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Our introductory agency status

Arranging and maintaining care at home for a loved one can be unnecessarily complicated and costly, but it doesn’t have to be. At Elder, we’re here to break the mould.

Find a carer0333 920 3648
Our Intro Status

    You choose the carer

    Care can start in 24 hours

    Personalised on-call support

    35% cheaper than alternatives

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What is an introductory agency?

An introductory agency is a service recognised by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW), and the Care Inspectorate Scotland (CIS) under the Health & Social Care Act 2008.

Instead of employing carers directly, an introductory agency like Elder matches families with self-employed carers and supports the relationship, while you direct the day-to-day care.

What does Elder's introductory agency status mean for you?

Elder is a trusted introductory agency that connects families and self-employed carers, enabling one-to-one personalised care at home for your loved ones.

At Elder, we help families and self-employed carers do three critical things safely:

  • Find each other
  • Match with each other
  • Manage their ongoing relationship directly

As the CQC, CIW, and CIS recognise Elder as an introductory agency, registering with these independent bodies isn't required.

It means you direct and control the management of care on a daily basis. You're not alone, though: we're here to empower you with your own MyElder account, a specialist family support team, and ongoing diligence from our safety and trust team.

Elderly man and carer using an exercise ball

What can and can't we do as an introductory agency?

    What we can do

    What we can do

    • Help you or your loved one find a suitable self-employed carer
    • Help source a replacement or substitute professional, as required, on an ongoing basis
    • Provide payroll services for you and your self-employed carer
    • Provide support services for you and your self-employed carer to help you with your own care management
    • Conduct regular check-ins to make sure you and your family are happy with the introductory agency service
    What we can't do

    What we can't do

    • Directly provide training, implement mandatory training, or manage the performance of self-employed carers
    • Create a care plan based on the needs of your loved one
    • Advise, direct or change how a self-employed carer provides care
    • Act as an advocate for your loved one, changing the care received or providing care advice
    • Review or manage the care plan in consultation with your loved one
Older man taking his medication

How medication support works with self-employed carers

Self-employed carers on the Elder platform can only prompt your loved one to take their medication, as we don’t assess the self-employed carer’s skill base/qualifications for administering medication.

We always encourage carers to build the training and skills needed to support medication safely, but as an introductory agency, we have no ability to insist or mandate that this training is undertaken by self-employed carers. If you and your loved one choose to go ahead with a carer's services, you do so knowing that Elder has no oversight, control, or management of this aspect of care.

Any ongoing requirement to provide medication support is something you, your loved one, and your carer agree together directly, so it's shaped around exactly what your family needs.

How Elder supports you as an introductory agency

As an introductory agency, our role is to promote a safe introduction between families and carers. This includes verifying that carers are who they say they are, by collecting proof of address, background checks, a clean enhanced DBS, and right to work documentation.

We want the relationship between you and your chosen care team to be successful and effortless

We provide the tools for you to manage your care schedule, review, vet and select carers, and share critical care-related information with your chosen carers, all in MyElder.

We want to be there for you when it matters most

That's why at Elder, we have a robust team of support for families and self-employed carers on our platform. This can be when circumstances change, for unexpected emergencies, or if there are any concerns.

We understand concerns arise from time to time

We’ve developed a thorough safeguarding process to help keep families safe. We review any instances where self-employed carers accessing our platform fall short of our expected standards, and take appropriate steps in line with that process.

Roles & Responsibilities

What Elder does - and what families do

Elder helps you find, choose and engage the right self-employed carer - then stays involved to help the relationship work for the long term, so you're never left managing everything on your own.

Understanding who does what is important. Here's a clear and honest breakdown of responsibilities on both sides.

What Elder does

Safety and Suitability

  • Pre-introduction identity, right to work and DBS/PVG checks
  • Suitability and boundary screening
  • Risk indicator review and safeguarding escalation

Trusted Matching

  • Structured matching to identify suitable carers
  • Transparent carer profiles and feedback history
  • Direct conversations enabled before engagement

Platform Support

  • Family Support Specialist access, 7 days a week
  • Practical guidance on using the platform
  • Introductions to alternative carers when needed

Secure Infrastructure

  • MyElder platform for schedules, comms & records
  • Secure payment processing tools
  • Encrypted systems and structured record-keeping

What families do

Families are in charge of their loved one's care - and Elder gives you everything you need to do that well.

  • Decide what good care looks like for your loved one, day by day
  • Choose the carer you want and engage them directly
  • Share routines, preferences, and what really matters to your loved one
  • Provide a safe and comfortable home environment
  • Stay in touch with how care is going and raise anything that needs attention
  • Decide if and when more specialist care is needed
Comparison

How we compare

Understanding the differences between care options helps you make the right choice for your family.

Elder (Introductory Agency)Regulated Care AgencyArranging Independently
Family chooses and meets carer before engagementYou browse profiles and chooseAgency assignsVaries - no support
Pre-introduction vetting (DBS, references, right to work)Carried out by ElderYour responsibility
Suitability and boundary screeningElder's safety framework
Structured carer matchingElder's safety frameworkVaries
Family chooses and engages carer directlyYou remain in controlAgency assigns
Consistency of carerUsually the same carerLower - staff rotationsVaries
7-day support & adviceMon-Sun inc. Bank Holidays
Carer introduction for cover periodsElder facilitates introduction - families arrange directlyManaged by providerYour responsibility
Digital platform (schedules, payments, comms)MyElderVaries
Daily carer updates with notes and photosvia MyElderVaries
Family sharing (multiple relatives can access)via MyElder
Independent family reviews15,000+ on TrustpilotVaries
CQC regulated care servicesNot provided
Clinical supervision of care deliveryNot provided
Typical costTypically more affordableVariesLower cost, self managed

IMPORTANT: Elder is an introductory agency and does not provide regulated care services. Families engage carers directly and remain responsible for day-to-day care delivery decisions.

The Elder vetting process

Safety & Quality Assurance

Only a small proportion of applicants successfully join the platform.

01

Application & Pre-Screening

Checks for minimum 6 months' professional experience and English proficiency.

02

Identity & Right to Work

Verification of valid Photo ID and legal Right to Work in the UK.

03

Enhanced Background Checks

Must hold a clean, recent Enhanced DBS (or PVG in Scotland).

04

Professional Referencing

We aim to verify at least two professional references from previous employers.

05

Situational & Character Assessment

Tests for natural caring aptitude and sound judgement in critical moments.

06

Ongoing Quality Assurance

We review feedback and platform activity to maintain our introduction and suitability standards - not to supervise carers' work.

ALL VETTING COMPLETED BEFORE INTRODUCTION - NOT AFTER

Important documentation

Frequently asked questions

0333 920 3648