The 5-question interview filter that stops 90-day carer churn (includes full 2026 homecare interview guide)

What you'll get from this post:

• A 5-question screen (takes 10 minutes, filters out 80% of costly hires)
• The full interview framework (for when you have time to recruit strategically)
• Printable red flag checklist to spot warning signs instantly
• Ready-to-use pitches for explaining your digital-first system to candidates

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Reality check: You're interviewing in a coffee shop between visits

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Your admin called in sick. You have 20 minutes before you need to cover a double-up. You don't have time for a bad hire.

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A carer who quits at 90 days costs you £2,000–£5,000 in agency cover, lost contracts, and management time you don't have. The frustration is familiar: another round of interviews, more time away from actual care management, and the nagging question of whether this cycle will ever end.

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Here's what's changed in 2026: the CQC's Single Assessment Framework now focuses heavily on Quality Statements like "Workforce Wellbeing" and "Safe & Effective Care." Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) are scrutinising Digital Social Care Record (DSCR) compliance more closely. And carers who can't or won't use eMAR systems create compliance risk you can't afford.

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You need Value-Based Recruitment (VBR): hiring people who understand the realities of home care, can work confidently with digital tools, and will stay because they see technology as support - not a burden.

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This guide gives you two paths:

1. The 5-Question Screen (use today - takes 10 minutes)
2. The Full Framework (bookmark for strategic hiring)

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Part 1: The 5-Question Screen

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Use this when:

• You're recruiting reactively (hospital discharges, carer resignations, new contracts starting Monday)
• You're interviewing alone without HR support
• You need to make a decision in under 20 minutes

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Question 1: "A client refuses their medication during your visit. What do you do?"

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Why it matters:

This tests clinical judgement, documentation discipline, and whether they understand eMAR safety and accuracy - one of the biggest compliance risks in 2026. The CQC's Quality Statements expect real-time, accurate medication logging.

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🟢 Green flag answer:

"I'd ask why they're refusing - is it side effects, confusion, or choice? I'd explain why it's prescribed, but I won't force it. Then I'd document the refusal with a reason code in the eMAR system and escalate to the office if it's a pattern or a critical medication."

What this shows: They understand that data accuracy protects the client. They know medication refusal requires documentation with reason codes, not just skipping the record. They understand escalation protocols.

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🔴 Red flag answers:

• "I'd insist they take it" (lacks understanding of consent and dignity)
• "I'd just mark it as administered to avoid paperwork" (falsifies records - compliance disaster)
• "I'd write it down and update the system at the end of my shift" (creates a 6-hour risk window)

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Question 2: "How do you feel about using GPS check-in for visits?"

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Why it matters:

This reveals their attitude toward digital accountability. Carers who see GPS as "surveillance" will resist your DSCR system. Carers who see it as safety infrastructure will thrive.

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🟢 Green flag answer:

"It makes sense - it protects me and the client. If something happens on a lone shift, you know exactly where I am and when I arrived. It also removes any confusion about visit times."

What this shows: They understand compliance tools as safety features, not intrusion. They're ready for app-based workflows that support ICB compliance.

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🔴 Red flag answers:

• "I don't like being tracked" (sees accountability as surveillance)
• "Can't I just call when I arrive?" (won't adopt your digital system)
• "Do I have to?" (resistance from day one)

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Question 3: "Why do you think carers leave home care within the first three months?"

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Why it matters:

Self-aware candidates who understand sector realities stay longer. This question reveals whether they have realistic expectations - or whether they're about to become another 90-day churn statistic.

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🟢 Green flag answer:

"Lack of support, too much admin, feeling isolated. Or the job wasn't what they expected - maybe they didn't realise how physically demanding it is or how much responsibility lone workers carry."

What to do next: This is your moment to explain how your organisation addresses these issues.

Your pitch: "That's exactly why we use Birdie. Our carers can raise alerts directly from the app - safeguarding concerns, medication issues, client changes - and managers are notified instantly. You're never alone on a shift. And because notes and medication records are logged digitally in real time, there's no paperwork to take home. It significantly reduces administrative burden."

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🔴 Red flag answers:

• "People who leave just aren't cut out for care" (lacks empathy and systems thinking)
• "The pay is too low" (single-issue focus - will leave for 50p more elsewhere)
• "I have no idea" (hasn't thought about retention or role realities)

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Question 4: "How does real-time access to digital care plans change your confidence on a lone-working shift?"

