Plan guide — what the badges mean
Sections marked with a badge are only available on those plans. Features without a badge are available on all plans. To upgrade your plan, go to System → Membership in the app or visit care-app.uk/packages.
Care App is a web app that can be installed on your phone like a regular app — no app store needed.
Once installed, the app will appear on your home screen and open full screen just like a regular app. You must use Chrome on Android and Safari on iPhone/iPad for the install option to appear.
Management and Team Leader accounts have access to additional features not visible to standard staff.
The left-hand sidebar contains all sections of the app, organised into collapsible groups. Click any group name to expand it and reveal the pages inside. The group containing the page you are currently viewing opens automatically.
| Group | Pages inside |
|---|---|
| Top level (always visible) | Dashboard, Search, Calendar |
| Client Care | Clients, Diary, Medication, Appointments, Checklists, Emergency Contacts, Handover |
| Daily Work | Tasks, Timesheets, Staff Chat, Noticeboard, Staff Feedback, Family Messages |
| Incidents | Incidents, Accident Book, Medication Errors |
| My Records | My Expenses, My Availability, Training, My Policies, My eLearning |
| Rota & Scheduling (Management) | Rota, Holiday, Staff Availability, Open Shifts, Staff Absences |
| Staff (Management) | User Management, Appraisals, Supervision, Staff Wellbeing, DBS Tracking, Recruitment |
| Care Quality (Management) | CQC Audit, CQC Evidence Pack, EVV Report, Property Locations, Safeguarding, MCA & DoLS, Complaints & Feedback, Reablement |
| Finance (Management) | Finance, Invoices, Billing Packages |
| System (Management) | Reports, Power BI, eLearning Courses, Policies, Family Portal, Audit Trail, Membership, Settings |
On mobile or tablet, tap the menu icon (☰) in the top left corner to open the sidebar.
Do not share your password with anyone. As a manager, your account has access to sensitive staff and client data.
The dashboard is your real-time overview of everything happening across your service. It contains several sections:
The Today's Shifts panel shows every rota shift scheduled for today and the current attendance status for each member of staff.
| Indicator | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Clock badge (green) | Staff member clocked in using the Clock In / Out widget on their dashboard |
| QR badge (blue) | Staff member scanned the client or property QR code on arrival |
| Both badges | Staff member clocked in AND scanned QR — doubly verified |
| Missing (red) | Shift is currently active but no clock-in or QR scan has been recorded — follow up immediately |
| No check-in (grey) | Shift has ended and no check-in was recorded |
The panel also shows:
Use this panel throughout the day to know at a glance who is working, who is where, and who has not yet checked in. Click Rota or Timesheets at the top right of the panel to navigate to the full records.
The new user will receive an email invitation to set their password and log in. Each staff member must have their own individual account — sharing logins is not permitted.
When someone leaves your organisation:
Deactivated users cannot log in but their records and entries are retained for audit purposes. Do not delete old accounts.
| Role | What They Can Do |
|---|---|
| Staff | View assigned clients, log care notes, log medication, view their own rota, submit holiday and swap requests |
| Team Leader | All staff permissions, plus view all clients, approve holiday and swap requests, manage rota |
| Management | Full access including staff management, audit trail, reports, and financial records |
The care skills system ensures the right staff are matched to the right clients based on their qualifications and specialist competencies.
When building the rota, staff who do not hold all required skills for a client will be highlighted — helping you avoid placing unqualified staff on those visits. Staff can view their own skills profile in My Records → Training.
When a client leaves your care, change their status to Inactive rather than deleting them. Their records are retained for compliance purposes.
When stock falls to or below the threshold, management and team leaders automatically receive a notification. Check the Medications tab regularly and ensure stock is replenished before it runs out.
Hover over a shift in the rota grid and use the action buttons that appear. On mobile, use the list view to manage shifts.
When adding a shift, mark it as Recurring to repeat it weekly. Useful for regular rotas.
Attendance is marked automatically when a staff member clocks in via the Clock In widget or scans a client or property QR code. The rota shift is updated to Present instantly — no manual action needed for staff who follow the normal clock-in or QR process.
You can still mark shifts manually as Present or Absent from the rota grid at any time — for example, to correct an absence or mark a shift for a staff member who had a technical issue. Only shifts marked as Present are included when generating invoices.
The requesting staff member will be notified of your decision automatically.
Open Shifts lets you post available shifts for staff to bid on — replacing ad-hoc cover requests over WhatsApp or phone.
