The websites
Ten places to look for a carer online
The order is not a ranking. For each site we give the checks it says it makes, in its own words, and the fees it publishes.
1.Curam
Both: an introductory service and a CQC-registered managed service
- What it publishes
- A platform where you browse self-employed carers' profiles, filter by experience, skills, availability, rate and location, then message or video call them. It says every carer is DBS checked, insured and provides two checkable references. Curam Managed Care Services is a separate CQC-regulated subsidiary. Its homepage
- Published price
- An average of £20.50 an hour and £1,200 a week for live-in care, with a 12% client fee added to invoices, per its FAQ dated August 2025. Its homepage cost tool shows a 10% fee.
- Suits
- Families who want to browse and choose a carer themselves, with references shown up front.
2.PrimeCarers
Introductory service: you hire a self-employed carer
- What it publishes
- This site. You search by postcode, compare self-employed carers' profiles, rates and reviews, and message, interview and book the carer you choose. Before a carer appears we check their ID, their right to work and an enhanced DBS (or PVG in Scotland, Access NI in Northern Ireland) issued within the last 2 years, and we interview them online. We do not verify references, qualifications or training, so ask the carer about those yourself. References a carer has invited appear on their profile. How to find a private carer
- Published price
- £18 to £25 an hour, typically £19.47, fee included (PrimeCarers rates, October 2026). The hourly price already includes our standard fee (20% on visits under 6 hours); the carer keeps the rest.
- Suits
- Families who want to see each carer's all-in price and choose the person themselves.
- Worth knowing
- We do not verify references, so a site that checks two references, such as Curam or TrustonTap, does more on that point.
3.Hometouch
Both: an introductory service and a CQC-registered managed service
- What it publishes
- A carer search by postcode for its introductory service, alongside a CQC-regulated managed service. It says it checks carers' ID, qualifications and DBS certificates and interviews every carer face to face. Its homepage
- Published price
- Live-in introductory care from £1,400 a week, on its pricing page (no date shown; seen 19 October 2026).
- Suits
- Families who want a face-to-face interviewed carer and the option of a managed service.
4.Elder
Introductory service: you hire a self-employed carer
- What it publishes
- An introductory agency where carers apply to your request and you choose from the ones who apply. It lists checks including an enhanced DBS, ID and right to work, at least two verifiable references and at least six months' care experience. How its introductory service works
- Published price
- Visiting care from £30 an hour; live-in care from £1,150 a week (no date shown; seen 19 October 2026).
- Suits
- Families who would rather be sent suitable carers than search themselves.
5.Match with Care
Introductory service: you hire a self-employed carer
- What it publishes
- An introductory marketplace where you browse carers or ask its team to arrange introductions. It says every carer is interviewed, right-to-work verified, DBS-checked and reference-checked. Its FAQ
- Published price
- Visiting care around £20 to £25 an hour, plus a 15% platform fee on your invoice (seen 19 October 2026).
- Suits
- Families comfortable with a newer, smaller marketplace.
6.TrustonTap
Introductory service: you hire a self-employed carer
- What it publishes
- A matching service rather than a public search: you describe the care and it sends profiles of suitable carers. It says carers answer 180 questions, provide two references and have an enhanced DBS. It covers Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and nearby counties. Its find a carer page
- Published price
- £23 to £34 an hour, average £26, plus a client administration fee of 5% plus VAT (no date shown; seen 19 October 2026).
- Suits
- Families in the counties it covers.
7.Care.com
Directory of providers
- What it publishes
- A listings site where you post a job or search carers. It says it does not introduce or supply carers, and does not verify the identity of carers or what they post. Its elderly care page
- Published price
- It says the average elderly care rate charged by caregivers on Care.com was £15.06 an hour as of October 2026. We could not find its membership price.
- Suits
- Families who will do every check themselves.
8.Council and charity PA registers
Council route
- What it publishes
- Registers of personal assistants (PAs), mostly for people on council direct payments. Examples: Wakefield Council's PA Finder, run by Penderels Trust; North Somerset's register, run with UKCIL; Milton Keynes's Connection Support register, which is also open to people paying privately; and PA Pages in Sussex, which says its PAs are not employed or recommended by it. Wakefield PA Finder
- Published price
- Free to search for direct payment users in the areas we checked. North Somerset charges a subscription to post a job yourself.
- Suits
- People with a council direct payment who want to employ a PA. Ask your council whether it has one.
9.Small Good Stuff
Directory of providers
- What it publishes
- A free UK directory of small local care and support services, run by Community Catalysts, with over 2,000 listed. It says a listing does not mean the service has been accredited or approved. About Small Good Stuff
- Published price
- Free to search. Each service sets its own price.
- Suits
- Finding a very local, small provider, such as one person offering visits in a village.
10.homecare.co.uk and the CQC
Directory of providers
- What it publishes
- homecare.co.uk lists UK home care and live-in agencies with reviews and a review score. The CQC's own search shows inspection reports and ratings for registered home care services in England. CQC: find home care agencies
- Published price
- Free to search.
- Suits
- Families who would rather use a registered agency than hire a carer directly.
Each provider’s own page was checked on 19 October 2026. Prices and services change, so confirm them with the provider before you rely on them.
How to choose
What each kind of site checks for you
The biggest difference between these sites is how much checking they do before you see a carer, and how much is left to you.
| Introductory platform | Listings site | Council PA register | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Examples | Curam, PrimeCarers, Hometouch, Elder, Match with Care, TrustonTap | Care.com | Wakefield, North Somerset, Milton Keynes, PA Pages |
| Checks before you see a carer | Yes, and each site lists its own | None, it says | Varies; PA Pages says it does not recommend its PAs |
| Who the carer works for | You, as a self-employed carer | You | Usually you, as their employer |
| Fees | A fee inside or on top of the rate | Not published | Usually free with a direct payment |
Examples
- Introductory platform
- Curam, PrimeCarers, Hometouch, Elder, Match with Care, TrustonTap
- Listings site
- Care.com
- Council PA register
- Wakefield, North Somerset, Milton Keynes, PA Pages
Checks before you see a carer
- Introductory platform
- Yes, and each site lists its own
- Listings site
- None, it says
- Council PA register
- Varies; PA Pages says it does not recommend its PAs
Who the carer works for
- Introductory platform
- You, as a self-employed carer
- Listings site
- You
- Council PA register
- Usually you, as their employer
Fees
- Introductory platform
- A fee inside or on top of the rate
- Listings site
- Not published
- Council PA register
- Usually free with a direct payment
From each site's own pages, seen 19 October 2026.
Whichever site you use, check the carer's DBS certificate and right to work yourself, ask for references you can ring, and interview more than one person. Ask the carer about their training and experience, because most sites do not verify qualifications. How to find a private carer has the questions to ask.
Questions
Questions about finding a carer online
There is no single best site. Curam, PrimeCarers, Hometouch, Elder and Match with Care all let you find self-employed carers, but they check different things and charge different fees. Compare the checks each one lists and the fee on top of the carer's rate before you choose.
Care.com says it does not verify carers. Introductory platforms such as Curam, Elder, Match with Care, TrustonTap, Hometouch and PrimeCarers check carers before listing them, including a DBS check. Curam, Elder, Match with Care and TrustonTap also say they check references; PrimeCarers does not.
If your relative gets a council direct payment, many councils or local charities run a register of personal assistants. Ask the council's adult social care team which one covers your area.