If you’re looking for care for yourself or a loved one, you’ve probably discovered there are several different ways to arrange it. Self-employed care – where you work directly with an independent carer rather than through a traditional care agency – is becoming increasingly popular and introductory agencies like Sparrow can make the process simpler and more professional. This guide will help you work out whether self-employed care might be a good fit for your situation.
What is self-employed care?
Self-employed care means working with a carer who runs their own care business independently. Unlike care agencies that employ carers and manage rotas, self-employed carers work directly for you. You agree the care, the schedule, and the arrangements together.
This usually means you get the same carer visiting each time, building a consistent relationship. The carer is responsible for the care they provide, and you work together to make sure it meets your needs. Because the carers work on a self-employed basis in most circumstances there is no employment avoiding additional cost and paperwork.
You can find self-employed carers either by hiring someone directly yourself, or by working with an introductory agency like Sparrow that connects you with vetted self-employed carers in your area.
When self-employed care works well
Self-employed care tends to work particularly well if you:
Value consistency and building a relationship
If having the same person visit each time matters to you – someone who gets to know your routines, preferences, and needs – self-employed care is ideal. You choose your carer and build an ongoing relationship with them, rather than having different people sent to you based on a rota.
Want more control over your care
With self-employed care, you and your carer agree directly on what care looks like, when visits happen, and how things work. If you value being able to discuss changes directly with your carer rather than going through an agency manager, this model gives you that flexibility.
Need regular, predictable care
Self-employed carers work best for regular, ongoing care – for example, daily or weekly visits at consistent times. This allows you to build that relationship and gives the carer reliable, steady work. That said, some self-employed carers may be willing to work on an ad-hoc or sporadic basis depending on the circumstances.
Are just beginning to accept care or feel reluctant about needing help
If you or your loved one is just beginning to need care or feels reluctant about accepting help, self-employed care can be ideal. Being able to meet and choose a specific carer, then build a relationship with that one person over time, can make accepting care much easier. They can be introduced as a ‘friend’ or to help with housework rather than as a ‘carer’ if needed. Independent carers don’t typically wear a uniform, which can help it feel like less of a formal care relationship, especially when out and about. This approach can work better than having different agency carers visiting, which can feel more rigid, impersonal and harder to accept for some people.
Want better pay for your carer
With self-employed care, your carer keeps much more of what you pay. Agency carers typically earn minimum wage or close to it, with the agency taking 50% or more of the fee. Self-employed carers typically earn £22-25 per hour, meaning they’re properly paid for skilled, caring work. Many people value knowing that their carer is earning a fair wage – it often leads to more committed, experienced carers who can afford to stay in the profession long-term.
Want better value for money
Self-employed care typically costs significantly less than agency care – often 25-30% less – giving you experienced, committed carers at a fraction of the cost. With carers arranging the care directly with you, care can be more personalised. Say goodbye to tick boxes and task-oriented care, unrealistic schedules or carers rushing off to their next visit.
When other options might be better
Self-employed care might not be the best fit if you:
Require multiple short visits throughout the day
If you need multiple short visits spread throughout the day (for example, breakfast, lunch, dinner, and bedtime calls), traditional agency care often works better. Self-employed carers typically prefer longer visits where they can build a relationship rather than multiple brief calls and this structure would necessitate several carers to provide the care and cover required.
Need highly complex coordinated care
If your care requires coordination between multiple healthcare professionals, specialized equipment, multiple carers per visit or clinical oversight, a care agency with management structure might be more appropriate. That said, some self-employed carers are highly qualified and experienced and may be the right choice in some circumstances.
Need 24/7 care, high care hours or don’t have back up for absences
If you need around-the-clock care or very extensive care hours, it becomes difficult for a single self-employed carer to provide all of it. While you could work with multiple self-employed carers, (and Sparrow can help with this) coordinating this can become a little more tricky. Traditional agencies or live-in care services may be another option to consider in these situations.
Similarly, if it’s absolutely essential that a carer is there at specific times every day and a carer absence through sickness or holidays would be a significant issue, an agency with a larger pool of staff may provide more reliable cover than relying on a single self-employed carer or even a small network of carers.
Limited availability in your area
In some rural or less populated areas, there may be fewer self-employed carers available. If we don’t have carers with availability in your specific area, or if the available carers don’t match your needs, you may need to consider agencies or other options. Sparrow will always be happy to keep in touch and to keep looking for the right carer for you in this scenario.
Prefer the agency to handle everything
Some people prefer not to have a direct relationship with their carer and want the agency to manage all communication, scheduling, and arrangements. If this sounds like you, traditional agency care may suit you better.
What are the benefits of working with a Sparrow self-employed carer vs. an unsupported carer?
If you’ve decided self-employed care sounds right for you, you still have a choice: hire a self-employed carer directly yourself, or work with an introductory agency like Sparrow.
Professional vetting
When you work with Sparrow, all our carers have been professionally vetted. Anna and Tom meet with all potential Sparrow carers we work with to make sure we’d happily trust them to look after our own mum and dad. We say ‘no thanks’ to most people who get in touch. We also check Enhanced DBS certificates with Adult Barred List checks, verify references, confirm insurance, and ensure carers have access to high quality training. This saves you the time and complexity of doing all this yourself.
Access to a network
If your carer is sick, on holiday, or has an emergency, we can help you find cover from our network of Sparrow carers. If your needs increase and you need additional carers, we can help with that too. We can’t guarantee we’ll be able to find you the care or cover you need but with a growing network of 35+ carers we are usually able to help. When you hire an unsupported carer directly, arranging cover is entirely down to you.
Ongoing support
Sparrow aren’t involved in your care, but we are here in the background and remain available if you need advice, have questions, or your circumstances change. We help people to think things through, and are able to signpost other forms of support. You’re not on your own working everything out.
Better support for your carer means better care for you
We support our carers with invoicing systems, care agreement templates, training access, and accounting support and much more. When your carer has good support, they can focus more on providing you with excellent care rather than struggling with the admin.
Finding the right match
We help match you with suitable carers based on your location, needs, and preferences. You still choose who you work with, but we’ve done the work of finding appropriate matches for you to meet.
The trade-off is cost – our 10% service fee is the lowest fee we’ve ever found. It still means you pay slightly more than hiring an unsupported carer directly. But for many people, the vetting, support, and peace of mind are well worth it.
What if you’re unsure?
If you’re still not sure whether self-employed care is right for you, that’s completely normal. The best way to find out is often to explore your options and see what feels right.
At Sparrow, there’s no commitment to browsing our carer profiles or submitting an enquiry. You can:
- Browse our carer profiles to see who’s available in your area, their experience, and their rates
- Submit a care enquiry and we’ll provide a shortlist of suitable matches – you can then decide whether to meet any of them
- Call us on 01434 444 888 to talk through your situation and ask questions
You can also explore traditional care agencies at the same time – there’s no reason you can’t investigate both options before deciding. The right choice depends entirely on your individual circumstances, and we’re happy to help you work out what that is, even if it’s not us.