The job, and what we pay for it
At Helping at Home you’ll earn £14 per hour, above the Real Living Wage, with your travel time paid. We pay for your training and shadow shifts, and we never use agency staff.
How our pay compares to the local market
The April 2026 National Living Wage is £12.71 per hour. The Real Living Wage outside London is £13.45 per hour. We pay £14 per hour as a flat rate, before any bank holiday or Christmas Day premium.
| What you get | At Helping at Home | What a typical agency care role pays |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly rate | £14 flat | National Living Wage, £12.71 |
| Travel time between visits | Paid as contracted hours | Often unpaid |
| Mileage | 30p per mile, paid monthly | Often not paid, or below 30p |
| Bank holidays | 1.5x | Usually flat rate |
| Christmas Day | 2x | Usually 1.5x or flat |
| Shadow shifts during induction | Paid | Often unpaid |
| Training, DBS, uniform, ID badge | Paid by us | Often deducted from first pay or self-funded |
| Training certificates | Yours to keep forever | Sometimes retained by the employer |
| Employer pension contribution | 3% on auto-enrolment | 3% on auto-enrolment (the legal minimum) |
| Use of agency staff to plug gaps | Never | Common |
Paid travel time, mileage and training can add several pounds to a typical hour you work.
What the job involves
You’ll visit people in their own homes across Newark and the surrounding area. A typical week is a mix of:
- Personal care, including washing, dressing, toileting and continence care
- Medication prompts and, with the right training, medication administration
- Meals, hydration and light household tasks that keep someone safe and comfortable
- Mobility support and falls reduction
- Companionship visits, welfare checks and dementia-informed support
- Logging visit notes, observations and medication records in the Birdie app
You’ll visit the same people on a regular schedule wherever possible. We aim to give each client a core team of up to four carers.
Who we’re looking for
You don’t need experience. You do need:
- A full UK driving licence and access to your own car. Our coverage is rural in places.
- The right to work in the UK. We check this at offer stage.
- To be 18 or older (some personal care duties have a legal minimum age).
- An enhanced DBS check, which we pay for.
- An interest in working with older adults. Patience matters more than speed.
- Willingness to complete the Care Certificate during your induction.
Care or healthcare experience, an NVQ in Health and Social Care, dementia training or end-of-life experience all help. None of them is essential.
Real progression: Megan’s story
Megan Williams joined us as a care assistant. She progressed to Senior Carer, then to Care Co-ordinator, and now serves as our Deputy Manager. We funded her NVQ Level 3 and her NVQ Level 5 while she was working with us.
“I started visiting clients in Newark. Now I help shape how we deliver care across the whole service. The pathway was real, the training was paid for, and the team backed me at every step.”
Charlotte Offord followed a similar route, from care assistant to Care Co-ordinator. She now matches new carers to clients by where they live, the care that is needed and how well they will get on.
Training we pay for
You’ll start with a paid induction. That includes:
- The Care Certificate (Skills for Care, 15 standards). Statutory induction for care workers in England.
- Paid shadow shifts with a senior carer before you take any visit on your own.
- Manual handling, safeguarding adults, medication awareness, infection prevention and control, basic first aid, food hygiene and fire safety.
- Dementia-informed training.
- End-of-life training.
- Specific medication administration training, separate from the awareness module, for carers who progress to administering medication.
If you leave, you take your full training record with you, including the certificate scans.
After induction, you’ll have regular supervision and a yearly appraisal. If you move into complex care, you can work towards competency sign-offs (PEG, catheter, stoma, ventilation).
A typical week
You’ll work regular shift patterns rather than being on call. We build time in between visits, so you are not rushing from one door to the next.
| Element | What that looks like |
|---|---|
| Minimum visit length | 30 minutes |
| Geographic clustering | We schedule your visits to keep travel sensible |
How to apply
- Submit the form below or call 01636 646915. Tell us a bit about yourself, your driving licence, and which area you live in.
- Phone call from the office. Usually within two working days. We’ll talk through the role and answer your questions.
- In-person interview. With Courtney, Megan or Charlotte. At the Newark office.
- Offer and DBS check. We pay for the DBS check. Right-to-work check happens at this stage.
- Paid induction. Care Certificate, mandatory training, and paid shadow shifts before you take any visit on your own.
Tell us a little about yourself.
Fill in the form and someone from the team will be in touch within three working days — usually sooner.
Frequently asked questions
What hours can I work?
We have a range of shift patterns to fit different lives. Talk to us at the application stage about what suits you.
Where is the office?
65 London Road, Newark, NG24 1RZ. Interviews are in person at the office.
Talk to us about joining
You can also email us directly at hello@helpingathome.co.uk. Office hours are 8am to 6pm Monday to Saturday.
