By Abdallah Saalah, founder of AdminBooks

Running a care home or domiciliary care service involves more than just delivering care, it means managing payroll, handling audits, keeping records up to date, and staying compliant with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). These tasks can become overwhelming, particularly for small and medium-sized providers without in-house admin teams.

As a former finance manager of a multi-home care group and now the founder of AdminBooks, I’ve seen firsthand how vital strong back-office systems are for care providers. In this blog, I’ll share practical insights on how care businesses can streamline their financial and administrative functions while remaining inspection-ready.

Care providers face unique operational pressures:

• High staff turnover
• Strict CQC requirements
• Regular audits and inspections
• Payroll and pension deadlines
• Visa sponsorship admin
• Time-consuming paperwork
• Without proper systems, these tasks lead to delays, errors, and stress for care managers and business owners.

From my experience supporting clients like JWcare Group, these five areas consistently benefit from expert support:

1. Bookkeeping and Reconciliation

Keeping track of all income, expenses, and transactions is critical. Weekly reconciliation helps providers avoid discrepancies and improves reporting accuracy.

2. Payroll and Pensions

Timely, compliant payroll with Real Time Information (RTI) submissions to HMRC ensures smooth operations. Support with pension auto-enrolment (e.g. NEST or The People’s Pension) also prevents regulatory issues.

3. Management Accounts

Monthly or quarterly reports provide insight into performance and cash flow. These are vital for owners making strategic decisions or preparing for funding applications.

4. CQC-Compliant Administration

Managing staff contracts, policies, onboarding records, and visa sponsorship documentation helps providers avoid red flags during inspections.

5. Receivable Invoicing for Council or NHS

Accurate and timely invoicing to local authorities or NHS funding bodies is essential for steady cash flow. We help care providers raise and track receivable invoices in line with contract requirements, ensuring correct formatting, care delivery evidence, and reconciliation against remittance advice.

One of the most overlooked benefits of outsourcing admin and finance functions is sector-specific knowledge.

At AdminBooks, we have an experienced registered care manager on our team who supports all clients alongside our bookkeepers. This gives providers access to guidance on:

• Preparing for CQC audits
• Setting up compliant staff files
• Understanding governance documents
• Dealing with daily admin challenges from a care manager’s point of view
• This bridge between financial accuracy and care sector operations makes a measurable difference.

We use cloud-based tools like Xero, DocuSign, and Google Drive to keep processes paperless, efficient, and accessible from anywhere. This setup reduces admin time, enhances security, and ensures that documents are always ready for inspection or audit.

All services can be delivered remotely, which means providers don’t have to hire in-house admin staff, they get the flexibility to scale support as their organisation grows.

• Weekly reconciliation and monthly reporting improves accuracy and decision-making
• Delegating admin tasks frees up time for care delivery and team management
• Sector-informed support ensures compliance with CQC and local authority standards
• Going digital reduces stress, saves time, and keeps data secure
• Having access to both bookkeepers and a registered manager provides unique, well-rounded support

If you’re a care provider looking to reduce admin pressure, improve accuracy, and stay inspection-ready, get in touch:

www.adminbooks.co.uk

info@adminbooks.co.uk

0121 269 7845