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Why it matters:

It invites candidates to see technology as support, not surveillance, while letting you pitch your digital-first system.

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What you're listening for:

• Do they understand that Digital Social Care Records mean they don't need to phone the office constantly?
• Can they articulate how having full client information at their fingertips reduces stress?
• Do they see digital tools as empowering or burdensome?

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How to frame it:

"At our agency, you'll have the full care plan, medication list, risk assessments, and emergency contacts on your phone. If something changes - a new allergy, a fall risk - you see it instantly before you walk through the door. You're never guessing. Does that sound like it would help you feel more prepared?"

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🟢 Green flag answer:

"That sounds really helpful. I've worked places where I had to call the office to check things, and it wastes time and makes me feel unprepared. Having everything on my phone would make me feel more confident, especially on lone-working shifts."

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🔴 Red flag answers:

• "I prefer just being told what to do when I arrive" (won't use proactive tools)
• "I'm not great with phones" (digital literacy concern)
• "Can't I just get a printed care plan?" (resists digital transition)

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Question 5: "Describe a time when you had multiple back-to-back visits and something went wrong. How did you handle it?"

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Why it matters:

This reveals resilience and problem-solving under pressure - the two biggest predictors of whether someone will last beyond 90 days.

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🟢 Green flag answer:

"I had a client fall during a visit, which put me 20 minutes behind. I stayed with them to make sure they were safe, called my manager to let them know, and they rearranged my next visit so I didn't have to rush. It made me realise how important communication is."

What this shows:

• Calm problem-solving
• Ability to reprioritise without compromising care quality
• Willingness to escalate appropriately (not soldiering through unsafely)
• Values real-time communication with managers

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🔴 Red flag answers:

• "I just rushed through the next visit" (compromises care quality under pressure)
• "I didn't tell anyone - I just handled it" (communication failure and lone-worker risk)
• "I skipped my break to catch up" (burnout pathway)

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Quick decision matrix

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Green flags in 3+ answers | Hire and onboard with confidence

Green flags in 1–2 answers | Proceed with caution - ask follow-ups or request a working interview

‍Red flags in 2+ answers | Decline — high churn risk

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Print this and keep it in your car

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Screenshot this table. Use it during interviews. Make faster, better decisions.

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Part 2: the full interview framework (when you have time)

Bookmark this section. Come back when you're recruiting a senior carer, deputy manager, or building a team for a new contract.

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Why 90-day churn is a 2026 problem (and what's changed)

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The UK care sector is in a retention crisis. Average carer tenure is under 18 months, with 90-day churn costing agencies between £2,000–£5,000 per leaver when you factor in:

• Agency cover (at 40% markup)
• Lost contracts (clients transferred to competitors)
• Management time (yours — which you don't have)

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What's different in 2026:

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CQC Single Assessment Framework: Inspectors now focus on Quality Statements like "Workforce Wellbeing" and "Safe & Effective Care," scrutinising:

1. How you support lone workers
2. Whether carers have real-time access to care plans
3. If your medication records are accurate and auditable via eMAR systems

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Digital Social Care Records (DSCR) are mandatory: Paper-based systems no longer meet ICB compliance standards. Carers who resist digital tools create risk and place additional burden on colleagues.

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Competition for talent is fiercer: Agencies offering £17–18/hour are poaching your best staff. You need to recruit for values and digital readiness, not just availability.

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Traditional interviewing ("Tell me about yourself" / "Why care?") doesn't filter for these 2026 realities. Value-Based Recruitment (VBR) does.

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The full interview framework: 4 categories

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Category 1: value-based questions (CQC "Caring" Domain)

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These assess whether candidates understand person-centred care and can balance autonomy with safety — critical for meeting the CQC's "Caring" Quality Statement.

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Questions to ask:

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"Describe a time when you had to balance what a client wanted with what was safest for them. How did you handle it?"

• Why it matters: Tests nuance. Can they hold tension between autonomy and safety without defaulting to control?
• Listen for: Specific examples. Vague answers ("I always respect their wishes") indicate they haven't faced real dilemmas.

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"How would you support someone who feels isolated and rarely sees family?"

