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The role of a live-in carer
Being a professional live-in carer is a hugely rewarding role where you can make a genuine difference to someone’s life. We know that to do this well you need both the best employment package and the best support. This is why our staff are proud to work for us.
As a live-in carer, you will live in our elderly clients’ homes on a week on / off rotation basis where you will provide outstanding home care and support. This may involve providing companionship and personal care, basic help in the home, shopping and meal preparation support or delivering specialist care based on training received such as dementia care or medication administration.
The live-in carer job description
As a professional live-in carer you will enable an older person or couple to continue to live in their own home with well-being.
Working in a live-in care team of two, you will provide care and support to your client based on their personalised care plan, enabling them to experience the highest level of health and social well-being possible. You will generally work on a 1 or 2 week on / off basis, or an alternative shift pattern that better suits your lifestyle.
As a live-in carer, your duties may include but are not limited to:
- Providing company and companionship
- Supporting clients with personal care, such as getting up, washing, dressing and continence
- Helping with mobility
- Administering medication
- Light housekeeping such as cleaning, cooking, laundry and gardening
- Preparing and cooking healthy meals
- Accompanying clients to appointments and social outings
- Supporting clients to pursue their hobbies, interests and social activities
- Caring for specialist conditions such as dementia, Parkinson’s, stroke and other conditions
Benefits of the live-in carer job
Our live-in carer employment packages include:
Pay & Benefits
- Fantastic rates of pay – £600 to £877 per week (depending on complexity of client care needs and your skills and experience), double time on bank holidays, support with travel expenses
- Further pay enhancements to recognise experience and long-term commitment
- Perks of being directly employed – regular paid holidays, pension, funded DBS check, food and accommodation paid whilst on placement
- 24/7 access to a free confidential employee assistance programme helpline
- Generous refer-a-friend scheme – up to £500 per referral
Professional Development
- Paid extensive induction training held at your local office and online
- Ongoing specialist care training
- Opportunity to achieve diploma qualifications
- Development opportunities for career progression
Support
- Unrivalled 24/7, local support
- Weekly support visits from your local care management team
- Flexible, sustainable working patterns
Who can apply for a live-in care job?
You may be a carer already, or have cared for a friend or family member, with a clear passion to support others. Whatever your circumstances, we can provide you with fantastic pay, regular holidays, great benefits, market leading training and 24/7 local support.
The requirements for the role are:
- Experienced applicants or people wanting to work in care for the first time (since full training is provided)
- Warm, patient and compassionate with a clear desire to support others
- Enthusiastic and positive ‘can do’ attitude
- Own a smartphone
- Ability to drive and have the use of your own vehicle is helpful but not a requirement
- You must have the Right to Work in the UK
Frequently Asked Questions
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER I HAVE APPLIED FOR THE ROLE?
Upon receipt of your application our recruitment team will typically review it quickly and, if your profile meets the requirements of the role, they will contact you to arrange a short phone interview. Following this, they will arrange a face-to-face interview with you (this can also be carried out over video call if you prefer). If this is successful, you will be provided with a job offer by email and invited on to our induction.
WHAT DO I NEED TO DO ONCE I RECEIVE MY JOB OFFER?
Your recruitment manager will send your job offer to you by email. Simply click on the link in the email to open and read your offer letter. You can then click on the box at the end of the letter and enter your name and the signed document will be returned to us automatically. Your recruitment manager will then be in touch with you about booking you onto your induction and completing your pre-employment checks.
WHAT PRE-EMPLOYMENT CHECKS DO YOU DO?
All offers of employment are subject to us carrying out necessary pre-employment checks which includes contacting your references (two professional and one personal), carrying out an enhanced check with the Disclosure and Baring Service (DBS) and verifying your qualifications. Your recruitment manager will therefore ask that you bring the following information to the first day of your induction:
- Proof of identity (UK birth or marriage certificate or UK driving licence photo card, passport, motor insurance certificate)
- Utility bill or bank statement in your name / address (dated within the last 3 months)
- Proof of National Insurance Number
- Copy of work permit, visa stamp and entry stamp in your passport (overseas applicants only)
- Copy of your Disclosure and Baring Check (if already held)
- Any relevant certificates of training
- A recent passport photograph
DBS Checks
We are required to carry out an enhanced check with the Disclosure and Baring Service (DBS) for anybody working with vulnerable adults in the UK. To do this you will be sent an email from GBG Online Disclosures – simply click on the link and follow the guidance to complete your application. Once complete we will verify your application and send off the check. The cost of the check is £66.78, which we will pay and then deduct from your first payslip. Whilst we apply for your DBS check as soon as possible, please be aware that the processing time can be anything from 1 day to 1 month, or on rare occasions it can be longer.
WHAT HAPPENS AT INDUCTION TRAINING?
All new members of our team complete a 4-day induction training course delivered at their local office and over video call. This is delivered by our in-house training team covering everything from the basic health and social care qualification – The Care Certificate – to specialist areas such as medication management, moving & handling, dementia and Parkinson’s.
