Live in carer jobs
What is a live in carer?
Here at Helping Hands, we’re currently supporting thousands of families to live safely and independently at home with our dedicated one-to-one live-in care service. For many of our customers, the ability to remain at home surrounded by their loved ones is all they ask for - and you can play an incredible part in enabling that.
As a live-in carer, you’ll support your customer with personal care, household chores and getting out and about. But above all, you’ll provide a constant source of companionship and emotional support, whether it’s simply a chat over a cup of tea or enjoying their favourite TV show with them. After all, it is these moments that often make the real difference.
What does a live in carer do?
Companionship
Providing friendly company and emotional support
Personal care
Assisting with bathing, dressing and, when necessary, continence support
Medication
Support with administration as and when the customer needs it
Meal preparation
Help with preparing and cooking nutritious meals
Household chores
Keeping on top of the washing and dusting for a clean and tidy home
Running errands
Assisting with tasks such as shopping or picking up prescriptions
Pet care
Feeding, walking and looking after the customer’s beloved pet
Mobility assistance
Offering the customer an arm to lean on around the house
Nurse-supported care
Undergoing additional training for more complex care needs
Pay and benefits
As the nation’s leading home care specialist, all of our carers are employed directly by us. No franchises. No agencies. No tax returns for you to complete. And no feelings of you being left alone without support.
Competitive pay
Competitive pay
Up to 28 days paid holidays
Receive up to 28 days paid annual leave per year
Ongoing support
Receive 24-hour support from your manager
Nationwide positions
We support customers across England and Wales
Free accommodation
Whilst on placement, you don’t need to pay a penny
Access pay early
Any employee can request an advance up to 50%
Complimentary Blue Light Card
Huge discounts from a variety of retailers
Immediate contracts
If we think you are right for us, we can offer you a contract immediately
Your application process
What live in care contracts are available?
As a live-in carer, you will play a vital part in the success of our business, and we want you to feel as important as you are. Here at Helping Hands, we'll ensure you have an agreed contract of a minimum amount of pay each month to give you total peace of mind.
Assessment and selection
What our live-in carer assessment and selection process covers
Our live-in carer assessment and selection process is flexible and designed to give you the skills to be the best live-in carer you can be. We’ll cover a mixture of classroom sessions and practical activities, meaning you’ll develop the skills and knowledge to be happy and confident in your new role.
You’ll learn about:
- Customer service - the Helping Hands way
- Your role, duties and responsibilities as a carer
- Our values and beliefs at Helping Hands
- Abuse and safeguarding against it
- Administering medication
- Manual handling
- Personal care
- Dementia care
- Health and safety
- First aid
Live in carer FAQs
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Does the role of a live-in carer mean I live with the customer?+
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Yes, a live-in carer lives in the customer’s home and is on-hand for the majority of each day. Most of our carers work for blocks of five to eight weeks at a time between breaks.
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Will I have my own room?+
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Yes, we ensure that all live-in customers are able to provide a separate room for you before confirming their care. In fact, before you are assigned to a placement, an assessor will go to the customer’s home to check that it is suitable for you
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When do I take my breaks?+
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During your placement
Each live-in carer gets 14 hours of breaks from their customer each week, so you can take some time to yourself to unwind or take part in one of your hobbies. Each of our live-in care customers have individual care needs, so we review each care package on an individual basis to ensure that you can take the downtime you need, with suitable cover in place so the customer is not without care.Breaks between placements
Live-in care placements are flexible and built around the needs of the customer. Most of them last for a period of weeks, and then you may take a long period of leave. As a live-in carer, we do ask that you commit to a minimum of three weeks to enable us to cover our shorter-term placements, not only to provide continuity to the customer, but to enable you to build a relationship with every customer you care for. -
Am I employed by the person I’m caring for?+
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No, as we are a private home care company and not an agency, you will be employed directly by Helping Hands. This means we recruit, assess and manage all of our carers, enabling us to keep your training up to date and have more control over your care arrangement to ensure your satisfaction.
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Will I have someone to contact in an emergency?+
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Yes. Our carers are never left unsupported, no matter the time of day or night.
If you need assistance in office hours, you can call your dedicated live-in care coordinator or field-based care manager. If you urgently need to speak to somebody outside of office hours, we have a dedicated 24-hour carer support helpline, which we’ll provide you with once you are on board.
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Do I need a driving license?+
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Whilst the ability to drive might prove beneficial to your customer as you have more flexibility to take them out and about, a driving license is not a requirement for live-in carers.
If the customer still has a car, we often suggest that you are added to the family’s insurance policy, providing you have a full clean UK driving license, or a driving license from overseas if you are confident to drive in the UK.
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Do I get paid weekly or monthly?+
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All live-in carers are paid on a monthly basis, and as you are directly employed by us, we also take care of your tax and national insurance paperwork. As an employee of Helping Hands, you are also entitled to statutory sick pay, paid annual leave and a pension scheme.
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What is a care plan?+
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A care plan is written by your manager during the assessment of each customer, detailing the medication, medical conditions and care requirements of the customer, so you have full instruction on the care you need to provide to your customer.
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Do you carry out risk assessments?+
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Yes. When a customer confirms that they would like to go ahead with live-in care, a member of our assessment team visits the customer to perform a risk assessment. The information from that assessment will then be detailed in the care plan.
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