• Why it matters: Loneliness is a safeguarding concern. Practical answers show emotional intelligence.
• 🟢 Green flag: "I'd spend an extra 5 minutes chatting if my schedule allows. I'd suggest activities — maybe a phone call to a friend, or we could watch a show together. Small things that create connection."
• 🔴 Red flag: "That's not really my job — I'm there for care tasks."

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"What does 'dignity in care' mean to you in practice?"

• Why it matters: Filters out candidates who've memorised buzzwords but can't operationalise them.
• 🟢 Green flag: Specific behaviours — "Letting them choose their outfit, even if it takes longer. Closing the door during personal care. Asking before I do something, not assuming."
• 🔴 Red flag: Generic statements — "I treat everyone with respect."

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"A client asks you to do something that's not in the care plan. What do you do?"

• 🟢 Green flag: "I'd check if it's safe and within my remit. If yes, I'd do it and note it in the app so the care plan can be updated. If no, I'd explain why and escalate to the office."
• 🔴 Red flag: "I'd just do it" or "I'd refuse — it's not in the plan."

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Category 2: digital literacy and DSCR readiness

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Carers in 2026 operate a digital care ecosystem:

• GPS check-in/check-out (safety for lone workers)
• eMAR logging (medication accuracy in real time)
• Digital care plan access (updated centrally, no phone calls to the office)
• Incident alerts (escalations go directly to managers)

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If they can't or won't engage with these tools, they create compliance risk and increase administrative burden on your team.

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Questions to ask:

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"Have you worked with electronic medication administration records (eMAR) before? Walk me through how you'd record a missed dose."

• Why it matters: Tests familiarity with eMAR workflows and understanding that missed medications require reason codes, not just skipping documentation.
• 🟢 Green flag: "I'd log it immediately in the app, select the reason code - 'refused,' 'unavailable,' or 'client asleep' - and add a note explaining what happened. Then I'd check if the care plan says to escalate."
• 🔴 Red flag: "I'd leave it for the next carer to sort out" or "I prefer paper - it's more reliable."

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"Imagine you're on a lone-working shift and the care plan has been updated since you last saw the client. How would you access that information?"

• Why it matters: Tests comfort with mobile technology and understanding that real-time access to care plans is standard in digital-first organisations.
• 🟢 Green flag: "I'd open the app and check the latest care plan before I go in. That way I'm prepared."
• 🔴 Red flag: "I'd call the office" (doesn't use app-first workflow) or "I'd just wing it based on what I remember."

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"What would you do if you lost mobile signal during a visit and couldn't immediately log notes?"

• Why it matters: Tests problem-solving and understanding of offline functionality in modern care apps.
• 🟢 Green flag: "I'd complete the visit, write my notes in the app offline, and they'd sync when I get signal back. The most important thing is finishing the care safely."
• 🔴 Red flag: "I guess I'd just skip the notes?" or "I'd write them on paper and hope I remember to transfer them later."

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"How important is transparency around your hours and pay?"

• Why it matters: This is a retention question disguised as a preferences question. It also lets you pitch Birdie's transparency features.
• Your pitch: "Our carers can view in-app timesheets that show hours worked, mileage, and travel time — ahead of payroll. No surprises. Just clarity and trust."

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Category 3: resilience and retention

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These questions identify candidates who understand the realities of domiciliary care and have coping strategies. Resilience isn't about enduring poor conditions - it's about self-awareness and resourcefulness.

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Questions to ask:

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"What's the biggest challenge of lone working, and how do you manage that?"

• Why it matters: Reveals self-awareness and whether they've thought about coping mechanisms.
• 🟢 Green flag: "You can feel isolated, especially on long shifts. I manage it by staying organised - checking the care plan before I arrive so I'm not caught off guard. And I need to know I can reach someone if something goes wrong, like a fall or safeguarding concern."
• 🔴 Red flag: "I prefer to just get on with it without checking in" or "I've never worked alone before."

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"What kind of support do you need from your manager to do your job well?"

• Why it matters: Reveals expectations. Do they need micromanagement or just clear systems?
• 🟢 Green flag: "Clear communication. Access to updated information. Trust that if I raise a concern, it'll be taken seriously."
• Your pitch: "We use Birdie's alert system. If you spot a safeguarding concern, a medication issue, or a fall, you raise it in the app and I'm notified instantly. You're not alone on a shift, even when you're working alone."

