Carers registered on our portal are self-employed they are not employed either by AtHome or by a client engaging them for care work.

If someone is self-employed they do not have the rights and responsibilities of an employee or the rights and responsibilities of a worker.

The following is true for a carer who is self-employed, supported by www.gov.uk:

• They generally set their own rates to get work

• They are not under direct supervision when working

• They submit invoices for the work they’ve done directly to clients

• They are responsible for paying their own NI and tax

• They do not get holiday or sick pay when they’re not working

• They operate under a contract (sometimes known as a ‘contract for services’ or ‘consultancy agreement’) that uses terms like ‘self-employed’, ‘consultant’ or an ‘independent contractor’

If you would like to know more about how carers are self-employed and the benefits to both the carers and our clients, you can read more at www.gov.uk

Self-employed carers do not need to be registered with CQC

Self-employed carers, (also referred to as Personal Assistants by CQC) who are directly employed by an individual, or related third party, and self-employed PAs with an agreement to work directly for an individual do not need to be CQC registered. To find out more here if you are unsure.