Do Self-Employed Carers Need to Be Registered With CQC?

No. CQC does not deem care services provided by a sole trader to be a regulated activity.

Private Carers – The Definitive Guide (Updated for 2024)

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What Is the CQC?

The CQC, or Care Quality Commission, is a government body that monitors the provision of care across hospitals and care homes in the private and public sectors. While its influence is far-reaching, one area that they are not currently regulating is that of the private care world.

The CQC has decided not to regulate this industry as clients have a direct line of communication with carers and need much less governance to achieve high-quality care.

Does This Mean That Self-Employed Carers Are Dangerous?

No, not at all. The most important thing to understand is that when you work with a care agency, it’s the care agency that takes on liability for ensuring that a carer turns up, that care plans are created and that carers are up-to-date on the necessary training.

When a client hires a private carer, that responsibility becomes theirs and it’s in their interest to seek out the best care for their loved one. This is why many clients choose to use introductory services like PrimeCarers to ensure that the carers they are hiring are suitable and that all the essential checks have been carried out on them.

Introductory services make private care accessible to those that would otherwise not have the confidence to hire a private carer on their own. This is widening the potential pool of private care jobs available.

What if I Run My Own Limited Company?

This is an interesting distinction between the “self-employed”. The CQC dictates that any work carried out by the employee of a limited company does fall under the banner of regulated activity. There are some good reasons for this. A limited company can protect its owners from the financial liabilities of the business. When this is the case, the CQC deems that regulation is in the patient’s interest.

If you want to become a private carer then you will need to be registered as a sole trader to do business. Trying to put your work through a limited company is a recipe for disaster later down the line.

Are Self-Employed Carer Services VAT Exempt?

No, they are not. Services provided by CQC-regulated agencies are VAT-exempt, but services carried out by sole traders are not. The good news is that the VAT registration limit is currently set at £85,000, so very few self-employed carers will need to register.

When is a CQC Regulated Agency a Better Choice?

While a private carer can be an excellent choice for live-in care and simple hourly schedules, when things get more complicated, an agency is sometimes the better choice. If you’re looking for three 15-30 minute visits per day then a medium to large-sized agency will be much better equipped with more staff on various routes able to drop in. They also have the resources to guarantee carers show up, even if one or two fall sick or need to take holidays.

The client will end up paying a higher price overall and lack the consistency of carer, but that can often be a price worth paying with this sort of timetable complexity.

Conclusion

I hope this explanation of CQC registration and how it affects both sole traders and limited companies have been helpful to you.

If you’d like to find out more about becoming a self-employed carer, then check out our complete guide on the subject.