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"Tell me about a time you made a mistake at work. How did you handle it?"

• Why it matters: Tests accountability and learning mindset.
• 🟢 Green flag: "I once forgot to record a PRN medication immediately and realised at my next visit. I went back into the app, logged it with a note explaining the delay, and told my manager. They appreciated the honesty, and I set a reminder system so it wouldn't happen again."
• 🔴 Red flag: "I don't really make mistakes" or "I just fix it quietly and move on."

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Category 4: Pitching your digital support

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Use these moments to explain how your technology reduces administrative burden and supports retention.

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Example pitches:

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Question: "What are your biggest frustrations with paperwork in care?"

Your pitch:"We've moved to digital care records. No filing cabinets, no duplicate data entry, no hunting for the right form. Notes, medication records, observations - all logged in the app and stored securely in the cloud. You spend less time on admin and more time with clients. That's how we reduce administrative burden for our carers."

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Question: "How do you currently keep track of tasks during a visit to ensure nothing is missed?"

Your pitch: "At our organisation, carers use the Birdie app to access a personalised task list for each visit. You check in via GPS, complete tasks as you go, and the system confirms when everything is done. No more worry about forgotten tasks. And if you need to add a note or raise a concern, it's instant."

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Question: "Have you ever worked somewhere that provides real-time communication between carers and the office?"

Your pitch:"With Birdie, you can raise alerts directly from the app — safeguarding, falls, medication issues — and managers are notified instantly. If something changes during a visit, you're not alone. You have immediate backup. That's what we mean by digital-first support."

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How to use this framework

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Option 1: The 5-Question Screen (10–15 minutes)

• Use when recruiting urgently
• Focus on medication refusal, GPS check-in, why carers leave, digital care plans, and resilience under pressure
• Decide: hire, proceed with caution, or decline

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Option 2: The Full Interview (45–60 minutes)

• Use for senior carers, deputies, or strategic growth hires
• Cover all 4 categories
• Use "Birdie Edge" questions to pitch your digital support system and differentiate your agency

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Option 3: The Hybrid (25–30 minutes)

• Start with the 5-Question Screen
• If green flags appear, add 2–3 questions from Categories 1 or 3 to dig deeper

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Final thought: How Birdie reduces the administrative burden that causes carers to quit

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Recruitment will always require your time. But retention is where technology wins.

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When carers use the Birdie Carer App, they:

✅ Check in via GPS (secure, automatic, and reassuring for lone workers)

✅ Access full care plans and task lists in seconds (no phone calls to the office)

✅ Log notes and medications in real time (no end-of-shift backlog or paperwork to take home)

✅ Raise alerts instantly (safeguarding, falls, medication issues go straight to managers)

✅ Work offline (low signal? No problem - syncs when connected)

✅ View timesheets and pay transparency (builds trust and reduces confusion)

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For you, this means:

• Less firefighting
• Fewer compliance gaps
• More confident carers who stay longer
• CQC Quality Statements evidence built automatically through accurate, real-time DSCR records
• ICB compliance without manual audits

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The question isn't whether your next hire can tolerate paperwork. It's whether they can thrive in a digital-first agency - and whether you're offering them the tools to succeed.

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What to do right now

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If you're interviewing this week:

1. Screenshot the red flag checklist
2. Use the 5-Question Screen in your next interview
3. Pay attention to how candidates talk about technology - resistance is a warning sign

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If you're not interviewing but losing carers:

1. Ask your current team: "What would make you stay here for the next two years?"
2. Check whether they're using Birdie properly (or whether they're working around it)
3. If adoption is low, book a refresher session with your account manager

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If you want to reduce 90-day churn long-term:

1. Make digital readiness a non-negotiable part of your hiring criteria
2. Explain your tech stack during interviews (it's a selling point, not a burden)
3. Track how long digitally confident carers stay vs. those who resist technology

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Further reading

• Empower your care teams with Birdie
• How digital care planning works
• Case study: How Prioritising People's Lives reduced carer stress with Birdie
• Workforce experience features that support recruitment and retention
• How Birdie's eMAR system reduces medication errors and supports CQC compliance

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Bottom line: You can't afford to hire people who will quit in 90 days. This framework helps you identify carers who understand the realities of home care, are ready for DSCR and eMAR workflows, and see digital tools as support - not a burden.