Staff can only bid once per shift. Once a bid is placed they see "Bid placed" and cannot modify it. You can accept a bid at any time while the shift is Open.
The rota automatically checks shifts against Working Time Regulation limits and highlights any potential breaches before you publish the rota.
WTR alerts are triggered when:
WTR alerts are advisory — staff can opt out of the 48-hour limit in writing. Keep any opt-out agreements on file. The system flags the risk; it is your responsibility to act on it.
The staff member will receive a notification with the outcome.
The Timesheets section gives you a full record of staff clock-ins and clock-outs, including actual times, scheduled times, duration, and location.
Each entry shows the scheduled shift times, actual clock-in and clock-out times, total duration, and the location recorded at clock-in and clock-out (where the staff member permitted location access).
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Active | Staff member is currently clocked in |
| Completed | Shift finished — staff member clocked out manually |
| Auto Out | System automatically clocked the staff member out 15 minutes after their shift end — flagged for review |
If a staff member forgot to clock in or out, you can add an entry on their behalf:
All manual edits and additions are recorded in the audit trail. Auto clock-outs marked "Needs review" should be followed up with the staff member promptly.
When editing or adding a timesheet entry, managers can set the Shift Type to reflect how the shift should be paid:
| Shift Type | How Pay Is Calculated |
|---|---|
| Standard | Hourly rate × hours worked. Overtime multiplier applies for contracted staff who exceed their weekly contracted hours. |
| Sleep-in | A flat rate per shift (set in the staff member's Finance Profile). Hours are not counted — only the shift count. |
| Waking Night | Hourly rate × waking night multiplier × hours worked. |
Sleep-in and waking night entries are shown with coloured badges in the timesheet list — purple for Sleep-in, blue for Waking Night. These shift types feed directly into the payroll run on the Finance page.
The EVV Report gives you a GPS-verified record of every clock-in and clock-out, meeting Electronic Visit Verification requirements for commissioners and local authorities.
Click Export CSV to download all currently filtered records, including GPS coordinates and addresses, for submission to commissioners or for your own records.
GPS is captured automatically when staff clock in and out via their phone. No extra steps are needed. If staff are consistently showing No GPS, check that they have granted the app location permission in their phone's browser settings.
Property Locations lets you create QR codes for shared properties — such as a supported living house or residential unit — where multiple clients live. Staff scan the QR on arrival and departure to log a GPS-verified property-level check-in, independent of any individual client's QR code.
The QR code does not expire and does not need to be regenerated unless the property is deleted and re-added. One QR code per property — staff do not need to scan individual clients' codes when arriving at the property.
This feature is complementary to the client-level QR check-in — use property locations for shared properties, and client QR codes for one-to-one domiciliary visits.
Voice dictation lets staff speak their notes instead of typing — the speech is transcribed in real time. This is particularly useful during or immediately after a care visit when typing is inconvenient.
The Dictate button (microphone icon) appears on the following forms:
Voice dictation works in Chrome and Edge only. The button is hidden automatically in Safari and Firefox, which do not support the Web Speech API. If staff are using iPhones, they will need to use Chrome for voice dictation to work.
If the Dictate button does nothing, the browser has blocked microphone access. Staff should go to their browser settings, allow microphone access for app.care-app.uk, and try again. An error message will appear below the button if permission is denied.
The My Care Plan Portal gives service users their own secure login to view their care plan in read-only format — supporting transparency and the right to see their own records.
The service user will receive a welcome email with their login details. They log in at app.care-app.uk/service-user/login — this is entirely separate from the staff login page.
Only grant portal access with the service user's informed consent. Ensure the email address belongs to the service user themselves — not a family member or third party, unless that is the intended arrangement.
The assigned staff member will receive a notification.
Staff Chat is a real-time team-wide channel visible to all staff in your organisation. It is not client-specific — it is a general communication channel for the whole team.
All staff across your organisation can read and send messages. Staff Chat is not a replacement for care records — clinical information should always be recorded in the appropriate section of the app (diary, medication logs, incidents, etc.).
Finance profiles store all payroll-relevant information for each staff member. These rates are used when running payroll and when generating invoices to calculate your margin.
The Outgoings tab lets you record business expenses that are not staff expenses — for example, insurance, software subscriptions, vehicle costs, or equipment purchases. These are tracked separately from staff expense claims and feed into the Balance tab's Money Out total.
The Outgoings tab shows summary cards for this month and all time, with a breakdown by category. The full list of entries is displayed in a table below with a running total.
