Employing a private carer to help you

A private carer or personal assistant can help with a range of tasks like: 

• shopping 
  
• preparing meals 
  
• help with medication 
  
• driving, or helping you get around 
  
• supporting family carers when they need a break 
  
• personal care, such as washing, dressing and using the toilet. 
  

They might work for only a few hours a week, or several hours each day (or night). 

If you need to arrange paid carer services, you have two main options:

1. Use a homecare agency to hire a carer.
2. Employ your own carer.

Consider your needs, budget, and how much involvement you want in the process when choosing between these options.

For many, using a home care agency is easier than employing a carer or personal assistant yourself. But there are important things to consider. 

To find a home care agency in your areaOpens in a new window see the CQC website.

If you don’t know of someone you want to hire, like a friend or a recommendation from your local council, or Health and Social Care Trust in Northern Ireland (HSCNI), you'll need to advertise and interview candidates. 

Some councils, or HSCNI, allow you to advertise on their websites. You can also advertise in: 

• local job centres 
  
• local newspapers 
  
• local post office, shops, supermarkets or colleges of further education or places of worship 
  
• online, for example, GOV.UKOpens in a new window 
  
• recruitment agencies who will charge fees, but they handle the vetting process, which might be worth it for the added peace of mind. 
  

If you're getting money from your local council, or HSCNI, for care, there are specific rules about hiring family members depending on where you live. Usually your local council, or HSCNI, won’t let you pay close family members who live with you for services. But there can be exceptions if it’s needed to meet your needs, or for child, to support their wellbeing.  

Check the rules on employing a family member or friend by contacting your local council, or HSCNI.   

If you’re a carer, find out what financial support out there to help you in our guide Benefits you can claim as a carer.

You must make sure anyone you hire can legally work in the UK by checking their passport or other ID from European Economic Area countries and keeping a copy.

For a list of European Economic Area countriesOpens in a new window, go to GOV.UK.

For more information on the right to work in the UKOpens in a new window, go to GOV.UK.

Before someone starts working, it’s a good idea to check their criminal record. This is called a: 

• Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check in England and Wales. 
  
• Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) check in Scotland.
  
• AccessNI criminal records check in Northern Ireland. 
  

It's important to get a copy of the check from anyone you’re looking to employ before you interview them or let them into your home. 

• If you live in England or Wales, get more information about DBS checksOpens in a new window at GOV.UK.
  
• If you live in Scotland, find out more about PVG checksOpens in a new window at mygov.scot. 
  
• If you live in Northern Ireland, for criminal record checksOpens in a new window contact AccessNI.
  

You’ll need to draw up a contract of employment for your carer or personal assistant. This must include: 

• the tasks required 
  
• the date when the employment began and duration of employment 
  
• place of work 
  
• working hours 
  
• rest breaks 
  
• pay rate 
  
• payment arrangements (times and means of payments) 
  
• holiday entitlement and pay 
  
• retainer payments (for example, when you’re in hospital or go on holiday for long period) 
  
• entitlement to sick leave 
  
• maternity/paternity leave and pay 
  
• termination of employment/notice period 
  
• redundancy payments 
  
• pension schemes 
  
• disciplinary procedures. 
  

For more information on employment contracts, see: 

• GOV.UK: help and support for your businessOpens in a new window
  
• ACAS: about contracts, hours and payOpens in a new window
  
• Disability Rights UK: about employment contractsOpens in a new window
  
• Labour Relations Agency in Northern Ireland: to improve employment relationsOpens in a new window
  

You must pay your personal assistant at least the National Minimum Wage. 

You might also be responsible for deducting tax and National Insurance from their wages and have to pay the employer’s National Insurance contribution. 

Find out more about tax and National Insurance when employing people in your homeOpens in a new window on GOV.UK.

Your carer or personal assistant has an entitlement to: 

• rest breaks 
  
• holiday pay 
  
• sick pay 
  
• a maximum number of working hours in any week.  
  

Not only will you have to pay these, but you’ll also need to find replacement cover.

See GOV.UK to calculate the statutory holiday entitlementOpens in a new window in days or hours.

You must automatically enrol your private carer or personal assistant (depending on age and earning) into a workplace pension scheme.  

To find out more about your automatic enrolment and what you need to do, see:  

• Auto-enrolment pensions: an introduction 
  
• The Pensions RegulatorOpens in a new window 
  

As an employer, you must take out Employer’s Liability Insurance and Public Liability Insurance. 

If you receive direct payments, your local council, or HSCNI, should help towards the cost of this. Contact your local council, or HSCNI, to get a list of insurance providers who can offer you coverage. 

You’ll need to renew your insurance every year. 

Direct payments let you buy services from care providers, hire your own carer or appoint a home care agency to do it for you, giving you more control over your support. 

If your local council, or HSCNI, agrees to fund some or all your care services, you can choose to get the money as direct payments. 

This means your local council, or HSCNI, will transfer money into a separate bank account you set up for this purpose. This account should only hold these payments and any agreed additional funds. Payments from your local council, or HSCNI, can be made weekly, every four weeks, monthly or otherwise. Be sure to know the payment schedule to pay your staff on time. 

Disability Rights UK: offers advice on direct paymentsOpens in a new window, accessing social care funding, care needs assessment employing personal assistants and non-residential community care charges.  

ACAS: provides guidance on employment considerationsOpens in a new window, job applications, and hiring processes. 

If you live in England: 

Skills for CareOpens in a new window give tips on hiring personal assistants and details on local support services. 

If you live in Wales:

Dewis CymruOpens in a new window offers advice on direct payments and employing personal assistants. 

If you live in Scotland:

Self-Directed Support ScotlandOpens in a new window is a resource for information on self-directed support, direct payments, and local support for employing care workers. 

If you live in Northern Ireland:

Centre for Independent LivingOpens in a new window offers advice on direct payments, personal budgets, and hiring carers and personal assistants.