Flexible, local respite work

Respite Carer Jobs in Lower Sydenham

Short-term and weekend cover — set your own rates from £18.80–£20 per hour

  • Set your own rates, with no agency cut
  • Choose your clients and your hours
  • Contracts, invoicing and payments handled for you
Apply now

Registering takes a few minutes · How soon you start depends mostly on your DBS check

Description

Looking for flexible respite work in Lower Sydenham that fits around family life or other commitments? These roles are short-term and weekend cover for family carers — anything from a few hours to a few days — helping relatives have a proper break while keeping care in the community. Right now, 216 families are currently looking for care in the wider area.

Respite shifts commonly involve companionship, personal care, medication prompts, meal support and keeping someone safe during temporary family absences. You’ll meet people in their own homes across Lower Sydenham and nearby areas such as Sydenham, Beckenham, Forest Hill, Penge, Catford and Sydenham Hill. Many assignments are evenings or weekends, ideal if you want occasional blocks of work or regular weekend cover in Lewisham borough.

On PrimeCarers you are self-employed: you set your own rates and choose clients, hours and service area. Typical pay falls in the range £18.80–£20 per hour. If you cover hourly or live-in short stays, you may see roles reflected in £18.80–£20 per hour and £145–£160 per day depending on client needs. PrimeCarers finds clients, handles contracts, invoicing and payments, and provides insurance while you work, so you can focus on care.

This type of work suits experienced carers who want more control than agency shifts allow — the freedom to accept or decline bookings, build ongoing relationships with families, and fit care into your life across Lower Sydenham and neighbouring streets. If you’re used to agency paperwork but want to set the terms, respite on PrimeCarers can bridge that gap.

To join we ask for:

  • At least 1 year of professional care experience.
  • An Enhanced DBS check (PrimeCarers can help arrange one).
  • The right to work in the UK and verifiable references.

Applying takes minutes. Create your profile, upload your documents and references, and once we verify them your profile typically goes live within days. You’ll then be visible to families looking for short-term or weekend respite across Lower Sydenham and Lewisham, and can start receiving booking requests.

We’re advertising ongoing self-employed opportunities rather than a single role. If you want flexible respite work that respects your experience and gives you control over when and how you work, sign up and see what local families need.

What carers earn around Lower Sydenham

Carers on PrimeCarers are self-employed and set their own rates. Typical ranges are based on what carers in the area currently charge.

Hourly care

Based on 1278 carers in the area

£18.80–£20 per hour

Overnight care

Based on 1090 carers in the area

£17–£19 per hour

Live-in care

Based on 2136 carers in the area

£145–£160 per day

What you would take home in Lower Sydenham

You set your own rate on PrimeCarers, and the rate you advertise is what a client is charged for your time. Our commission comes out of that rate rather than being added to it. Put your week in and the figures below move with it.

A week

£400

25 hours a week, before tax

A month

£1,733

The same week across a calendar month, before tax

The arithmeticA weekA month

Charged for your time

£20 an hour x 25

£500

£2,166.67

PrimeCarers commission

20%, VAT included

- £100

- £433.33

You receive

£16 an hour

£400

£1,733.33

Visits shorter than six hours are charged at the hourly commission rate. The commission is taken out of the rate you advertise rather than added on top of it, and the VAT on it comes out of our share.

Tax is yours to sort out

Carers on PrimeCarers are self-employed, so Income Tax and National Insurance come out of the take-home figure above. Nothing is deducted for you and this page does not work out what you owe. Tax and money as a self-employed carer walks through registering with HMRC and what to put aside.

Rates from what 1278 carers within 30km of Lower Sydenham on PrimeCarers charge for this kind of work, taken from the platform when this page was last built. 216 hourly and night placements within 30km of Lower Sydenham are open at the moment.

Register as a carer to set your own rate and apply for work around Lower Sydenham.

Register as a carer

Why carers choose PrimeCarers

Set your own rates

You’re self-employed and choose what to charge and when to work, with typical roles in the £18.80–£20 per hour range.

Total schedule control

Accept the short-term and weekend bookings that suit you. Choose clients, hours and your service area.

Meaningful local work

Provide relief to family carers in your community — build relationships with clients across Lower Sydenham and nearby towns.

Admin taken care of

PrimeCarers handles contracts, invoicing and payments, with insurance included while you work.

How it works

  1. 1

    Create your profile

    Apply online in minutes, add your experience, right to work documents and references.

  2. 2

    Verification and checks

    We verify your documents and DBS. PrimeCarers can help arrange an Enhanced DBS if needed.

  3. 3

    Start accepting bookings

    Profiles typically go live within days. Choose the respite jobs you want and manage your bookings.

Frequently asked questions

Respite care is short-term support to give family carers a break. That can be a few hours, overnight stays or a couple of days’ cover — anything families need temporarily.

Carers on PrimeCarers are self-employed. You set rates, accept bookings you want and manage your availability while PrimeCarers handles client introductions and payments.

You need at least one year of professional care experience, an Enhanced DBS check (we can help arrange this), the right to work in the UK and verifiable references.

PrimeCarers manages invoicing and payments so you’re paid reliably. Insurance is included while you’re working on bookings found through the platform.

Applying takes minutes and, after verification, profiles typically go live within days — then you can begin to accept respite bookings across Lower Sydenham and neighbouring areas.

Ready to start earning on your own terms?

Join the carers already working with families around Lower Sydenham through PrimeCarers. Set your rate, choose your clients, and let us handle the admin.