Outgoings are included in the Balance tab under Money Out, alongside approved staff expenses. Use the Outgoings log to maintain an accurate picture of your total cost base — not just payroll.
The revenue report gives you a real-time view of your organisation's financial performance — income, staff costs, and margin across all clients and billing packages.
Use the revenue report to identify which clients and contracts are most profitable, and to spot shifts where the margin is unexpectedly low — which may indicate a pay rate or billing rate error.
Invoice data can be exported in a format compatible with Xero and Sage 50 for use in your existing accounting software.
The Xero export uses the ACCREC (accounts receivable) format with account code 200 and No Tax applied. The Sage 50 export uses invoice type SI, nominal 4000, and tax code T0. These defaults match standard care sector chart of accounts — adjust if your setup differs.
The payroll run calculates gross pay for every staff member for any date range you choose, broken down by earnings type. It reads directly from approved timesheets and finance profiles — no manual data entry is required.
Bank holidays are detected automatically from the GOV.UK bank holidays API — no manual flagging is needed. The correct multiplier from the staff member's Finance Profile is applied to any shift that falls on a public holiday.
SSP is calculated automatically for contracted staff (Full Time or Part Time) whose weekly earnings meet the HMRC Lower Earnings Limit (£123/week for 2024/25).
A formatted pay statement can be generated for any staff member from the payroll table:
Pay statements show gross pay only. Income tax (PAYE) and National Insurance deductions are calculated by your payroll software. The statement includes a note confirming this so staff are aware net pay will be confirmed separately.
After running payroll, click Export and choose from eight supported formats:
| Software | Format notes |
|---|---|
| BrightPay | CSV with NI number, tax code, regular and overtime split — ready for BrightPay's employee import |
| Moneysoft Payroll Manager | CSV matching Moneysoft's import column layout including payroll number |
| QuickBooks Payroll | Employee earnings CSV compatible with QuickBooks Online Payroll UK |
| Xero Payroll | Pay element rows per earnings type, compatible with Xero Payroll (AU/NZ) — note: Xero UK does not have a Payroll API, so this is a manual import file |
| Sage Business Cloud Payroll | CSV matching Sage's employee import format with pay element columns |
| FreeAgent | Payroll CSV in FreeAgent's import format |
| IRIS / 12Pay | Pay element CSV compatible with IRIS Payroll and 12Pay |
All exports include the staff member's NI number, tax code, contract type, and the regular/overtime split. Make sure Finance Profiles are complete before exporting — missing NI or tax code fields will result in blank columns in the export.
Rate types define the different rates your organisation charges — for example, a weekday rate, weekend rate, or bank holiday rate. Set these up first before configuring billing packages.
Billing packages group together the rates that apply to a particular payer (e.g. a local authority or private client).
Some clients have funding from multiple payers — for example, a local authority covering weekday visits and a private arrangement covering evenings. Billing assignments let you configure exactly how each payer is billed.
When generating invoices for a client with multiple billing assignments, use Generate for All Payers — this creates a separate invoice per assignment automatically, with each invoice scaled to reflect the correct funding share.
Invoices are generated from actual worked hours. The system uses completed timesheets (clock-in records linked to the client) as the primary source, and falls back to rota shifts marked as Present for any shifts not covered by a timesheet. This means invoices accurately reflect hours actually delivered — not just what was scheduled.
The invoice engine automatically applies the correct rate from the billing package based on the day type (weekday vs weekend) and time window of each shift. If no package is configured, the client's default hourly rate is used.
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Draft | Invoice created but not yet sent |
| Sent | Invoice issued to the payer |
| Paid | Payment received |
| Overdue | Payment not received by the due date |
| Cancelled | Invoice voided |
The DBS Tracking section helps you monitor the Disclosure and Barring Service check status for all staff. The app also tracks training certificate expiry dates, giving you one place to manage all compliance-critical renewal deadlines.
Ensure all staff have a valid DBS check before they begin working with clients. Expired DBS checks must be actioned immediately — the app will continue to alert you until they are renewed.
Training records added to staff profiles are monitored for expiry. The app sends automatic alerts when a certificate is approaching or has passed its renewal date.
Training expiry alerts are particularly important for mandatory care sector training such as moving and handling, safeguarding, first aid, and medication competency. Keep records up to date to avoid gaps in compliance.
Staff Wellbeing Check-ins allow your team to log a daily mood rating so you can spot patterns of stress or burnout before they become a problem.
The management dashboard shows a count of unreviewed flagged check-ins. Aim to review flagged check-ins within 24 hours as part of your duty of care to your staff.
