What is a live-in carer?

A live-in carer provides round the clock care to people in their own homes. As a live-in carer, you’ll live in our elderly clients’ homes on a week on / off rotation basis and provide the care and support they need. This may involve helping them with companionship and personal care, basic help in the home, shopping and meal preparation, or delivering specialist care based on training received such as dementia care or medication administration.

At Carefound Home Care, our live-in carer jobs offer a hugely rewarding role where you can make a genuine difference to someone’s life. We also know that to do this well you need both the best employment package and the best support. This is why we’re rated ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and our staff are proud to work for us.

“With Carefound Home Care I am not just an employee or a voice on the phone. I am June, a valued member of the team”

June, Live-In Carer

What does a live-in care assistant do?

As a professional live-in carer you will enable an older person or couple to continue to live in their own home with well-being. Working in a live-in care team of two, you will provide care and support to your client based on their personalised care plan, enabling them to experience the highest level of health and social well-being possible. You will generally work on a 1 or 2 week on / off basis, or an alternative shift pattern that better suits your lifestyle. As a live-in care assistant, your duties may include:

Companionship

Providing company and companionship ensuring a client can enjoy life with the right level of stimulation and emotional support.

Personal care

Supporting clients with their personal needs such as dressing, personal cleanliness, lavatory needs and grooming, all with dignity and discretion.

Help with mobility

Helping a client move around the home, and you may work with other health professionals to ensure their mobility needs are met.

Medication help

Some clients may need help with managing and administering their medications, so you’ll be fully trained in supporting with this.

Light housekeeping

This may include washing and ironing, cleaning rooms or vacuuming, and other activities the client struggles to do independently.

Meal preparation

Nutritious meals are key to well-being. Your clients may need you help to plan and prepare tasty meals to ensure their dietary needs are met.

Appointments and social outings

Accompanying clients to appointments and social outings, so they can continue to socialise and keep close to family and friends.

Hobbies and interests

Helping clients maintain their independence by continuing to pursue their hobbies and interests both inside and outside of the home.

Specialist care

You’ll help monitor your client’s well-being and you’ll be trained to support any specialist conditions such as dementia or Parkinson’s.

Pay and benefits of the live-in carer job

High pay rates

We typically pay better than other live-in care providers, plus you get double time on bank holidays and additional enhancements over Christmas.

Fully paid travel expenses

We cover all of your expenses to and from your care package, meaning it doesn’t cost you anything to get to your client.

Instant access to pay

Using our app, you’re able to access your pay instantly instead of waiting for payday each month.

Support

We provide unrivalled, 24/7 local support including weekly support visits from your local team. You’re also paid to attend supervisions, appraisals and carer handovers.

Recognition

We’re passionate about recognising and rewarding your qualifications and long-term commitment, including with transparent pay enhancements.

Direct employment

You get all the perks of being directly employed including paid holidays, an employer pension, £500 for referring a friend, plus we manage your tax and national insurance contributions for you.

Local care

Our care is managed locally, meaning you’re matched with clients closer to home and you receive direct support from your local care management team.

Flexible working

We can offer a choice of working patterns that fit around your lifestyle, such as 1, 2, 4 or 6 week routines. We also cover for your absence such as during holidays.

Well-being

We provide free 24/7 access to our confidential employee assistance programme helpline, in-house mental health champions and wellness plans to support your mental health at work.

Your professional development

As a live-in carer you will have a genuine opportunity to develop your career and progress along our career path.

At Carefound Home Care we want you to receive the best support and professional development so that you are empowered to deliver outstanding care and support to your clients, whilst being able to build a long and successful career with us. This inlcudes:

  • Paid extensive induction training held at your local office and online, with over £330 pay on completion
  • Ongoing specialist care training
  • Support to achieve diploma and advanced qualifications
  • Career progression along our fantastic career path
home care assistant with older lady

What our team members say

Indeed-5-star-review

By far the best company I have ever worked for. Management are always available and more than happy to assist. Would 1000% recommend - Full Review

Care Assistant in West Bridgford | 09 Feb 2023

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Glassdoor-5-star-review

The managment teams are second to none, they work their socks off and they actually care - Full Review

Live-in Carer in Harrogate | 24 Jun 2022

Indeed-5-star-review

Excellent training and online which is helpful. Regular support visits and always feeling rewarded - Full Review

Live-in carer in West Bridgford | 16 Feb 2023

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Glassdoor-5-star-review

A plethora of training offered to help improve your own personal progression - Full Review

Care Assistant in Wilmslow | 28 Feb 2022

Who can apply for live-in carer jobs?

You might already be working as a live-in carer, or you may have professional experience as a care assistant or support worker in a domiciliary care or residential setting, or you might be a HCA working with the NHS. When recruiting live-in carers, we’re looking for people with experience who are warm, patient and compassionate and share our passion for quality care. The requirements for the role are:

  • At least 12 months’ professional care experience as a live in carer, domiciliary carer, care assistant, support worker, personal healthcare assistant or similar
  • Proof of your right to work in the UK
  • Warm, patient and compassionate with a clear desire to support others
  • Enthusiastic and positive ‘can do’ attitude
  • Have a smartphone to use our app
  • A valid driving licence and you own car is helpful but not a requirement
Carer supporting an eldery lady

Live-in carer FAQs

Upon receipt of your application our recruitment team will typically review it quickly and, if your profile meets the requirements of the role, they will contact you to arrange a short phone interview. Following this, they will arrange a face-to-face interview with you (this can also be carried out over video call if you prefer). If this is successful, you will be provided with a job offer by email and invited on to our induction.

