Articles

Self-employed or employed as a live-in carer?

11/25/2020

With the rising demand for live-in care jobs in the UK, there are many people interested to apply for these positions. However, there are a lot of variables that come into play before getting hired as a live-in carer in the UK.

 

Before deciding to be a live-in carer, it is important to weigh all options present in this line of work. A live-in carer is either self-employed or gets employed through an agency. The best option for someone interested in opting for a career as a live-in carer is discussed below. 

 

What is the difference between being self-employed and being employed by someone?

Live-in care jobs pay almost £645-£945 per week. In order to become a live-in carer, it is important to know that there are two types of live-in care opportunities that one can avail. 

 

Someone who decides to become a live-in carer in the UK, can either go to an agency or go directly to the family requiring a live-in carer. Through an agency, the carer gets trained, appointed, and then eventually paid. Whereas a person who is self-employed as a live-in carer finds work on their own and manages their own appointments as well.

 

The difference between being self-employed and getting appointed by an agency are two completely different experiences. Both have their own sets of benefits and drawbacks. What can work best for someone applying to be a live-in carer solely depends on that person and their circumstances. This article explores the best and the worst of the two.

 

What are the benefits of choosing an agency for a live-in care job? 

Many people do not like the idea of going to an agency to get appointed as a live-in carer but there are some incredible benefits of doing so, such as follows;

 

• First and foremost, a person who has just started as a live-in carer needs a platform through which not only can they get the proper training but also get placement opportunities. 

• In such cases, the agency has its own terms and rates, which can be discussed prior to being affiliated with them. Since they keep part of the profit, they are also responsible for their appointee’s taxation, insurance, and pension. 

• Working with an agency also gives a certain amount of comfort, of having someone’s back in case of any discord.

 

What are the benefits of being self-employed as a live-in carer?

There are many people who choose to be self-employed as a live-in carer as compared to going to an agency to find work. These people are mostly well experienced as live-in carers and find it a lot more fitting to be self-employed. Some of the reasons have been discussed below; 

 

• Being self-employed helps the live-in carer earn a lot more as compared to the ones working with agencies. These agencies only give part of the profit to the carer itself and keep the rest with themselves. 

• It favours multiple job opportunities since the live-in carer can select their own hours and days. This not just gives enough time to fit in more clients according to their availability but the flexibility also helps them enjoy anything outside of work. 

• It also helps the live-in carer choose the person they want to work with whereas this choice is limited when being placed by an agency with a random person. Therefore, it helps live-in carers gain expertise dealing with patients with diseases; such as dementia or Alzheimer’s.  

• A self-employed live-in carer can take breaks as per their convenience. 

 

Conclusion

Despite the many benefits of either working with an agency or being self-employed as a live-in carer, there are downsides in both cases. It depends solely on the person and what works best for them. Many professional live-in carers choose to be self-employed because it helps them set their own terms with the families they work with. However, being employed by an agency ensures a permanent job with added benefits. 

 

References

1. Can I work as a live-in carer & what is care work like? (2018, December 06). Retrieved October 31, 2020, from https://www.trinityhomecare.co.uk/resources/live-in-care-guide/professional-carer-work/

2. Live In Carer - Self-Employed & Employed: £650 To £945 Per Week: Nationwide. (n.d.). Retrieved October 31, 2020, from https://www.liveincarejobs.co.uk/live-in-care-jobs-live-in-carer-self-employed-and-employed-650-to-945-per-week-job15608

3. Blog: Myths of Taking a Self-Employed Care Job: Care Leeds. (2018, August 01). Retrieved October 31, 2020, from https://carebig.co.uk/myths-of-taking-a-self-employed-care-job/

4. Self-employed Caregiver: 6 Reasons Why: CareBIG Leeds. (2019, February 06). Retrieved October 31, 2020, from https://carebig.co.uk/6-reasons-you-should-become-a-self-employed-carer/