Retire Your Agency Career.
Become a Private Carer.

PrimeCarers offers several advantages over working for a traditional care agency. As a carer, you can set your own rates and work with the clients of your choice, which often results in higher pay. Additionally, you have more control over your work schedule and can manage it to fit your lifestyle. PrimeCarers also provides support and resources to help you deliver quality care, making it an excellent option for those looking for greater flexibility and independence in their work.

Tell the family as soon as you can, and tell us. With the family's agreement we can help them look for another carer on PrimeCarers, but the family chooses who covers. A substitute should be another carer on PrimeCarers, booked through the platform; otherwise they have not been through our checks and are not covered by the insurance we arrange.

Yes, you can work with multiple clients at the same time on PrimeCarers, depending on your availability and the requirements of each job. You can manage your schedule and duties through the platform to ensure that you are able to provide high-quality care to all of your clients.

No. PrimeCarers is an introductory agency, so we are not registered with the CQC in England or with the care regulators in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland (the Care Inspectorate, Care Inspectorate Wales and RQIA). We don't employ carers or provide care ourselves. Carers on PrimeCarers are self-employed, and clients choose their carer and agree the care with them directly.

No, clients will not have access to your personal and contact information on PrimeCarers. All communication between clients and carers takes place through the platform's messaging system to protect the privacy of both parties.

To register as self-employed, you can visit the HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) website and complete the registration process online. You will need to provide some basic information about yourself and your business, including your name, address, and National Insurance number. Once you are registered, HMRC will issue you with a Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) number, which you can use to prove your self-employed status. You can also find further information and guidance on the HMRC website.

Here are some useful links to help you get started:

HMRC website for registering as self-employed: https://www.gov.uk/log-in-file-self-assessment-tax-return/register-if-youre-self-employed
HMRC website for self-employed guidance: https://www.gov.uk/topic/business-tax/self-employed

If your self-employed income is over £1,000 in a tax year, you need to register for Self Assessment with HMRC by 5 October after that tax year ends. See gov.uk for the details. PrimeCarers does not employ carers and does not deduct tax.

Yes, carers on PrimeCarers need to pay their taxes, including National Insurance contributions. As self-employed contractors, carers are responsible for their own tax and National Insurance contributions. For more information on how to register as self-employed and pay your taxes, you can visit the UK government's official website on self-employment: https://www.gov.uk/topic/business-tax/self-employed.

To learn more about the benefits of self-employment, you can visit the official website of the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed (IPSE): https://www.ipse.co.uk/. And for further information on National Insurance and how it works, you can visit the UK government's official website on National Insurance: https://www.gov.uk/national-insurance.

For live-in care, the client is expected to either provide you with food within the household budget or give you a daily allowance of between £5 and £7.50 for food. However, it is recommended that you discuss this with your client beforehand.

For hourly and overnight care, you are responsible for providing your own food.

At PrimeCarers, we want to make sure that you are paid fairly for the important work that you do. Once you have completed a shift, we will automatically generate an invoice for the hours that you have worked, minus our commission. For live-in care, our commission is 12.5%, which means that if you charge the average day rate of £140.00, you will take home £122.50 per day.

We understand that getting paid on time is important to you, which is why we process payments automatically on a weekly basis. This means that you can expect to receive your payment within a week of completing a shift. If you have any questions or concerns about your payments, please don't hesitate to reach out to our support team. We are here to help you every step of the way.

Visits booked through PrimeCarers are covered by the carer insurance policy we arrange, within its terms. It covers the carer's public liability for everyday care. It does not cover clinical procedures of any kind (other than prompting or handing over oral medicines), and tasks such as giving medicines or moving and handling are covered only where you have been trained for them. Work arranged outside the platform is not covered. Read the policy on our insurance page before you rely on it.

