When you are setting up as a self-employed paid carer, you need to ensure that you have certain documents, policies and procedures in place before you start working with clients.
This is so that you can offer a safe and accountable service, as well as offering both protection and reassurance to your clients. The right paperwork ensures you have all the records you need to hand, and you can easily monitor your clients’ progress and make changes to the care you provide. More importantly, many of these documents and policies are critical if you wish to offer your services to clients who receive Local Authority funding or you wish to become a YtB Accredited Paid Carer.
Here are the key documents, policies procedures you should consider.
Contract
A contract is absolutely essential for a self-employed paid carer. It outlines everything that is agreed between you and your client, including what services you are going to provide to them (and what you are not), the terms of your self-employment, payment and hours, and so on.
Risk Assessment
An important part of your role as a self-employed paid carer is to be able to identify, assess and manage any risk in your role, both to protect yourself and your client. However, you also need to be able to weigh up the benefits of any situation where there could be an element of risk, as certain activities may have a greater positive outcome than the potential for something going wrong. Keeping a detailed risk assessment record is your way of ensuring that you have clearly thought about situations and to note changes that may increase the level of risk.
Safeguarding
Part of your responsibility as a self-employed paid carer is to understand safeguarding and your duty of care towards the people who you work with. You should have a detailed Safeguarding policy in place, which outlines your responsibilities and how you will handle situations where you have concerns about a person’s safety. You should also keep a record of the relevant department in your Local Authority so you know who to contact.
Complaints
You may never receive a complaint against your service, but it is wise to have a clear policy in place that you can give your clients to explain the procedure that they can follow to lodge a complaint. Making this clear from the outset helps the client feel that they can trust in you and your services, but also feel comfortable that they can address a situation should it arise. Remember that complaints can be positive, you can take the issue and use it to improve your service to everyone.
Other documents and policies
As well as the key items we have mentioned above, there are other documents and policies that help you to run a successful, safe and effective business as a self-employed paid carer. This includes knowing what records to keep and how, what support planning involves and your role in that, keeping timesheets and invoicing clients, marketing your services to build your business and more. All of this is available in The Complete Self-Employed Paid Carer Bundle, which is the most cost-effective way to get everything you need for your business, or individually in the shop.
Published on Sep 17, 2018
Comments (9)
Jackie Mary Carnduff
Mar 02, 2019
I came across this site by accident. It was so helpful to me as this is what I am thinking of doing.
I am going to pursue my career dream.
Thank you.
Nick
Mar 05, 2019
We’re so pleased that you found the site useful, good luck with pursuing your dreams.
Nikki Redding
Jun 15, 2019
This site was so helpful to me. I am becoming a self employed carer I have over 12 years experience in this field and I wanna branch out on my own. Thank you for the information
Ahmed
Jun 27, 2019
It was so helpful information and I’m appreciate that to encourage people be thier own boss,anyone in his field.
I wish if i get in touchif you do not mind.
Thank you
Nick
Jul 11, 2019
Hi Ahmed, I’m so glad you found it useful. By all means give us a call if you want more information. Here’s our contact details
Lele
Aug 22, 2019
Great information indeed, now i feel confident to take the first step to self employment being and introductory agent. Do i need cq registration? how do i find private clients? Please email me with assistance. regards Lele
Nick
Sep 06, 2019
Hi, glad the information was useful. I will send you an email.
Diane
May 15, 2020
Hello ,
Please would it be possible to have some guidance please on the way forward. I’ve been a carer for many years now but have taken the plunge to go self employment, I’ve started to get the paperwork in place slowly but would really like to clarify with someone please.
Please keep safe
Kind regards
Di
Nick
May 30, 2020
Hi Diane
I’d suggest you have a look at this page – particularly the video that’s on it, it goes through step by step what you need to do to get started. If you need more info then please contact us, at the moment we’re working very odd hours so we all can manage childcare, but if you drop us your email address via the contact us page then we can arrange a time for someone (probably me!) to call you.
Comments (9)
Jackie Mary Carnduff
Mar 02, 2019I came across this site by accident. It was so helpful to me as this is what I am thinking of doing.
I am going to pursue my career dream.
Thank you.
Nick
Mar 05, 2019We’re so pleased that you found the site useful, good luck with pursuing your dreams.
Nikki Redding
Jun 15, 2019This site was so helpful to me. I am becoming a self employed carer I have over 12 years experience in this field and I wanna branch out on my own. Thank you for the information
Ahmed
Jun 27, 2019It was so helpful information and I’m appreciate that to encourage people be thier own boss,anyone in his field.
I wish if i get in touchif you do not mind.
Thank you
Nick
Jul 11, 2019Hi Ahmed, I’m so glad you found it useful. By all means give us a call if you want more information. Here’s our contact details
Lele
Aug 22, 2019Great information indeed, now i feel confident to take the first step to self employment being and introductory agent. Do i need cq registration? how do i find private clients? Please email me with assistance. regards Lele
Nick
Sep 06, 2019Hi, glad the information was useful. I will send you an email.
Diane
May 15, 2020Hello ,
Please would it be possible to have some guidance please on the way forward. I’ve been a carer for many years now but have taken the plunge to go self employment, I’ve started to get the paperwork in place slowly but would really like to clarify with someone please.
Please keep safe
Kind regards
Di
Nick
May 30, 2020Hi Diane
I’d suggest you have a look at this page – particularly the video that’s on it, it goes through step by step what you need to do to get started. If you need more info then please contact us, at the moment we’re working very odd hours so we all can manage childcare, but if you drop us your email address via the contact us page then we can arrange a time for someone (probably me!) to call you.
Thanks
Nick