Support for a disabled adult, on their terms

In practice there is no difference that matters. "Carer" tends to be used for personal care and older people; "support worker" for help with daily living, getting out, work and study for disabled adults. Many people on PrimeCarers do both, and families use whichever word fits. What counts is what the person needs and who does it well.

Yes. Support can be a few hours a week, daily visits, overnight cover or a live-in personal assistant from £1,050 a week, and the council can fund it through a direct payment. Which works out cheaper depends on how many hours are needed and what a placement would have cost, so compare the two on your own numbers rather than assuming either way. The kinds of support and supported living versus care at home.

Search with a postcode, look for carers whose profiles list learning disability or autism experience, and interview them with the person they will support. Consistency and personality matter most, so choose one person you can keep rather than an agency rota. Choosing the person.

Usually, yes. A direct payment is there to be spent on meeting assessed needs, and a self-employed carer you choose is a common way to do that. You get a written agreement between you and the carer, and payment runs through PrimeCarers, so the invoices for the visits you booked are there when the council reviews your spending. Check with your council’s direct payments team before you start, as rules differ. How direct payments work and the types of care funding.

Carers set their own rates. Hourly support is £18 to £25 an hour, typically £19.47, with our fee included. Overnight support starts from £130 a night and live-in from £1,050 a week, more for complex needs. The full cost guide.

Yes. Support during the working or studying day, including personal care and help getting there, is a normal part of the role, and Access to Work can fund it. Discuss what the employer or college provides first so the support fills the gap.

Some carers have done this work before and say so on their profile, but that is their own account and we do not record or check training, so ask them directly and ask to see what they hold. Clinical tasks are a separate question: they come from the NHS community team, or a nurse formally delegates the task to a named person and trains them for it, with a written plan in the house. Search the profiles yourself and talk to the people who look right; we introduce carers rather than choosing one for you. How delegated healthcare tasks work, complex care at home and what carers are not allowed to do.

Start with a meeting somewhere familiar, keep the first visits short and predictable, and keep the same carer. Profiles show a photo and a bio so the person can look before meeting, and you can talk to as many carers as you like before booking anything. Autism support at home covers running an introduction and what to put in writing first.

Every carer has passed an Enhanced DBS (or PVG / Access NI), ID and right-to-work checks and an online interview before appearing in a search. We do not check qualifications or training. Visits booked here are covered by insurance we arrange for the carer, within its terms, which does not cover medical procedures. What we check, and what we don’t.

Yes. Respite for the family carer of a disabled adult is often funded after a carer’s assessment, and can be a few hours a week or a live-in carer for a fortnight. Respite care.