At PrimeCarers, the pay rate for carers varies depending on the type of care and location. However, it's important to note that the actual rate is ultimately decided through a negotiation process between you and the client. This means that you have the opportunity to set your own rate based on your experience and qualifications, and the client can choose to accept or negotiate your proposed rate. Keep in mind that we provide guidance on appropriate rates based on industry standards to help facilitate this process. We want you to feel empowered to negotiate the fairest rate for your services, so that you and your client are happy in the long run.

To prove that you are self-employed, you can provide your Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) number, which is assigned to you by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). Your UTR is a unique 10-digit number that identifies you for tax purposes. You can find your UTR on any correspondence you have received from HMRC, or by logging in to your HMRC online account. You can also call HMRC to request your UTR. Once you have your UTR, you can share it with PrimeCarers and any clients you work with as proof of your self-employment status.

You can also provide evidence such as invoices, receipts, and bank statements that show you have received payment for your services as a self-employed worker. It's also a good idea to keep accurate records of your income and expenses, as well as any contracts or agreements you have with clients.

If you and a client want to continue off the platform, the client pays the introduction fee set out in the terms of service. Working off-platform without it breaches the terms and we may recover the fee. Work arranged outside the platform is not covered by the insurance we arrange.

As a carer on PrimeCarers, you may be wondering if you can subcontract work to colleagues or friends. The answer is that it is possible, but only with the approval of the client. It's important to note that PrimeCarers prefers that you don't subcontract work, as it can affect the quality and consistency of care that clients receive.

If a client agrees to you subcontracting work, you must still book all visits through the PrimeCarers platform, and the subcontractor must also be registered with PrimeCarers. Additionally, you will need to pay the subcontractor directly from the payment you receive for the visit through the platform.

Remember that the priority should always be providing the best possible care to clients and ensuring that they are satisfied with the service they receive.

Yes, you can hire an accountant or tax professional to do your taxes for you. They can help you ensure that your tax return is filed correctly and on time, and may be able to identify deductions and credits that you may have missed. However, it's important to remember that you are ultimately responsible for ensuring that your taxes are filed correctly and on time.

If you have a complaint as a carer on PrimeCarers, you can contact their customer support team through the messaging system or by email. They will investigate your complaint and work with you to resolve the issue.

PrimeCarers covers all areas of the UK for job opportunities. You can search for jobs in your local area or in other regions depending on your availability and preferences.

Keeping track of your taxes and expenses is crucial when you're self-employed. One way to do this is to use accounting software such as QuickBooks or Xero. You can use these platforms to track your income and expenses, generate invoices, and even file your tax returns. You should also keep receipts for any business-related expenses, as these can be used to reduce your tax bill.

Yes, you can continue to do other work whilst working via PrimeCarers. As a carer, you have the flexibility to choose when and how often you work, allowing you to balance your work with other commitments.

Before a carer can appear on PrimeCarers we check their identity, their right to work in the UK and an enhanced DBS (or PVG in Scotland, Access NI in Northern Ireland) issued in the last 2 years, and they record an online interview. We do not check qualifications, training certificates or references: what a carer says about their skills and experience is their own statement, so ask them about it and decide for yourself.

To become a private or independent carer, anyone with enough experience and client management skills can start providing high-quality care to clients. It is important to have the ability to manage your own schedule, find clients, and handle administrative tasks such as invoicing and payments. You may also need to have relevant certifications or qualifications depending on the specific care services you offer.

We encourage all carers on our platform to seek out ongoing training and development opportunities to enhance their abilities and stay up-to-date with the latest best practices. You can find training courses and resources through various providers, such as local care organisations, online training platforms, or professional associations. Some courses may be free or subsidized, and others may require an investment, but we believe the benefits of improving your skills as a carer are well worth it.

If you are working as a self-employed carer, you are required by law to register with HMRC within 3 months of starting work. Failure to do so can result in penalties and fines.

We don't contact referees. You can invite past families or employers to leave a reference on your profile, and families may ask you for referees directly.