It covers the visits, records, and day to day communication I provide, and it sits alongside any accepted proposal or booking confirmation that sets your current rota and fees. By going ahead with visits, you are confirming you want me to deliver in-home care on the terms below, so you know what to expect and your person is not left guessing.
What I do
In-home care is delivered as planned visits, on the days and times shown on your weekly rota, plus the setup work at the start that makes those visits safe and consistent. Each visit covers the tasks written in the care plan for that call. I will not add new tasks on the spot without checking with you first, because it affects time, safety, and what I need to record.
Your proposal lists what is included, such as:
* Care needs assessment visit * Care plan and risk notes * Weekly rota setup * Personal care visits * Medication prompting and MAR logging * Meal prep and hydration checks * Moving and handling support * Visit notes after each call
What you can count on
I treat any immediate safety concern as urgent. If a visit cannot go ahead as planned, I will contact you as soon as I know, explain why, and confirm the next best option I can offer before you rely on it. For rota requests and non-urgent questions, I reply within the response time stated in your booking, and I will tell you if I need longer.
If I miss a service level that matters to your person’s safety or dignity, I will put it right by agreeing a practical fix with you in writing. That might be a make-up visit where it is still useful, or an adjustment to the next period’s plan.
Payment
In-home care is billed as recurring periods. I invoice at the start of each period, and nothing is paid up front beyond that period’s invoice. Every invoice is payable within 7 days of its date.
If there is any one-off onboarding work at the start, such as the initial visit, care plan writing, and setting up the first rota, I will invoice it at the start of the period when it happens. If anything on an invoice looks wrong, tell me promptly and I will check it and fix it if needed. I do not want payment delays caused by avoidable mistakes.
Price changes
I review my prices at the review interval stated in your booking. If I need to change your rate, I will tell you in writing before the new price starts, with the notice period set out in your booking.
A price change can happen because my costs change, the length or frequency of visits changes, or the care plan changes in a way that affects what I am doing and recording each call. If you do not want to continue at the new price, you can end in-home care by giving the notice set out in your booking, and I will confirm your last visit in writing.
Getting in safely
Before the first visit, you will show me how I am getting in, how the key-safe plan works (if you use one), and anything I need to know about locks, entry systems, or alarms. I will only use the access method you have agreed with me.
For safety and privacy, do not send door codes, key-safe numbers, or alarm details by email or in an online form. Share them with me by phone or in person. If access details change, tell me straight away. If I cannot get in at the planned time, I will follow your agreed call-out plan, record what happened, and contact you as soon as I can.
What I need from you
You will name one main contact who can make decisions about care, approve changes, and be reached during visits if I need support. If there are other family members involved, it helps if you tell me who can and cannot change the rota.
You will tell me before a visit if anything has changed that affects care or safety. This includes hospital discharge updates, new symptoms, falls, mobility changes, new equipment, or changes to medication instructions. You will also keep the home environment reasonably safe for visits, including clear access to the bathroom and bedroom areas used for personal care. If something is not safe on the day, I may pause that task and explain what needs to change first.
Insurance
I carry the types of insurance a sole in-home carer would normally hold for providing in-home care in a client’s home. If you want to see confirmation, ask and I will show you.
You are responsible for your own home and contents insurance, and for insuring any equipment in the home that I am expected to use, such as a stand aid or hoist. If you have private carers coming and going, it is worth checking your cover includes visitors providing care. Insurance does not remove the need to tell me about known risks in the home, because the safest outcome is preventing an incident in the first place.
If something goes wrong
If I damage something in your home, or if something is damaged during a visit, I will tell you as soon as I notice and I will record what happened in writing. I ask you to tell me promptly as well if you notice damage or a concern after I have left, so I can respond while details are fresh.
How it is put right depends on what happened. Where a repair or replacement is appropriate, I will agree the next step with you in writing before any money changes hands. If the issue is linked to an unsafe setup, faulty equipment, or a hazard in the home, I may pause the affected task until it is made safe, because I cannot provide in-home care properly while taking avoidable risks.
No direct hiring
The price you pay covers more than the minutes in the home. It also covers my setup time, planning, record keeping, and the fact that I keep space in my diary for your rota.
If you want to change how you receive support, talk to me first. In many cases I can adjust the plan with you in a straightforward way, without you feeling you need to start again elsewhere.
How the rota rolls on
In-home care runs as a recurring plan made up of billing periods. At the end of each period, the plan renews automatically for the next period unless you or I end it with the notice period set out in your booking.
Your rota is set weekly. If you need to change visit times, tell me as early as you can. I will confirm what I can cover before you rely on it. Unconfirmed changes are not booked. If you ask for extra visits, I will confirm in writing whether I can do them and how they will be charged, before I attend. This avoids missed expectations at the door and keeps records tidy.
What I am responsible for
I am responsible for delivering the visits I have confirmed, carrying out tasks as written in the care plan and risk notes, and keeping accurate visit notes and MAR entries at the time of the visit. I will not rush care to fit in extra tasks that have not been agreed.
There are limits to what I can control. I cannot guarantee outcomes that depend on a person’s health, choices, or actions when I am not there. If your person refuses care at the door, I will not force entry or argue on the doorstep. I will try a calm re-approach, check they are safe as far as I can, then contact you straight away and record it in the notes.
Ending in-home care
If you want to end in-home care, tell me with the notice period set out in your booking. I will confirm the last visit in writing. If I need to stop, I will give you the same notice where I can.
You will pay for visits and agreed work delivered up to the end date, including any period already invoiced. If the end date falls part way through a period, I will confirm with you in writing what happens next, based on what has been delivered and what was scheduled. After the last visit, I will hand over the records that belong with your care plan, including recent visit notes and the MAR information I have completed during visits, so your next arrangement is not starting from scratch.
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