Looking for a live-in care job? These are the best websites to use in 2022

Demand for live-in carers is rising with more families making the choice to care at home, but if you’re an aspiring live-in carer, how do you find these jobs? Let’s break down your options for finding a live-in care job in 2022.

Introductory Services

Introductory services are the middle ground between finding your own clients and being employed by a traditional agency. They work to bring you a stream of potential opportunities that you can pick from or find out more about. The level of control you have between introductory services will vary but you’ll always be self-employed.

When working as a self-employed carer you’ll need to file a tax return once a year and claim your own expenses. This can be more confusing than working as a PAYE employee but brings with it more choice, flexibility and higher earnings.

PrimeCarers

12.5% commission – https://primecarers.co.uk/carer

PrimeCarers can send you a variety of work opportunities for both hourly and live-in care once you have completed the online vetting process. As new opportunities come in, potential clients will be offered in the form of an opportunity or they may select you and send a message directly. PrimeCarers also gives you increased control by allowing you to set your own prices. Over the last 12 months, we’ve seen an average take-home pay of £126/day.

• Online Registration Process (Enhanced DBS, ID Check, Video Call Interview)
• Set your own rates from £120 – £150/day for basic live-in care.
• Fees: 12.5% comission on live-in care work
• Perks: Half-commission for your first 10 visits (Approx £70)

Registration Process	Online
Rate Setting	Set your own rates (average £126/day after commission)
Commission	12.5%
Perks	50% off commission for your first 10 visits

Elder

15-35% commission – https://www.elder.org/become-a-carer/

Unlike other introductory services, Elder have focussed entirely on the live-in care market. They take a more managed approach with their clients offering them a choice of three carers that meet their needs. They will negotiate and set your rates for you from £86/day to £122/day. With a charge to clients of at least £135/day, they take the highest commission of the introductory services but in exchange, you get the nearest thing to a low hassle job.

Registration Process	Online
Rate Setting	From £86/day to £122/day (set rates after commission)
Commission	15%-35%
Perks	£500 Signup Bonus

Curam Care

15% commission – https://www.curamcare.com/carers

CuramCare is similar to PrimeCarers in that they allow you to set your own rates and cater to hourly and live-in clients. Alongside their online vetting service, they also provide a searchable jobs board that you can use to find and apply to jobs pro-actively instead of relying on what’s sent your way.

Curam says that the average take home for a carer is £748/week or £107/day for live-in care.

Registration Process	Online
Rate Setting	Set your own rates (average £107/day after commission)
Commission	15%
Perks	Unknown

Traditional Agencies

When you work for a traditional agency, you’ll be employed by them. This comes with some benefits and some disadvantages. It can bring greater job security and benefits including:

• Paid holiday days
• Pensions
• Continuing Training

But that’s also paired with:

• Less control over the hours you work
• Higher taxes

Helping Hands Homecare

30% Commission – https://www.helpinghandshomecare.co.uk/jobs/live-in-carer-jobs/

One of the largest care agencies in the UK is always keen to hire carers. So much so that they are offering a £2,000 sign-up bonus at the moment. With two contract types, guaranteed hours or zero-hour contracts, you can have more security than when working with your own clients.

Registration Process	In-person selection days
Rate Setting	Rates set in contract (approx £119/day including holiday pay)
Commission	30-35%
Perks	£2,000 Signup Bonus

Finding your own live-in care job

Now let’s look at how you can find your own clients. Utilising classified ads to find your own clients is the most cost-effective way to go if you’ve got the time and experience. It’s probably not a good idea for someone with limited live-in care experience to go through this route for their first few clients. If you are already confident working as a self-employed carer then this can be a great way to go.

Hiring carers directly is usually something that clients do when coping with a long-term condition where they want total control over how their care is carried out and are looking for something specific in a carer. It’s often the case that those newer to care won’t be confident vetting their own carer and will prefer to rely on an agency or introductory service to do this for them, which is a great reason to be registered in more than one place.

Care.com

Premium £5-10/mo – https://www.care.com/en-gb/join-now

This is the biggest website for finding carers of all types in the UK. It’s not free to get onto it, but as a massively well-known website, you’re sure to find clients looking for live-in carers in the UK, although competition may be a little fierce.

PA Pool

Free, Premium (£5-9/mo) – https://papool.co.uk/auth/register/assistant

PA Pool is another great option for finding clients that is run as a not-for-profit. It was founded by Katy, a graphic designer suffering from Spinal Muscular Atrophy in 2007 and is a great place to continue your job search.

When you work with a client, be prepared to bring all of your ID, DBS and reference documentation on your first visit to ensure that they can check your credentials properly.

Conclusion

As an introductory service ourselves, we have tried to be as unbiased as possible as we recognise that introductory services aren’t for everyone. So, whichever route you decide to take we hope this article has been useful in explaining the options available to you and wish you the best of luck in finding your first live-in care job.