How to Find a Private Carer in the UK: A Practical Guide

When an older person needs extra support, many families consider finding a private carer rather than using a care agency or care home. Private carers can offer flexibility, continuity, and a more personal relationship — but employing someone privately also comes with important responsibilities.

This guide explains how to find a private carer in the UK, what to look out for, the costs involved, and the legal considerations you need to be aware of, drawing on guidance from Elder’s advice on employing carers privately.

What Is a Private Carer?

A private carer is someone you employ directly to provide care and support, rather than arranging care through an agency. They may support with:

• Personal care (washing, dressing, toileting)
• Meal preparation and household tasks
• Medication reminders
• Companionship and supervision

Private carers may live locally and visit regularly, or in some cases provide live-in care.

Ways to Find a Private Carer

There are several ways families look for private carers:

1. Personal recommendations

Friends, neighbours, or healthcare professionals may recommend carers they trust. While helpful, it’s still important to carry out your own checks.

2. Online platforms and directories

Some websites advertise private carers looking for work. These platforms can widen your search, but levels of vetting vary.

3. Local advertising

Community noticeboards, GP surgeries, or local publications may list carers offering services.

While these routes can help you find candidates, they usually place responsibility for checks, contracts, and payroll on you.

What You Need to Check Before Hiring a Private Carer

Before offering a role, it’s vital to carry out thorough checks to make sure a private carer is safe, suitable, and legally able to work.

Right to work and DBS checks

You should:

• Check the carer’s right to work in the UK
• Arrange a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check (enhanced in England and Wales, PVG in Scotland)

These checks help confirm that your carer has a suitable background and is legally eligible to work with vulnerable adults.

References and experience

Ask for and verify:

• References from previous employers
• Relevant care experience and qualifications
• Experience with specific needs, such as dementia care, mobility support, or medication assistance

Insurance

If you employ a carer directly, you should ensure appropriate insurance is in place:

• Employer’s liability insurance (a legal requirement)
• Public liability insurance

This protects both you and the carer if there are accidents, injuries, or legal claims.

Legal Responsibilities When Employing a Private Carer

If you employ a carer directly — either as an employee or via an introduction — you may become their legal employer. This brings several responsibilities, including:

• Registering as an employer with HMRC
• Operating PAYE (Pay As You Earn) for tax and National Insurance
• Paying at least the National Minimum Wage
• Providing employment rights, such as holiday pay, sick pay, and pension auto-enrolment (where applicable)
• Keeping employment contracts and records
• Maintaining workplace health and safety compliance

Deciding whether a carer is genuinely self-employed can be complex. Misclassification may lead to unexpected legal and financial obligations, so professional advice is often recommended.

How Much a Private Carer Might Cost

Private carers may set their own rates based on their skills, experience, location, and the level of care required.

Typical costs include:

• Hourly rates: often £20+ per hour
• Live-in care: typically £900–£1,400 per week, and £2,000+ per week if care needs are complex

You may also need to budget for additional costs, such as:

• Travel expenses
• Cover for holidays or sickness
• Payroll or accounting support

Tip: Some local councils offer direct payments following a care needs assessment. These payments allow you to use public funding to employ a carer of your choice.

Legal and Practical Risks to Consider

Hiring a private carer can offer flexibility and a close working relationship, but it also carries risks:

• You must arrange cover if the carer is ill or on holiday
• Legal obligations can be complex without professional support
• You may need to manage disputes, performance issues, or dismissal
• Private carers are not regulated by the CQC, so vetting and oversight remain your responsibility

Understanding these risks is important for ensuring both safety and legal compliance.

Safer Alternatives to Employing Privately

For many families, a fully managed care service offers a better balance between personalised care and reduced administrative burden.

With services like Elder’s live-in care:

• Carers are screened and DBS-checked before being matched
• Payroll and compliance systems are managed for you
• You benefit from continuity of care without becoming a formal employer
• Pricing is transparent, with no hidden agency fees

This approach allows families to focus on their loved one’s wellbeing, rather than managing legal and administrative responsibilities.

How can Elder help?

As an introductory service, Elder will always source carers and ensure they complete a suitability screening before they are given access to our platform and can begin interacting with families.

This screening ensures they have a clean and up-to-date DBS, right to work, and at least two professional references that we can verify. We also ensure they can provide proof of address, certifications pertaining to care, and a valid copy of their photo ID. We complete these for every carer before they’re matched with you, and run monthly audits on carer documentation to ensure all carers remain compliant whilst on our platform.

We’ll also manage payroll services for you – and unlike other care agencies, we won’t charge additional fees for joining Elder, matching you with a suitable carer, or for bank holidays or weekends.

Using an introductory care agency like Elder provides a greater peace of mind in the quality of care – because as well as following this robust recruitment process, we surface reviews from other families on each carer’s profile, so you can read about them and their work from people who have used their services.

We also provide a set of carer standards that carers must follow when providing care via Elder, and your care needs will be assessed by our internal clinical team to ensure care can take place safely.

With Elder, you’ll get the peace of mind that the tricky things are taken care of – leaving you free to choose an experienced carer that fits your needs and build a great ongoing relationship with them.