By the Big on Health editorial team, Ideas in Medicine Ltd.

This is not medical, legal or financial advice. Big on Health is a UK review site. For health worries, speak to the GP, pharmacist or NHS 111. If someone is seriously ill or injured, or in immediate danger, call 999.

Hiring a private carer for a parent or partner is a big step. You are inviting someone into the home, often to help with very personal tasks, and you want to get it right the first time. This page gives you the questions to ask before anyone starts, grouped so you can work through them in one conversation. It covers checks, the work itself, money and paperwork, cover and emergencies, and what to do if things go wrong. It applies across the UK, with notes where the rules differ in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. We checked every source on 26 Oct 2026.

Before you ask anything: write down what help is needed

The best interviews start with a clear list of needs. Write down the tasks that are hard now, the times of day they happen, and anything that worries you, such as falls, missed meals or night-time waking. Include the small things too.

The NHS says a care needs assessment from the council is free and anyone can ask for one. It also says that even if you plan to arrange care yourself with an agency or a private carer, an assessment is still a good idea, because it helps you explain what kind of help is needed. A family carer can ask for their own carer’s assessment as well. See A carer’s assessment in the UK.

Agency, platform or direct hire: know which you are doing

The questions you need to ask depend on how the carer is being provided. The NHS describes two main ways to arrange your own homecare: use a homecare agency, or employ your own carer.

• A homecare agency employs the carers and sends them to the home. The NHS says all homecare agencies in England must register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which publishes inspection reports. You may not always get the same carer.
• Employing your own carer, sometimes called a private carer or personal assistant, gives you more choice over who comes. The NHS says that if you employ a paid carer, you have the legal responsibility of an employer, including arranging cover for their illness and holidays.
• An introductory platform lists self-employed carers whom you choose and book. Ask the platform exactly what it checks, what it does not check, and who is responsible for what.

For a side-by-side look at the options, see Care agency vs private carer in the UK and Comparing care options in the UK.

Questions about the person

• What experience do you have of caring for someone with similar needs?
• What training have you done, and when? Can I see the certificates?
• Can you give me two recent references from people you have cared for or worked for? May I contact them?
• Can I see photo identification?
• Do you have a recent DBS certificate (or a PVG or AccessNI disclosure in Scotland or Northern Ireland)? What level is it, and are you on the DBS Update Service?
• If I am employing you directly, can you show me that you have the right to work in the UK? GOV.UK says employers must check this.

Our guide to DBS checks when hiring a private carer explains what each level of check shows and what a family can and cannot request.

Questions about the work

• Which tasks will you do, and which will you not do? For example, washing and dressing, using the toilet, meals, shopping, collecting prescriptions or light housework.
• What help with medicines will you give? Is it reminders only, or something more? Please agree this in writing and check with the GP or pharmacist if you are unsure.
• Can you commit to set visit times? Will you tell us if you are running late?
• How will you keep our keys or key safe code private, and what will you do if you cannot get in?
• What would you do if you found the person had fallen or was unwell?
• How will you let the family know how each visit went? Will you keep a written log?
• Are you comfortable with pets, a smoke-free home, or any cultural, religious or dietary needs we have?
• Could you help at night, or with longer stays, if needs change later? See Overnight care at home and Live-in care in the UK.

The NHS suggests agency carers should always knock and ring the bell and announce their arrival, bring an identity card, know where keys are kept, keep entry codes confidential, and know what to do if they cannot get in or the person has had an accident. These are sensible standards to agree with any carer.

Questions about money

• What is your hourly rate? Is it different for evenings, weekends, bank holidays or nights?
• Is there a minimum visit length?
• Do you charge for travel time, mileage or cancelled visits? How much notice do you need?
• How and when do you want to be paid? Will you give me an invoice or receipt?
• If you buy shopping for us, how will you keep receipts and change?

The NHS gives a guide of £15 to £30 an hour for a carer to come to the home, and says it varies depending on where you live. If the council is helping with the cost, it may offer a direct payment, which the NHS says can be used to employ someone you know, with the responsibilities of an employer. For help with costs, see Paying for private care in the UK.

