This Respite Care Contract sets out how we will provide in-home respite care for you, in your home, and how we will work together day to day. If anything in writing we send later changes the plan, we will both confirm it in writing before it takes effect.
What we cover
In-home respite care means we step into your normal routine for the booked shifts, so you can rest, work, travel, or handle life admin without worrying that the basics will be done differently at night. Each shift we arrive, settle in with a quick handover where possible, follow your house rules and safety steps, and leave the home as we found it.
Your booking can include the following, as set out in your accepted schedule:
* Home routine walk-through * Overnight respite cover * Daytime respite cover * Weekend cover (Fri to Sun) * Medication prompting * In-home care log and notes
Our service levels
We treat issues by urgency. If you have an “urgent tonight” need (for example, a same-day gap in cover), you call or message and we will reply as soon as we can and tell you plainly whether we can cover it, what time we can arrive, and who is coming. For “next few days” changes, we confirm the updated times in writing once we have checked the roster. For routine admin (future bookings, invoices, general questions), we respond in our next working window.
If we cannot meet a confirmed shift, we will tell you as soon as we know, offer the nearest alternative we can staff, and confirm the outcome in writing.
Payment
Because this is recurring cover, we invoice each period at the start of that period. There is nothing to pay up front beyond the invoice for the current period. Every invoice is payable within 7 days of its date.
If you ask for extra time beyond the booked shift, we will confirm the added hours in writing and charge them at the same hourly rate. If a shift changes, tell us as soon as you can. We will confirm the new time in writing so there is no confusion about who is arriving and when.
Price review
We review our prices at a regular interval so rates keep up with staffing and operating costs. If a new price will apply to your recurring cover, we will give you written notice before the change starts. The notice period is the one we agree with you in writing, and it will be stated on your booking schedule when the change is proposed.
If you do not want to continue at the new price, you can end the recurring cover using the same notice process set out in the recurring section below, and you will only pay for shifts up to the end date.
Keys and access
To do this safely, we need the right access for the times you have booked: keys, remotes, gate instructions, alarm steps, and anything else that affects entry and lock-up. We collect and confirm access details during intake, or before the first shift, and we keep them shared only with the carers rostered for your home.
For your security, you do not send alarm codes, gate codes, or passwords in a form or an ordinary email. We will agree a safer handover method with you during intake. We also do not write codes into this agreement or into the in-home care log.
What we need from you
You choose one main contact person for day-to-day decisions. That person answers routine questions (like “is she eating normally today?”) and makes quick calls when something needs approval (like “do we wake him for a toileting prompt?”). If the main contact changes, tell us straight away.
You also help us by keeping the home safe and ready for care: clear instructions for the routine, a working lock and alarm, a safe place to prepare simple meals, and any mobility aids you normally use kept in their usual spot. Tell us before a shift if anything important has changed, like a fall, a new confusion pattern at night, or a change in who else will be in the home.
Insurance
We carry insurance that fits the type of care work we do in clients’ homes, including our team while they are on shift. If you want to see proof of cover, ask and we will share what we can.
You keep your usual home and contents insurance in place, and you tell your insurer that you sometimes have a paid carer in the home if they require that. If you have any specific rules for visitors, security, pets, or parking that affect risk, you tell us during intake so we can plan the shift properly.
If something goes wrong
If we break something, notice damage, or there is an incident during a shift (for example, a fall, a missing item, or a door that will not lock), we record it in the care log and tell you as soon as we can. We also confirm the key details in writing so there is a clear record of what happened and when.
How it is put right depends on what happened. If it is something we caused, we will discuss the practical fix with you first and agree the next step in writing. If it is normal wear, a pre-existing issue, or a household maintenance problem, we will still flag it quickly so you can address it.
Our team
The carers who come into your home are part of our small team, and your fees help cover recruiting, training, and backup cover when someone is sick or on leave. While this agreement is running, you agree not to hire or contract with our carers directly for private work, and not to ask them to work for you outside our roster.
This also applies for a period after the agreement ends. We will confirm that period with you in writing. If you want to increase hours or change the pattern of care, speak to us and we will adjust the schedule through our normal booking process.
Recurring cover
Your cover runs as a recurring booking in the periods shown on your booking schedule. At the start of each period we invoice for that period, based on the shifts and hours booked. If your needs change, we can usually adjust the next period’s roster once you tell us, and we will confirm the updated schedule in writing.
To end regular cover, either side gives notice using the notice period set out on your booking schedule. We do this in writing so there is no confusion about the last shift. If you want to pause rather than end, tell us the dates and we will confirm whether we can hold your usual slots.
What we are responsible for
We are responsible for providing in-home respite care with reasonable care and attention, following your agreed routine, house rules, and safety steps. We are also responsible for keeping a clear care log each shift so the next carer and your family are not guessing.
There are limits to what we can take on. We cannot make medical decisions, change medication doses, or start new medication. We also cannot guarantee outcomes we do not control, like disease progression or a person’s choices in the moment, especially with dementia-related confusion. What we can promise is that we will respond, document, and contact you or emergency services when the situation calls for it.
Ending this agreement
You can end this agreement by giving the notice in your booking schedule. We can also end cover if we cannot safely provide care in the home (for example, unsafe access, aggressive behaviour that puts a carer at risk, or repeated inability to enter for a booked shift). If we are considering ending cover for safety or access reasons, we will tell you first and confirm it in writing.
When the agreement ends, you pay for any shifts already worked and any booked shifts that fall within the agreed notice period. We hand back keys and remotes promptly using the handover method we agreed at intake, and we leave the in-home care log in the home for your records.
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