How to find the best private carer?
There are various ways to find a private carer directly, the main thing to consider is that you want a to make sure that you find the right person with the right skills, attitudes, and behaviours to best support your loved one.
AtHome believes that some of the best carers don’t always have the most experience, but they have the right values and beliefs, this is often as important as previous experience. We therefore recommend keeping an open mind when looking for a private carer.
Using an introductory service such as AtHome enables you to write your own description of what type of person you are looking for. You may want to consider and think about some of the following questions before you post your job for a carer:
What type of carer are you looking for, is this a live in carer or daily carer?
What do you require them to do, this could be just companion care, personal care, or more complex care?
When do you want them to start? Try to think ahead as much as possible so that you are not rushed to find someone.
How much experience do you require them to have, do they require any specific skills such as having worked with clients with a Dementia or Parkinson’s for example?
What type of person / personality would suit your loved one? (think about matching their interests such as pets, gardening, music, and other hobbies etc).
Will you require them to have a driving license and drive your family member at any point?
How much are you willing to spend thing about your top end budget but be mindful that if you pay a fair wage, you will get a more committed carer.
The great thing about the AtHome portal is that is matches your requirements to those of carers on the portal so in effect it does much of the hard work for you!
What checks do I need to consider?
Once you have found the right person you will need to make sure they have all the relevant checks. Whilst an introductory company like AtHome will do these too, its also recommended that you check this information.
Knowledge / Certificates
We advise that you always check any training certificates yourself along with dates the training took place.
Find out if the carer has any additional certificates which may mean they can support someone with a Dementia or more complex health needs.
Think about the type of questions that you might ask about their training when you interview your prospective carer, you can always refer to our interview guide which will help you.
DBS Check
Anyone working with a vulnerable person either adults or children must have an Enhanced DBS check. Ideally you would want them to be on the update service which is an online subscription service that lets you keep your standard and enhanced DBS certificates up to date. It also allows employers to check a certificate online, with your consent. You can do this via DBS Update Service - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Checking id and Right to work
It’s imperative that you check that the person you want to engage is who they say they are and that they can legally work in the UK. AtHome checks all of these documents for you however if you want to employ your carer directly you can find out more information here Checking a job applicant's right to work - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
References
There is no limit to the number of references you can request from a potential carer. That said, we do recommend that you obtain at least two, one of which is from a recent employer. Think about the questions you may want to ask them and write their responses down. If possible, try to contact references by phone as you can always get a much better feel for the person by their responses.
Next Steps
Finding the right carer is important, and most people often find themselves in crisis before starting to make enquires. Try to gather as much information before you may need a carer it’s better to think ahead as far as possible and explore all the options and avenues to find a carer with plenty of time.
The quickest way to get started is to register for free on the AtHome portal to find a carer. This can be done in just a couple of clicks. You can also check out our FAQ’s where you can find out answers to lots of commonly asked questions about arranging care. You can also email us on hello@athomecaregroup.co.uk or call us on 01275 402240 if you have a specific query. We will aim to respond to all messages within 24 hours.