DO I GET PAID FOR INDUCTION TRAINING?
Yes, you will receive a lump-sum payment for attending induction training and completing your shadowing. This will be included in your first payslip once you have fully completed the course and been signed off by your manager.
Please note that if you leave us during induction or within 3 months of completing induction you will be required to repay the full cost of the induction training which is £250. Following this period, we have a sliding repayment scale, so that the amount that you are required to repay is reduced by one quarter at quarterly intervals. Once you have completed one year’s service from the date of the end of the induction training, you will not be required to repay any of the costs of the induction training.
WHAT EXPENSES WILL I INCUR DURING INDUCTION TRAINING?
None. You just need to bring your own lunch to your day at our local office where there is a fridge and a microwave available for your use. We will supply tea, coffee, biscuits and a smile!
DO YOU MANAGE MY TAX AND NATIONAL INSURANCE?
Yes, these will be processed and deducted automatically through your payslip each month.
WHERE WILL MY CLIENT BE BASED?
Unlike many live-in care providers, we are a locally driven service and therefore our clients are typically located within 50 miles of our local office Huddersfield (West Yorkshire). If you do have to travel further to and from your client (more than 100 miles in 1 week) you are able to claim travel expenses back in-line with our expenses policy.
DO YOU OFFER REGULAR PATTERNS OF WORK?
At Ethicare we believe that working patterns need to be manageable and sustainable for you, your lifestyle and your client. You can decide what pattern you commit to which may include:
- 1 week on, 1 week off
- 1 week on, 3 weeks off
- 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off
- 2 weeks on, 4 weeks off
- 3 weeks on, 1 week off
- 3 weeks on, 3 weeks off
- 4 weeks on, 2 weeks off
- 4 weeks on, 4 weeks off
WILL I BE EMPLOYED BY ETHICARE?
Yes, we are a fully managed service and take full responsibility for employing, training and supporting our live-in carers. This means that we can provide you with unrivalled, local, 24/7 support which we view as vital to your well-being. We also pay directly into your bank account every 4-weeks and manage all of your tax and national insurance contributions.
DO I LIVE WITH MY CLIENT?
Yes, all live-in carers live in their client’s home and are on-hand 22 out of 24 hours each day that they are scheduled to work.
WILL I HAVE MY OWN ROOM?
Yes, it’s a stipulation in our client agreement that a live-in carer must have their own clean, comfortable room with a single bed, linen and storage to house belongings. You will also have access to the internet and ideally a television. In fact, before a package commences, a member of our care management team will visit the property to check that it is suitable.
WHEN DO I TAKE A BREAK FROM BEING A LIVE-IN CARER?
Breaks during your live-in placement
Every live-in carer gets 14 hours of breaks from their client each week. We recommend using this time to take time out and concentrate on your own hobbies. Maybe going to the gym, getting out in nature or browsing through books in the local library. Some carers take two hours of breaks each day, while others bank up their hours to take a longer break over three or four days. All placements and families work differently and it’s worked out completely on an individual basis, making sure that when you do leave the home there’s cover for the client.
Breaks between live-in placements
Your weeks-off between your agreed working patterns are of course yours to enjoy and do as you wish. Some people use their time off to return home or visit family. Others may travel or go on a relaxing holiday.
DO YOU PREPARE CARE PLANS FOR YOUR CLIENTS?
Yes, a care plan is written by a member of your care management team following a detailed assessment of care needs including medical conditions and all assistance required for that person’s day-to-day care. The care plan is available to you 24/7 on your mobile phone via our app.
DO YOU CARRY OUT RISK ASSESSMENTS FOR YOUR CLIENTS?
Yes, a member of our care management team will carry out a detailed assessment of care needs prior to writing the care plan, including all aspects of daily living such as mobility, medications, the environment etc. The information from the risk assessment will be detailed in the care plan.
WHY DO I NEED TO OWN A SMART PHONE?
We embrace technology at Ethicare to make your life easier and our service more effective. This includes completing our care notes via our app and collaborating as a team through our own online community. You will access this technology on your own smart phone, but don’t worry as it’s all really simple and you’ll be trained to use it.
DO I NEED TO BE ABLE TO DRIVE?
It helps if you can drive as it means you can get out and about with your client, if their condition allows it. If the client still has a car, we often suggest that you are added to the family’s insurance policy. Having your own car means that more care placements are open to you, particularly those in remote or rural settings. To drive, you’ll need a full UK driving licence. And if you do have a car, we provide a very generous mileage allowance.
WHEN DO I GET PAID?
Our live-in carers are paid on a 4-weekly basis. As we employ you directly, rather than you being paid by the family, we take care of your tax and national insurance paperwork. As a direct employee of Ethicare, you are also entitled to other benefits including paid holidays, pension, free employee assistance programme, funded DBS check, food and accommodation paid whilst on placement, financial support for travel.
Associations
