At a glance
Home Care Direct, a UK home care agency, replaced a 20-year-old Microsoft-based system and in-home Care Box devices with a custom Zoho Creator platform built by ThoughtLogik. It manages clients and carers, complex shift scheduling including 24-hour live-in care, variable pay and billing rates, secure PIN-based clock-in through a carer mobile portal, and real-time visit monitoring.
| Client | Home Care Direct, nationwide UK care agency (CQC regulated) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Home care and social care |
| Project | Care scheduling and electronic visit verification platform |
| Platforms | Zoho Creator with a custom JavaScript scheduling widget |
| Outcome | Accurate visit records, fewer payroll and billing errors, real-time oversight |
About Home Care Direct
Home Care Direct provides integrated health and social care in the community across the UK, following CQC standards. ThoughtLogik had already built its Enquiry Manager on Zoho Creator and its recruitment system on Zoho Recruit.
The challenge
A 20-year-old system and physical Care Box devices were insecure and failed to capture accurate visit data, creating inefficiency and compliance risk. The new platform had to handle:
- Complex shifts: several visits a day plus live-in shifts spanning more than 24 hours
- Client billing: separate invoicing rates per client
- Variable carer pay: by day of week, hourly or 24-hour rates, weekends, bank holidays and Christmas
- Visit monitoring: real-time tracking with alerts for missed visits
- Security: PIN or facial recognition clock-in
The solution: a custom care management platform on Zoho Creator
After in-person and remote workshops, ThoughtLogik first tested Zoho People with a facial recognition kiosk. It could not handle the shift and pay complexity, so we built a custom platform on Zoho Creator.
- Admin app for client and carer records
- Configurable pay and billing rates including holiday and live-in rates
- Advanced shift scheduling through a custom JavaScript widget for multiple and multi-day shifts
- Secure carer mobile portal with PIN login, shift notifications and clock-in and clock-out
- Monitoring dashboard for care facilitators to oversee visits in real time
Implementation
- Workshops to capture and prioritise requirements
- Iterative development of records, scheduling, attendance, pay rates, billing and dashboards
- User acceptance testing at every stage
- Phased rollout to carers
- Ongoing support and enhancements
Results
- One secure system for clients, carers, shifts, visits, pay and invoicing
- Accurate electronic visit records, reducing payroll and billing errors
- Real-time oversight of carer visits and faster issue resolution
- Automated payroll and invoice reports for quicker processing
- Stronger compliance and data protection
Frequently asked questions
Can Zoho Creator be used for care scheduling?
Yes. ThoughtLogik built a Zoho Creator platform that schedules multiple daily visits and live-in shifts over 24 hours, with custom pay and billing rules.
What is electronic visit verification in home care?
It is digital confirmation that a carer attended a visit, usually by secure clock-in and clock-out, replacing paper logs or physical devices.
Can carers clock in from a mobile phone?
Yes. Carers use a secure, PIN-based mobile portal to receive shifts and clock in and out.
Why build a custom app instead of buying care software?
When pay rules, billing and shift patterns are complex, a custom Zoho Creator app can fit the exact process at lower cost than adapting off-the-shelf software.
Need better care scheduling? ThoughtLogik builds Zoho Creator solutions for UK care providers. Book a free consultation or explore our Zoho Creator services.
