The OnCare Mobile App: A Guide for Care Workers 📞

The OnCare mobile app is the primary tool care workers use to manage their day-to-day visits. It is available on both iOS and Android devices and connects directly to the OnCare web platform used by office staff. The app is the official OnCare app and is easy to find in the app stores because it has a distinctive orange icon.

Through the app, care workers can view their schedules, clock in and out of visits using GPS verification, complete tasks assigned to each visit, record medication administration (eMAR), access full client details including care plans, risk assessments, communication logs, key contacts, and care outcomes, view and acknowledge agency policies and procedures, and review their own previous visit reports.

It is important to understand that the app does not send information to the office in real time. Data from a visit is sent to the office staff account only when the care worker clocks out. Until clock-out, the visit data stays on the care worker's device.

This matters for CQC compliance because regulators expect care delivery to be accurately recorded at the point of care. The mobile app ensures that visit times, task completion, and medication records are captured as they happen, not written up later from memory.

The OnCare app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store (for iPhones and iPads) or the Google Play Store (for Android devices). Search for "OnCare" and look for the official OnCare app with the orange icon.

Once installed, care workers log in using the credentials provided by their agency. If a care worker has been invited through the OnCare web platform, they will have received an email or SMS with instructions on how to set up their account and download the app.

Care workers must make sure that location services are activated on their phone for the OnCare app. This is essential for the clock-in and clock-out GPS verification to work. If location services are not enabled for the app, the system will not be able to record the care worker's location when they clock in or out. This is the same requirement as any other care management app on the market.

An internet connection (mobile data or Wi-Fi) is also useful for the full functionality of the app, but care workers can still use the mobile app even without an internet connection. The app works offline for completing visits, and data will sync once an internet connection is restored. Features like viewing updated schedules and receiving notifications require an active connection.

When a care worker opens the app, they see their upcoming rota for the next two weeks. The schedule is displayed as a scrollable list of all visits in chronological order. Each visit shows the client name, visit time, and address.

Care workers can scroll through the list to see all their upcoming shifts. The schedule updates when the app has an internet connection and office staff have made changes to the rota through the web platform.

Care workers can view full client details before a visit, during a visit, and at any time from their schedule. The app gives access to everything available in the client's summary on the web platform. This includes:

Care plan: The full care plan for the client, detailing their care needs, preferences, and any specific instructions for how care should be delivered.

Risk assessment: Any risk assessments associated with the client, covering potential hazards in the home environment, mobility risks, medication risks, and other safety considerations.

Communication logs: A record of all communications logged against the client, so care workers can stay informed about recent updates, messages from family members, or notes from other staff.

Key contacts: The client's key contacts, including family members, GPs, social workers, and any other important contacts that care workers may need to reach.

Care outcomes: Recorded care outcomes for the client, helping care workers understand the goals and progress of the care being delivered.

Care workers receive a notification on the app whenever a care plan or risk assessment is updated by office staff, so they are always working with the most current information.

During a visit, care workers are presented with a list of tasks that need to be completed. Tasks are displayed as large squares on the screen, making them easy to tap and mark as done. Some tasks may be marked as required, meaning the care worker must complete them before they can clock out. Other tasks are optional and can be completed if relevant to that particular visit.

Care workers work through each task one by one, tapping to mark them as completed. Once all required tasks are done, the care worker can proceed to clock out of the visit.

If the client has medications set up in their profile, the care worker can record medication administration through the app during the visit. The process is straightforward. The care worker selects the relevant medication time slot (morning, afternoon, evening, or tea time), then sees the list of medications scheduled for that time.

For each medication, there is a large green button for "taken" and a large red button for "not taken." The care worker taps the appropriate button for each medication. If a medication is marked as not taken, a text box appears below where the care worker must explain why the medication was not administered. This reason is recorded and visible to office staff for review.

The eMAR record for each visit is sent to the office when the care worker clocks out. It does not update in real time. Office staff can review all medication records from the dashboard once the visit is completed.

If your agency has the Policies and Procedures add-on enabled, care workers can access all policy documents directly from the mobile app. They can search through policies, read them in full, and acknowledge them using an e-signature feature. This acknowledgement is tracked by the system, so office staff can see which care workers have read and signed off on each policy.

This is particularly important for CQC compliance, as it provides evidence that staff have been made aware of and have acknowledged the agency's policies and procedures.

Care workers can view agency details and any internal documents that have been uploaded by office staff through the Settings page. This gives care workers access to company handbooks, reference materials, or any other documents the agency wants to share with their team, all accessible directly from the app.

Care workers can review their own previous visit reports through the app. This allows them to check what was recorded during past visits, which can be useful for continuity of care and for referencing previous notes about a client.

Before a care worker can use the mobile app effectively, several things need to be configured by office staff on the web platform. The care worker must be invited and have an active account. Clients must be added with their address (for GPS geofencing) and care plan. Visit plans must be created and applied to the schedule so that visits appear on the care worker's rota. If your agency uses eMAR, medications must be set up on each client's profile. Location services must be enabled on the care worker's phone for the OnCare app.

The mobile app is designed specifically for care workers to manage their visits. It does not include office management features. Care workers cannot add or edit clients, create or modify schedules, access invoicing or payroll, manage other staff accounts, or change system settings. All of these functions are only available to office staff through the OnCare web dashboard.

Location not recording: Make sure location services are enabled for the OnCare app in the phone's settings. On Android, ensure the app has "Allow all the time" or "Allow while using the app" location permission. On iPhone, set location access to "While Using the App" or "Always."

Schedule not updating: The schedule requires an internet connection to sync. If the rota looks outdated, check that the phone has mobile data or Wi-Fi enabled and try refreshing the app.

App not loading or crashing: Make sure the app is updated to the latest version from the App Store or Google Play Store. If problems persist, try uninstalling and reinstalling the app. The care worker's data is stored on the server, so reinstalling will not lose any information.

Cannot clock in: If the clock-in button is not appearing, check that the visit is scheduled for the current time and that the care worker is assigned to the visit. If geofencing is enabled, the care worker can still clock in from any location, but the system will flag it if they are outside the set radius.