Become a Live-in Carer

Live-in care is a full-time homecare solution where you as a carer are required to live with the customer in their own home seven days a week and although you will have breaks you are responsible for the customer’s well being the rest of the time.

It allows a customer to stay at home in familiar, relaxed surroundings, supported by a full-time live-in carer who undertakes all the duties detailed in an individually designed care plan.

Many carers enjoy this one-to-one personal home care service as it allows them to concentrate on one person at a time. Unlike other care environments, live-in carers have the time to build a relationship and maintain a high standard of care.

Whilst it is undoubtedly one of the most rewarding jobs you can have, it’s also demanding, challenging and comes with a huge amount of personal responsibility.

It is a calling, not just a job

It takes a special kind of person to be a live-in carer. A good carer is someone who truly cares about others and is not just earning a living.  This is a special job, and it needs special people to do it.

Breaks

Every live-in carer gets 14 hours break away from their customer a week. This is usually split into 2 hours a day when the carer is relieved by another carer or a family member; but all placements and families work differently. When you do have time off its a great time to concentrate on hobbies like going to the gym, cinema or just browsing through the books in the local library.

Transport

Whilst it is advantageous for our Carers to be able to drive, it’s not necessary to have your own car. The ability to drive offers flexibility on a number of levels; it gives us greater flexibility in the care packages that we can offer you. If you’d like to work in a more remote, rural placement, then that is more feasible if you can drive and have a car. It also gives you the flexibility to get out and about with your customer if their condition allows. If the customer still has a car, we often suggest that our Carer be added to the family insurance policy.

Matching Our Customers with Our Live-In Carers

At Helping Hands we put a lot of effort into our matching process; we try to match on the basis of personality, location and experience. Experience is a big determining factor when matching a customer and carer. Certain care packages and conditions will require more experience than others; we never put our carers into situations they are not equipped to handle.

Some of our carers prefer to work in city environments, others prefer the countryside. Some like to be close to home and others prefer to see different parts of the country. We try to accommodate everyone’s preference, but we do ask for some flexibility.

Whilst it is advantageous for our carers to be able to drive, it’s not necessary to have your own car. The ability to drive offers flexibility on a number of levels; it gives us greater flexibility in the care packages that we can offer you. If you’d like to work in a more remote, rural placement, then that is more feasible if you have a car. It also enables you to get out and about with your customer if their condition allows. If the customer still has a car, we often suggest that our carer be added to the family insurance policy.

Changeover of Carers

When a carer first starts with Helping Hands, they shadow an existing carer for a period of time. This could be six hours if the care package is quite straightforward, or up to 24 hours if it’s more complex. Support is something our carers are never short of; as well as a live-in care manager; there is always someone on call to offer help, support or advice.

When a new carer goes in to replace an existing carer, we insist on a fully detailed handover. Whether acting as holiday cover or as a permanent replacement, this principle remains. This protects our carers (and our customers) from the unexpected. The new carer will be fully briefed on all aspects of the individual care plan, including routines, medications, preferred meals, nap times and any other pertinent information.

What Does the Job of a Live-In Carer Involve

Living in the customer’s home, you’ll be there to offer help with personal care or overseeing medication. You’ll often help with mobility, and keep up with household chores like cooking, cleaning, laundry and shopping. However, your most important job is to spend quality time with the customer as their companion, chatting, keeping them company and empowering them to be independent.

Experience of caring for people is preferred when taking on the role of a live-in carer, but is not essential. A compassionate nature, good communication skills and a professional approach are essential.

Before being appointed, all our live-in carers are subject to an enhanced DBS check. Applicants must have the right to work in the EU as we are unable to provide sponsorship or assistance.

Find out more or apply to become a live-in carer today. We’re here to answer your questions.

Don’t just take our word for it.

Esther on why she joined Helping Hands as a Live-in Carer.