Your recruitment manager will send your job offer to you by email. Simply click on the link in the email to open and read your offer letter. You can then click on the box at the end of the letter and enter your name and the signed document will be returned to us automatically. Your recruitment manager will then be in touch with you about completing your pre-employment checks and booking your induction.

All offers of employment are subject to us carrying out necessary pre-employment checks which includes providing your full employment history, contacting your references (two professional and one personal), completing a pre-employment health questionnaire, verifying your qualifications and completing an enhanced check with the Disclosure and Baring Service (DBS).

To make it simple for you these checks are carried out using our online screening system. Once you have signed your job offer you will receive an email enabling you to access our online screening system which will help you to provide the necessary information quickly and easily.

Please note that that cost of completing your enhanced check with the Disclosure and Baring Service (DBS) is £50, which we will pay and then deduct from your first payslip. Whilst we apply for your DBS check as soon as possible, please be aware that the processing time can be anything from 1 day to 1 month, or on rare occasions it can be longer.

Please also note that if you have lived outside of the UK for 6 months or more in the last 5 years we will need to apply for an additional overseas police clearance. We can complete this check using our online screening system, and the additional cost will be deducted from your first payslip.

All new members of our team complete a 4-day induction training course delivered at their local office and over video call. This is delivered by our in-house training team covering everything from the basic health and social care qualification – The Care Certificate – to specialist areas such as medication management, moving & handling, dementia and Parkinson’s.

Yes, you will receive a lump-sum payment for attending induction training and completing your shadowing. This will be included in your first payslip once you have fully completed the course and been signed off by your manager.

Please note that if you leave us during induction or within 3 months of completing induction you will be required to repay the full cost of the induction training which is £300. Following this period, we have a sliding repayment scale, so that the amount that you are required to repay is reduced by one quarter at quarterly intervals. Once you have completed one year’s service from the date of the end of the induction training, you will not be required to repay any of the costs of the induction training.

None. You just need to bring your own lunch to your day at our local office where there is a fridge and a microwave available for your use. We will supply tea, coffee, biscuits and a smile!

Yes, these will be processed and deducted automatically through your payslip each month.

At Carefound Home Care we believe that working patterns need to be manageable and sustainable for you, your lifestyle and your client. You can decide what pattern you commit to which may include:

  • 1 week on, 1 week off
  • 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off
  • 4 weeks on, 2 weeks off
  • 2 weeks on, 4 weeks off
  • 6 weeks on, 2 weeks off
  • 2 weeks on, 6 weeks off
  • 3 weeks on, 3 weeks off
  • 4 weeks on, 4 weeks off

Yes, we are a fully managed service and take full responsibility for employing, training and supporting our live-in carers. This means that we can provide you with unrivalled, local, 24/7 support which we view as vital to your well-being. We also pay directly into your bank account every 4-weeks and manage all of your tax and national insurance contributions.

Yes, all live-in carers live in their client’s home and are on-hand 22 out of 24 hours each day that they are scheduled to work.

Yes, it’s a stipulation in our client agreement that a live-in carer must have their own clean, comfortable room with a single bed, linen and storage to house belongings. You will also have access to the internet and ideally a television. In fact, before a package commences, a member of our care management team will visit the property to check that it is suitable.

Breaks during your live-in placement

Every live-in carer gets 14 hours of breaks from their client each week. We recommend using this time to take time out and concentrate on your own hobbies. Maybe going to the gym, getting out in nature or browsing through books in the local library. Some carers take two hours of breaks each day, while others bank up their hours to take a longer break over three or four days. All placements and families work differently and it’s worked out completely on an individual basis, making sure that when you do leave the home there’s cover for the client.

Breaks between live-in placements

Your weeks-off between your agreed working patterns are of course yours to enjoy and do as you wish. Some people use their time off to return home or visit family. Others may travel or go on a relaxing holiday.

Yes, a care plan is written by a member of your care management team following a detailed assessment of care needs including medical conditions and all assistance required for that person’s day-to-day care. The care plan is available to you 24/7 on your mobile phone via our app.

Yes, a member of our care management team will carry out a detailed assessment of care needs prior to writing the care plan, including all aspects of daily living such as mobility, medications, the environment etc. The information from the risk assessment will be detailed in the care plan.

We embrace technology at Carefound Home Care to make your life easier and our service more effective. This includes completing our care notes via our app and collaborating as a team through our own online community. You will access this technology on your own smart phone, but don’t worry as it’s all really simple and you’ll be trained to use it.

Unlike many live-in care providers, we are a locally driven service and all of our clients are all located within Cheshire, Nottinghamshire or Yorkshire. As such, our live-in carers are expected to be willing to support clients across these areas.

With regards to travel expenses, we cover your expenses to and from your care package, meaning it doesn't cost you anything to get to your client.

It helps if you can drive as it means you can get out and about with your client, if their condition allows it. If the client still has a car, we often suggest that you are added to the family’s insurance policy. Having your own car means that more care placements are open to you, particularly those in remote or rural settings. To drive, you’ll need a full UK driving licence. And if you do have a car, we provide a very generous mileage allowance.

Our live-in carers are paid on a 4-weekly basis. However, you do have the option of accessing your pay instantly instead of waiting for payday using our EarlyPay app.

As we employ you directly, rather than you being paid by the family, we take care of your tax and national insurance paperwork. As a direct employee of Carefound Home Care, you are also entitled to other benefits including paid holidays, pension, free employee assistance programme, funded DBS check, food and accommodation paid whilst on placement, financial support for travel.