Before care starts, we match a small team of carers to your family member and, wherever possible, introduce them. We aim to give each client a core team of up to four carers. We never use agency staff.
What happens in your first two weeks
You’ll meet your regular carers before care starts wherever possible. Charlotte Offord, our Care Co-ordinator, does the matching.
Charlotte’s job
Once your care plan is agreed, Charlotte thinks about three things.
- Geography. Who lives or works near you, for shorter travel, more reliable timing and carers who know the area.
- Care needs. Who has the right training for the support you need, such as dementia, complex or end-of-life care.
- Personality fit. The wrong pairing makes a daily visit awkward for everyone. The right one makes care work. Charlotte adjusts if it doesn’t click.
How introductions work
Before the first paid visit, one of your regular carers comes round with Courtney, Megan or Charlotte, whoever you met at your assessment. It’s a short visit, usually 15 to 20 minutes. The carer meets the person, asks questions and sees the home. We don’t charge for it.
In urgent cases, such as a hospital discharge or a sudden change in needs, the first meeting may happen on the first visit. We’ll tell you in advance if so.
Why a small team matters
Too many carers means too many introductions, too many small changes in how things are done, and more for the client to keep track of.
What happens when a regular carer is off
When one of your regular carers is on holiday or ill:
- The first choice is cover from another carer in your core team.
- If that isn’t possible, cover comes from our wider directly employed team in the same area.
- Every carer who enters your home has been recruited, trained, DBS-checked and supervised by us.
We’ll tell you who the cover carer is, in advance wherever we can.
If matching isn’t working
Tell us and we’ll look for a different match. Asking doesn’t mean the carer did anything wrong.
Common questions
Will I see the same carers every visit?
You’ll see a small team. We aim to give each client a core team of up to four carers. The same carer at every visit isn’t possible over holidays, sickness and rota changes.
Can my Mum request a particular carer?
Yes. If a carer is a good fit, we try to put them on the rota for her, around their other visits.
What if a carer doesn’t turn up?
We have on-call duty cover and out-of-hours arrangements. A missed visit triggers a call to you, and we send a replacement carer as quickly as the rota allows.
Are your carers self-employed?
No. Every carer is directly employed by Helping at Home, paid £14 per hour with travel time included, with paid training, DBS, uniform and pension contributions. The jobs page explains the full picture.
