no exit fee. Cancellations with more than 24 hours' notice cost nothing, and we waive the charge for a hospital admission, illness or a family emergency. Ask: is there a minimum term or a deposit, what is the notice period, and what are the cancellation exceptions?
9. A published price and a written plan
Our hourly price, agreed visit length and evening and weekend rates are on our pricing page, and the same figures go into a one-page companion plan written with your relative: interests, routines, what a good visit looks like, who to call and in what order. Ask: is the price published, and will we get a written plan?
10. A plain line around personal care, and help beyond it
We are a companionship service. We do not provide personal care, and our companions can remind someone to take medication but never administer it. If personal care is ever needed, we tell you early, we help you find the right registered provider, and we can keep visiting alongside them. Ask: what do you not do, and what happens when my relative needs it?
And two more that are less a commitment than a courtesy: a person replies to every enquiry within one working hour during our call hours: Monday to Friday, 9am–6pm, and weekends, 10am–5pm; and a complaint gets a written answer within five working days.
Using the Standard
Print the ten questions and take them to any meet-and-greet, ours included. A provider that has thought about the companionship visit will answer all ten easily and will be happy to put the answers in the service agreement. Our own answers are on this page, in the how it works page and in every client's agreement, and we would rather be measured against them than against a price.
If you would like to talk it through, ring us. The first conversation is about your relative, and it costs nothing.
The pages we read
Every page below was read on 6 September 2026. Where a provider's site blocked automated reading of some pages (Visiting Angels), only the page that loaded is listed and our record for that provider is limited to it. A fourteenth site, SS Care, would not load at all and is not in the count. If your page says something we have recorded as not stated, email hello@whitegreencompanions.co.uk with the link and we will correct the count and say so here.
Show the 13 providers and the pages read
Use the standard at three points, not just when choosing
Before a meeting: turn the commitments into questions about the actual visit you want. Ask what is available for the postcode and time, what the total price is and what needs to be discussed before booking.
Before the first paid visit: confirm who is coming, the agreed plan, contact arrangements, permissions for updates and the terms for changes. Keep a copy that the person receiving visits can understand and refer to.
After the first few visits: ask whether the person's experience matches the arrangement. Are they enjoying the company? Does the timing suit? Is information shared in the way they agreed? If something differs, raise it while the detail is fresh.
The published website comparison above is a dated desk review, not an inspection, customer survey or ranking of quality. A point recorded as not stated means it was not found in the pages reviewed; ask the provider rather than assuming they do not offer it. Current arrangements always need to be checked directly.
A written promise is useful because it gives you something specific to discuss. It is not proof that a service has already delivered it. Whitegreen's starting process and prices are there to support that conversation.
Common questions
What is the Companionship Standard?
Ten written commitments about what a companionship visit will be, from who comes to what you hear afterwards. Whitegreen publishes them on this page and puts them in every client's service agreement. You can use the same list to question any provider.
Who did you survey?
Thirteen providers with a Greater Manchester presence whose websites describe companionship visits, read on 6 September 2026. The full list and the method are on this page. Where a website did not state something, we recorded it as not stated, which is not the same as the provider not doing it.
Why does "in writing" matter?
Because a promise on the phone is hard to hold anyone to. A written commitment can be checked at the meet-and-greet, again after the first month, and again if anything changes.
What is Whitegreen’s service scope?
Whitegreen provides companionship and light practical support, not personal care or clinical support. Ask any provider about its actual service and responsibilities before arranging visits.
Sources
References for the external facts and guidance on this page. Practical examples are examples. If information has changed, tell us so we can correct it.
- DBS, eligibility for Enhanced with Adults' Barred List checks, September 2026
- The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, regulation 2
- Disclosure and Barring Service, regulated activity with adults
- GOV.UK, Employers' liability insurance
- Whitegreen Companions, how it works
- Whitegreen Companions, our companions
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Start with a conversation
Tell us who the visits are for and what they enjoy. We will ring you back within one working hour during our call hours, and arrange a free meet-and-greet at home with the companion we have in mind. Nothing is charged until you have met them and said yes.