Frequently Asked Questions

How much will I be paid?

We assess each client on an individual basis. Rates start at £110 for basic care needs. You can see our pricing page to give more of an idea.

What's the recruitment process?

We review your CV and application form. If you have relevant professional care experience then we arrange a video call or in person interview to find out more about you and your care experience. After that we contact two of your references, check your work history, DBS, ID and right to work in the UK, that you’re registered as self employed and have Carer’s liability Insurance.

What do I need to be a carer?

  • A caring nature: To be a good home carer, you must want to care. You must be compassionate and want to make other people’s lives better.
  • Some professional care experience: We usually ask for professional care experience.
  • Visa: You must be legally allowed to work in the UK.  Please note that we are unable to assist with, or sponsor, visa applications.
  • Good spoken English: Our clients need to understand you and you need to be able to understand them. The interview with you will help us judge this.
  • Cooking skills: It is important that you are able to cook as you will need to prepare English meals from fresh ingredients.
  • Ideally, a driving licence: It is not vital that you have a driving license, though it is a huge advantage to both you and our clients. If you hold a non-EU driving license you can drive legally in the UK for up to 12 months from when you entered Great Britain (GB). This includes any small vehicle (such as a car or motorcycle) listed on your full and valid license. If you hold a license from any other EU country you can drive any type of vehicle listed on your valid license, however some insurance companies in the UK may not cover you when driving for a client unless you change this to a full UK license.  For more information please visit the government pages on driving.
  • Up to date training: We ask that your core training such as safeguarding, medication, moving and handling and first aid is up to date. A lot of this can be done online.
  • Insurance: You will need carers liability insurance, this usually costs about £85-£90 a year. Or just over £10 for short fill in placements.
  • Registered as self employed: You will need to be registered as self employed (more information in another section).

Will I work 7 days a week?

Yes – live in care means working 7 days week. In some cases the family can provide cover for the occasional day, but this is not always possible.

How much time off will I get?

The clients provide a minimum 2 hour break each day, 3 where possible. Usually this will be after lunch, between 1.30 and 3.30 for example.  Some days it might not be possible so you need to be flexible, but the client will need to give you extra time off on another day.

How long is each placement?

We usually have rotas that are 6 weeks on 2/3 weeks off, or 2 weeks on 2 weeks off. There is some flexibility with the rota but please note that breaks will usually need to be at least 2 weeks. In our experience, it is hard to find carers who want to work for one week at a time. Although we do have various shorter respite placements.

Will I have to do night calls?

It depends on the client. Some clients may require help in the night on occasion and this is part of the job. However, persistent night calls can make it difficult to get enough rest to care for someone. Before going to a client you will be given honest feedback as to whether the client requires night time help or not.

Do I need Carer's Liability Insurance?

Yes – You will need carers liability insurance, this usually costs about £85-£90 a year. The main insurers people use are bluefin, fish and surewise (google will find these).

Do I need an up to date DBS?

Yes. If you don’t have a DBS this can be done through us. The cost is about £55 for an enhanced check, but then you can join the updates service which costs £13 a year and you will never need to do another DBS.

What do I need to know about being self employed?

Being self employed is actually very simple and there are a lot of benefits, but many people find it a bit scary.

Essentially, all you need to do is know two numbers – income (how much you’ve earned) and expenses (valid business expenses on things such as travel, training, DBS). Then at the end of the tax year you fill in a form telling the government this information and you pay tax.

The benefits are that you usually get paid more being self employed, you pay less tax, you are able to claim things such as travel and DBS that you can’t claim if you are employed. Also, as you are self employed rather than employed you have more control over your work situation, you are your own boss rather than working for a company and have more freedom and independence where you work.

Here is a detailed list of what you need to do:
– Register as self employed (we can send you a link)
– Email invoices to the client (we can provide a template for this). Alternatively you can buy a duplicate invoice book – and keep a copy of each invoice you give to the client
– Keep records of any expenses you have – such as train tickets, insurance costs, training etc
– At the end of the tax year in April you will be asked to fill out a tax return (again this is very simple to do) and then you will have to pay any taxes that you owe. Be careful as you need to make sure you remember you will have to pay tax later so make sure you put aside money for this.
Keep records of your bank statements.

This is it!