Questions about paperwork if you are the employer

If the carer will be your employee rather than self-employed or supplied by an agency, you take on legal duties. GOV.UK’s step-by-step guide to employing someone covers them. The main points to ask yourself, and to discuss with the carer, are:

• Employment status. Is this person an employee or genuinely self-employed? GOV.UK says the rules are different depending on employment status, so check before you agree anything.
• Pay. GOV.UK says the National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over is £12.71 an hour from April 2026.
• Tax and National Insurance. GOV.UK says you must tell HMRC about a new employee on or before their first pay day.
• Pension. GOV.UK says to use The Pensions Regulator’s tool to find out whether you need to put the employee into a workplace pension.
• Insurance. GOV.UK says employers must get Employers’ Liability insurance covering at least £5 million as soon as they become an employer. It says you do not need it if you only employ certain close family members.
• A written statement. GOV.UK’s step-by-step guide includes agreeing a written statement of employment particulars. Put the hours, duties, pay, holidays and notice period in writing.

Questions about cover and emergencies

• Who covers if you are ill or on holiday? Do you have a colleague you work with?
• How much notice will you give if you want to stop working with us?
• Do you hold your own insurance (if self-employed)? What does it cover?
• Who should you contact in the family, and in what order, if something goes wrong?
• Do you know when to call 999 and when to call NHS 111?

Agree a trial period and put it in writing

However good an interview feels, the first few weeks tell you most. Agree a short trial period, with a review date, so that either side can say if it is not working. Write down the tasks, visit times, rates, how medicines help will work, and how the family will be kept informed. Keep a copy each. A clear written agreement protects the carer as well as the family.

Warning signs to take seriously

• They will not show identification, references or a DBS certificate, or the details do not match.
• They ask for large payments up front, cash only with no receipts, or access to bank cards or PINs.
• They are vague about what they will and will not do, or who covers when they are away.
• The person receiving care seems anxious or unhappy after visits.

If you are worried that someone is being harmed or exploited, contact the council’s adult social care team. If someone is in immediate danger, call 999.

If something goes wrong

The NHS says you have the right to complain if you are not happy with help at home. It says to complain first to the council, or to the agency if you are paying for yourself, and that if you are not happy with how the complaint is handled you can go to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. You can also tell the CQC, which checks social care services in England.

Four nations: who regulates care services

The regulator for care services is different in each nation. In England it is the Care Quality Commission. In Scotland it is the Care Inspectorate. In Wales it is Care Inspectorate Wales. In Northern Ireland it is the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority. Criminal record checks are also different. The DBS covers England and Wales, Disclosure Scotland runs checks in Scotland, and AccessNI runs checks in Northern Ireland. In Northern Ireland, care needs are assessed by the local Health and Social Care Trust rather than a council.

A short checklist to print

• Needs written down, and a needs assessment asked for.
• Agency, platform or direct hire decided, and who is responsible for what.
• Identification, references, training and DBS (or PVG or AccessNI) seen and noted.
• Tasks, visit times, medicines help and record-keeping agreed in writing.
• Rates, extras, cancellations and payment method agreed.
• Employer duties checked, if you are the employer.
• Cover for illness and holidays agreed.
• Trial period and review date set.

Related guides

Sources

All checked on 26 Oct 2026.

• NHS: Help at home from a paid carer
• NHS: Getting a care needs assessment
• NHS: Carer’s assessments
• Age UK: Homecare, how to find the care you need at home
• GOV.UK: Employ someone, step by step
• GOV.UK: National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates
• GOV.UK: Employers’ liability insurance
• GOV.UK: Check if a document allows someone to work in the UK
• GOV.UK: Check someone’s criminal record
• mygov.scot: Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme
• nidirect: AccessNI criminal record checks

This page is general information, not medical, legal or financial advice. Check employment and tax questions with GOV.UK, HMRC or a qualified adviser, and check care rules with the local council or Health and Social Care Trust.

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