Use the Policies section to upload and distribute policies to your staff. Staff can read and formally acknowledge each policy through the app.
The CQC Evidence Pack compiles evidence across all five CQC domains in one click — ready for inspections, self-assessments, or provider information requests.
The in-app view shows up to 50 rows per section. Export to CSV for the full dataset. Generate packs quarterly and retain the exports as part of your quality assurance records.
The system automatically scans records daily and raises a deterioration flag when a client shows patterns that may indicate a decline in health or wellbeing.
Deterioration flags are an early warning tool — they do not replace clinical judgement. Always review the full record before escalating. Duplicate flags for the same client and reason are suppressed until the existing flag is resolved.
The Recruitment module lets you manage job postings and track applicants through a hiring pipeline.
Once an applicant is hired, create their staff account via User Management. The recruitment record remains as an audit trail of the hiring process.
The eLearning section lets you create and publish online training courses for your staff.
Mandatory courses appear at the top of each staff member's eLearning page and are prioritised for completion. Use the mandatory flag for compliance-critical training such as safeguarding or manual handling.
The Reablement section gives you a high-level view of client outcomes, goal progress, and wellbeing trends across your caseload.
This report is particularly useful for CQC inspections and review meetings — it gives a clear, evidence-based picture of whether clients are achieving their support goals.
The Power BI section allows you to connect your Care App data directly to Microsoft Power BI or any other tool that can consume JSON data feeds.
Treat the API key like a password. Anyone who has it can read your exported data. If you suspect the key has been shared or compromised, click Regenerate key immediately — the old key will stop working.
Available datasets include: Timesheets, Rota/Shifts, Incidents, Care Diary, Clients, Training Records, Medication Logs, Complaints, and Visit Outcomes.
The audit trail is a full log of all significant actions in the system — who did what and when.
The audit trail cannot be edited or deleted. All entries are permanent records.
The bell icon in the top right shows your notifications. As a manager you will be notified about:
The AI Support button (robot icon) in the header bar opens the in-app AI assistant — it can answer questions about any feature at any time.
The magnifying glass icon allows you to quickly find clients, staff, care notes, and medication logs by name or keyword.
Always sign out when finished, especially on shared or public devices.
Set low stock thresholds on all medications so you are alerted before stock runs out.
Check the audit trail regularly — it is your evidence of compliance during inspections.
Deactivate users promptly when staff leave — do not leave inactive accounts open.
Export MAR charts monthly and store them securely as part of your records.
Review the rota before approving holiday requests to ensure adequate cover at all times.
Keep client records updated — care plans should reflect the client's current needs.
Check WTR alerts before publishing the rota — flag any staff approaching the 48-hour weekly limit.
Keep skills profiles current — update staff care skills whenever training is completed so skills matching stays accurate.
Review DBS and training expiry dates monthly — use the alerts but do not rely on them alone.
Use the Reablement report in review meetings — it provides evidence-based outcome data for each client.
Regenerate your Power BI key if any staff member who had access leaves the organisation.
Attendance is automatic when staff clock in or scan QR — only mark shifts manually when a staff member had a technical issue or forgot to check in.
Use Open Shifts instead of WhatsApp for cover requests — you get a clear bid history and audit trail for every shift.
Review flagged wellbeing check-ins within 24 hours — early intervention prevents burnout and reduces staff turnover.
Generate a CQC Evidence Pack quarterly and save the CSVs — it takes seconds and means you're never scrambling before an inspection.
Check EVV No GPS records weekly — if staff are consistently missing GPS it usually means location permission is off in their browser.
Action deterioration flags promptly — the system flags the pattern, but the clinical response is yours to make.
Print Property Location QR codes and laminate them — display one inside the front door of each shared property so staff can scan immediately on arrival without searching for it.
Encourage staff to use voice dictation for diary entries and incident reports — notes written immediately after a visit are more accurate, and hands-free logging removes the barrier of typing on a small screen.
Check Today's Shifts on the dashboard throughout the day — the Missing badge (red) means a shift is active but no one has checked in. Follow up immediately.
Use the Outgoings tab to log all business costs beyond payroll — insurance, software, equipment, and vehicles — so the Balance tab gives you an accurate picture of your net position.
NHS Numbers on client profiles make it easier to liaise with GPs, pharmacies, and NHS services — add them when you have them.
Need help? For technical support contact hello@care-app.uk. We aim to respond within one business day. 24/7 AI support is also available directly inside the app.