Can CTN provide call records for CQC inspections?

Yes. Business mobile accounts include call detail records (date, duration, source, destination) via admin portal or monthly reports. For call-content recording, a VoIP system with recording is needed — we can quote alongside mobiles.

What's the best UK network for a rural care home?

EE generally has the strongest UK rural 4G/5G coverage. For remote areas (Highland Scotland, parts of Welsh and Cornish countryside), we recommend a postcode signal survey before choosing.

Should carers use work phones or personal phones?

Work phones are the norm for CQC-compliant care. Personal phones create GDPR complications (client data leaving your control when staff leave), safeguarding risks, and accountability gaps. The modest monthly cost of work phones is usually worth it.

Business Mobile for UK Care Homes (2026): International Staff & On-Call Managers

Name: Compare The Networks
Address: Unit 3, Battlefield Enterprise Park, Shrewsbury, SY1 3FE, GB
Telephone: +441743598025
Price range: Free comparison service
Rating: 4.3

Last updated: April 2026

Care homes (residential and nursing) have a specific mobile setup problem. You have on-call managers who need to be reachable 24/7. You have a large staff base, much of which is international — Polish, Romanian, Filipino, Indian, Ghanaian, South African workers who call family abroad. You have CQC expectations around records and communication. And you have care-sector margins that don't leave room for surprise bills.

Here's how CTN business mobile fits.

The three user patterns in a care home

1. Registered manager / deputy manager

Needs 24/7 reachability. Handles on-call rotas, safeguarding escalations, family communications, CQC inspections, GP callbacks. Heavy user of both calls and data (apps for care management systems like PCS, Person Centred Software, Log my Care).

Suits: 50GB or 100GB tariff, decent international allowance (managers are often from EU diaspora). ~£26-32/user/month.

2. Senior carers / team leaders

Handle shift coordination, call families during handovers, use care apps on the floor. Moderate user of calls, heavy app user.

Suits: 25GB or 50GB tariff, standard international allowance. ~£22-26/user/month.

3. Carers and nursing assistants

Often international staff. Work-provided mobiles cover: shift coordination via app or chat, family liaison, emergency escalations. Out of hours, many use the phone to call home abroad — which is where the inclusive international bundle matters.

Suits: 25GB tariff with international minutes (200-500/month). ~£18-24/user/month.

Which countries matter

UK care homes have a distinctive staff international calling pattern. Typical inclusive coverage fits with:

Poland, Romania, Bulgaria — all on inclusive call list + roaming list
Republic of Ireland — inclusive both ways
Portugal, Spain, Italy — inclusive both ways
Ghana, Kenya, South Africa — roaming inclusive, calling not inclusive (but staff going home have roaming covered)

Patterns NOT inclusive:

Philippines — Filipino care workers are one of the largest UK care workforce groups. Philippines isn't on either inclusive list. Need an add-on bolt-on for calls home.
India — similar. International add-on needed.
Nigeria, Zimbabwe — calls not inclusive; roaming not inclusive for Nigeria (Zimbabwe not listed either way).

For care homes with significant Filipino / Indian / Nigerian staff, an international add-on bolt-on (£5-10/user/month) covering those destinations is typically the right addition. We quote these alongside base tariffs.

The "staff calling home" retention argument

Care work has high turnover. Staff who feel looked after stick around longer. Giving international staff a work mobile that calls home without per-minute charges is a small monthly cost that pays back through retention.

Rough figures: replacing a carer costs £2,500-£4,000 (advertising, training, DBS, induction, reduced productivity during onboarding). A £5-10/user/month international bolt-on across 20 staff is £1,200-£2,400/year. Retaining even one extra carer per year through better staff support pays it back.

This isn't a guaranteed ROI — but it's a real factor that generic IT procurement misses.

CQC and call logs

CQC inspections increasingly ask about communication records:

Emergency on-call logs (who was called, when, duration)
Family communications (consent-based records of key calls)
GP and DN liaison (coordination of care)

Business mobile platforms typically provide call detail records (CDRs) on request — showing date, duration, source, destination for every call. We can provide these monthly or on demand for CQC audit purposes. Keep in mind: call records are limited to numbers and duration, not content. For call content recording you'd need a VoIP or call-recording solution layered on top.

On-call manager considerations

Registered managers must be reachable within specific response times by CQC expectations. Network coverage matters more than you might assume.

Recommendation: EE typically has the strongest UK rural and semi-rural coverage. If your care home is rural or in a market town, EE network business tariffs are usually the right first choice. For urban care homes, any network works.

Backup arrangement: some care groups have a secondary SIM on a different network as a failover, especially if they've had network outages that prevented on-call responsiveness. Worth discussing if coverage has been an issue.

Safeguarding and data protection

Staff phones contain sensitive information — family contacts, medical details, care management system access. CQC and the ICO expect:

PIN or biometric unlock on every device
Remote wipe capability if lost
Clear separation of work and personal use (or accepted policy for shared use)

CTN can configure Microsoft 365 Business Premium Intune controls for staff phones, or basic mobile device management via your network. For larger groups, we usually recommend the full MDM setup.

Typical setups

Single-site 40-bed care home

1 × manager on 100GB / unlimited international
2 × deputies / seniors on 50GB / 500 int mins
15 × carers on 25GB / 200 int mins + international bolt-on if needed
1 × maintenance / activities on 25GB / 200 int mins
Approximate: £500-600/month for the team on 36-month terms

3-home group (120 beds total)

3 × RMs on 100GB / unlimited
9 × deputies/seniors on 50GB / 500 int mins
45 × carers on 25GB / 200 int mins + bolt-ons
Admin, kitchen, maintenance staff on 25GB / 200 int mins
Approximate: £1,200-£1,500/month depending on staffing model

FAQs

Is the Philippines included in inclusive international calls?

No. The Philippines isn't on the 39-country inclusive list or the 83-country roaming list. For care homes with Filipino staff, we quote an international add-on bolt-on (£5-10/month) covering Philippines and other non-EU destinations. Cheaper than per-minute charges for regular callers.

What about Filipino staff going home on leave — will their phone work?

If they go home to the Philippines and use their UK SIM there, standard international roaming rates apply (expensive). Recommendation: airplane mode + WiFi + WhatsApp for during the trip, UK SIM resumes on return.

Can you provide call records for CQC inspections?

Yes. Mobile business accounts include call detail records (date, duration, source, destination) accessible via admin portal or monthly reports. For actual call-content recording, a VoIP system with recording is needed — we can quote alongside mobiles.

What coverage is best for a rural care home?

EE generally has the strongest UK rural 4G/5G coverage. Vodafone is strong in urban areas. For genuinely remote rural care homes (Highland Scotland, parts of Welsh and Cornish countryside), signal surveys matter — we'll check your postcode before quoting.

Can carers use their own phones instead of work phones?

They can, but it's not recommended. Mixing personal and work on a personal phone creates GDPR complications (client data on a staff member's phone that leaves your control when they leave), safeguarding risks, and accountability gaps (you can't demonstrate calls were made). For CQC-compliant care, work phones are the norm.

Do you supply handsets?

Yes. We can supply handsets (entry-level Samsung, Motorola, or mid-range) or SIM-only if you already have compatible phones. Ruggedised handsets available for maintenance staff.

Getting a quote

Call 01743 598025 or request a quote. Tell us number of homes, beds, staff split (managers / seniors / carers), and any specific international calling needs (Philippines, India, Nigeria, etc.) for add-on quoting.