Care agency or private carer?
Searching for a care agency? Read this first
An agency is one of three ways to get a carer into the house. It is the one most people know about, and for some families it is the right one. This page explains what each route is, what it costs, and who each one suits.
Hourly rates, 2026. PrimeCarers figures include our fee.
The three routes
What each one is, and who it suits
They differ in who chooses the carer, who employs them, and where the money goes.
A care agency
A company that employs carers and sends them to you on a rota. It is regulated by the CQC, holds the contract, and manages the staff.
£28–£35 an hour; live-in from about £1,400 a week
Suits
People who never want to be involved in choosing or managing a carer, and who are content with whoever the rota sends.
The catch
You rarely choose the carer, the face can change without notice, 30-minute calls are common, and roughly half the fee stays in the office.
A private carer through PrimeCarers
An introductory platform. Self-employed carers list themselves; we vet them, you choose and meet them, and the contract, insurance and payment run through us.
£18–£25 an hour, typically £20; live-in typically £1,120 a week
Suits
Families who want the same person every time and a say in who that is, without becoming an employer.
The catch
You do the choosing, which takes an evening. If your carer is ill, we will always try to find cover, but we cannot promise it the way an agency rota can.
Hiring someone yourself
You find a carer, check them, write the contract and pay them. If they are not self-employed, you are their employer.
£16–£18 an hour
Suits
People with time, confidence with paperwork, and a carer they already know and trust.
The catch
No vetting unless you do it, no insurance unless you buy it, payroll and pension duties if they are employed, and nobody to call when it goes wrong.
Side by side
Eleven things that differ
An agency comes out ahead on two of these rows, and for some families those two rows are the ones that matter most.
| Agency | PrimeCarers | Yourself | |
|---|---|---|---|
| You choose the carer | Rarely | ||
| Same carer every visit | Depends on the rota | ||
| Visits from one hour, not 30 minutes | Often 30-minute calls | ||
| DBS, ID and right to work checked for you | |||
| Insurance and contract handled | |||
| You are not the employer | Carers are self-employed | Only if they are self-employed | |
| CQC-regulated provider | Not applicable to self-employed carers; our own checks instead | ||
| Cover if the carer is ill | We will always try to find cover | ||
| Someone to call when it goes wrong | |||
| Hourly cost | £28–£35 | £18–£25 | £16–£18 |
| Live-in, per week | £1,400+ | typically £1,120 | varies |
Where the money goes
The agency’s price pays for the office as well as the carer. Recruitment, rota, compliance, and margin all sit between you and the person who turns up. That is why the same visit costs more and the carer earns less.
Carer takes home ~£12
Carer takes home ~£17
More on the trade-off: private carers vs agency carers.
Already with an agency?
Moving to a private carer, in six steps
The usual reasons are a carer who changes every week, 30-minute calls that are over before the kettle boils, and a bill that keeps going up. The move takes about a fortnight.
- 01
Check your notice period
Agency contracts usually ask for two to four weeks. Read it before you speak to them.
- 02
Find your carer first
Search for carers, message the ones you like, and interview them. Have someone lined up before the agency stops, so there is no gap.
- 03
Ask the agency for the care plan
The care plan belongs to you. It has the medication times, the routines and what works, so hand it to the new carer on day one.
- 04
Overlap one visit if you can
If the outgoing carer and the new one can be in the room together for an hour, it saves a week of finding things out.
- 05
Tell the district nurse and the GP
This puts the new carer on the list of people they will talk to.
- 06
Keep what was working
If there was an agency carer your relative loved, they may well be on PrimeCarers, or willing to join.
How it works
From “something has to change” to a carer at the door
No assessment visits, no waiting list. Some families are talking to a carer the same day.
Search your postcode
See the carers who cover it, with photos, rates, experience and reviews. Filter by hourly, live-in or overnight.
Talk to the ones you like
Message them directly, or tell us what you need and we can suggest some carers to look at. The choice is always yours.
Meet before deciding
A call, a video chat or a visit, free and with no commitment. A lot of families have a good idea within the first ten minutes.
Book, and change it as needs change
Contract, insurance and payment run through us. You can add visits, add nights, or move to live-in care as things change, and you only pay for care that happens.
Safety first
Someone coming into their home? We take that seriously.
Letting a carer into the home of someone you love takes trust. We've built every layer of protection so that trust is earned, not assumed.
Vetting that never stops
Enhanced DBS, ID and right-to-work checks and an online interview before a carer appears, then continuous DBS monitoring for as long as they work. We check that a carer is caring; their skills and training are for you to check with them.
Insured and above board
Every visit is insured, contracted and paid securely online after care happens. There is no cash and no informal arrangement to manage.
A real person who knows you
Your own account manager and a UK support team who know you, your carer and your situation, not a call centre script.
Help when plans change
If your carer is unwell or away, our team will always do their best to find you vetted cover at short notice.
What clients say
Our Latest Carer Reviews
Margaret N
"Excellent - Lovely lady. My mother is so pleased with the work she does in helping her."
Read the full review
Julia S
"Julia is a highly skilled and companionate carer who is able to give so much of herself and adapt to any situation."
Read the full review
Andres Felipe C
"My son who he is caring for automatically welcomed Andres and can be heard laughing & having fun with Andres."
Read the full reviewQuestions families ask
Agency or private carer, answered
An agency employs carers and sends whoever is on the rota; you deal with the office. A private carer is one person, chosen by you, who comes each time. Through PrimeCarers the private carer is self-employed and vetted, and the contract, insurance and payments run through us. Private carers vs agency carers.
No. We are an introductory platform: carers list themselves, we vet them, you choose and interview them, and we handle the contract, insurance and payment. We do not employ the carers or run a rota, which is why the same visit costs less and the carer keeps more of it.
Typically £28 to £35 an hour in 2026, more in London, and from about £1,400 a week for live-in care. A private carer through PrimeCarers is £18 to £25 an hour, typically £20, and live-in is typically £1,120 a week. The full cost guide.
When you do not want to be involved in choosing or managing a carer at all, when you need guaranteed cover whoever is ill, or when the council is arranging care for you and has a contract with a provider. Those are real reasons and some families weigh them highest.
The CQC regulates organisations that employ care staff. A self-employed carer you choose, introduced through a platform, sits outside that. In its place: Enhanced DBS, ID and right-to-work checks and an online interview before they appear, continuous DBS monitoring after, and reviews from families. CQC and self-employed carers.
Not through PrimeCarers: the carers are self-employed, so there is no PAYE, pension or sick pay to arrange. If you hire someone directly and they are not self-employed, you do become their employer. Can I employ a private carer?
Tell us and we will always try to find cover at short notice, from carers who already know the area. We cannot promise it the way an agency rota can, and we would rather say so. Many families keep a second carer they have met as a backup.
Yes, if you find the new carer before you give notice. Agency notice is usually two to four weeks, which is enough time to search, interview and overlap a visit. The six steps and the full transition guide.
Often. Many agency carers also work privately or would like to. They may be on PrimeCarers already; if not, they can join and be vetted. Check their agency contract for a restriction first.
At £16 to £18 an hour it looks cheapest, until you add the DBS check, insurance, a contract, and possibly payroll and pension duties, with nobody to call when it goes wrong. For most families the few pounds an hour are not worth it. The legal and financial side.
Read next
See the carers an agency would have sent
Real people near you, with their rates and reviews. Pick the ones you like and talk to them for free.