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Care Guide

How to Find a Carer - 2 choices

Who Pays The Carer

The Private Arrangement

CareWorker Rates of Pay

Care Agencies

DBS Disclosure

Sponsor Explained

Carer Training


How to Find a Carer - 2 Choices

  • A private care arrangement, one individual with another

  • An arrangement with a Care Agency

Care Agency staff cost a great deal more than a private arrangement, and continuity of the Carer is rarely guaranteed. However an agency arrangement should have the benefit of sick and holiday cover, and should be easy to arrange.

However the fact is that many of us cannot afford the high cost of agency care. Which leaves the private arrangement as introduced by SimpleNeeds. Many private carers have co-workers who can provide sick and holiday cover.

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Who Pays The Carer

If you have sufficient resources of your own, then you pay.

Otherwise you can expect some help from your Local Authority subject to a Social Services assessment.

You are entitled to an assessment whatever your resources.

A useful source of information is AgeUK

Or look at DirectGov (Public Services Official Website) for more information. DirectGov has masses of information, but its impossible to read all of it. Use the search box in the top right corner.

As with most benefits systems, its quite complicated and may take some time to work out exactly what is your entitlement.

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Private Arrangement

This is where you make a private arrangement with someone who agrees in return to be your carer, with no agency involved in the transaction.

If you are fortunate enough to know of a carer by recommendation, then you're off to a flying start. You don't need to read any further on this page.

Otherwise you make contact with candidates via private classified ads. First you have to choose which website you're going to use. There are several sites that carry carer ads, but each site has them in differently named sections. There is no science as to which is best, its guesswork and hunch.

Obviously we recommend SimpleNeeds for clients and carers to find each other !

We are the longest-running specialist site, and probably have the widest coverage.

The employment status of the carer is usually self-employed, or cash-in-hand. The client is not automatically deemed an employer by HMRC, as that depends on a number of factors.

In a private arrangement the carer is exempt from CQC Regulation and DBS Disclosures are optional.

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CareWorker Rates of Pay

To get some idea of the going rate of pay in your area, start by looking in your local paper, where there are usually wanted ads for Agency Carers showing the rate of pay offered. Then compare with the rates of pay asked by Carers here on SimpleNeeds.

Making a private arrangement means both parties have to negotiate and agree on a rate, and then the client has to see to it that the carer gets paid via cash or cheques or bank transfers. Paying cash requires a trip to the cash machine, and cheques require to be presented at a bank. Easiest is the the bank transfer.

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Sponsor - What we mean by "Sponsor"

Many of those in need of care are unable to participate fully in the process of finding a carer. On our platform, someone who acts for them and makes the necessary arrangements is a "Sponsor", and is usually a relative, but maybe a friend, neighbour or a professional health worker.

If you are a "sponsor" we need the postcode where help is needed, and also your own contact details.

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Training - What does it take to be a Carer

There are two types of Certificate in use at present. The National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) was awarded up until January 2011. After January 2011, the Level 2 and 3 Diplomas in Health and Social Care replace the Health and Social Care NVQs at level 2 and 3.

Workers who have already undertaken relevant NVQs have still got legitimate qualifications that demonstrate competency. NVQ qualifications will continue to be recognised now that the new qualifications are in place, but they are not available for new registrations.

Skills For Care is funded by the Department Of Health and is is the National Body responsible for ensuring that England's adult social care workforce has the appropriately skilled people in the right places working to deliver high quality social care. Their website explains all of it in detail.

Its obvious that home help is not rocket science. Not so obvious is the need for the carer have a careful regard for the feelings and sensibilities of the client. Formal training places emphasis on the need for respect, as well as issues related to hygiene, health and safety matters.

Since the qualifications that are most widely held at present are NVQ's, we provide some explanation here.

NVQ 1 in Health & Social Care does not seem to exist - if it does it very little mention is made of it.

NVQ 2 in Health & Social Care is aimed at Care Assistants & Support Workers working within the care industry. The focus of the NVQ 2 in Care, centres around person enabled care, in the development and maintenance of individual independence, in addition to direct care delivery to the patients. NVQ 2 in care is the standards entry level care qualification.

NVQ 3 in Health and Social care is for Senior Carers, Domiciliary Carers and Carers in a supervisory position or with some responsibility. The focus of the NVQ 3 in care is in delivering physical, emotional or enabling care to clients, whether they work in health or social care, or in the public, private or voluntary sectors. The NVQ 3 in care is designed to be applicable to candidates who will be delivering care. NVQ 3 in care candidates work often without direct supervision, requiring a degree of responsibility and autonomy, making decisions within set boundries previously agreed with their team. NVQ 3 in Care is typically a senior carer qualification.

NVQ 4 in care is aimed at Senior carers, Domiciliary Carers, Carers working within management and deputy management positions. It is focused toward the management and delivery of care with the support of others, and will be accountable in the area of practise. NVQ 4 in care is designed to teach the techniques involved in management and delivery of physical, emotional or enabling care to service users. NVQ 4 in care is typically a care manager or senior carer qualification.

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Care Agencies

All Carer Agencies are commercial businesses. There are no state operated Agencies. If your local authority funds the services of a carer, in almost all cases that carer will be provided by a commercial agency.

Look at the Care Quality Commission for masses of information on all agencies in the sector.

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Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)

Disclosure and Barring Service

A Disclosure Certificate is issued after a search of the Police National Computer (PNC) and other relevant Authorities. The process can take up to two months to complete. A recent Disclosure Certificate is mandatory for carers who work for Agencies, but not mandatory for carers making an arrangement directly with a private client. The legislation is quite specific about this. Much of the extensive legislation and regulation that covers Adult Social Care specifically excludes private arrangements between individuals.

Look at the Disclosure and Barring Service for more information.

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