Partnerships
Finding the right care for the people you support can be challenging. Sparrow makes it easier by connecting your clients with carefully selected and vetted self-employed carers across Northumberland, Tyneside and North Eastern Cumbria.
Our carers provide personalised, one-to-one care – building lasting relationships with the people they support while typically offering your clients significant savings compared to traditional agency care.
Whether you work for a local authority, in healthcare, social work, or another professional role, we’re here to help you find the right care for your clients.
How you can help your client to find a carer with Sparrow
There are three routes you can choose to help your client to find the right care with Sparrow. Feel free to choose the option that works best for you and your client.
1. Submit a care enquiry form
Fill in a short form to tell us about the care your client needs. Choose for us to follow up with you or with your client.
Best for: Most referrals – the quickest way to check carer availability and find care.
2. Call or email us to discuss options
Speak directly with Anna or Tom on 01434 444 888 or email us at hello@sparrowcarers.co.uk.
Best for: Complex cases or when you’d prefer a conversation first.
3. Simply give your client our contact details
01434 444 888
hello@sparrowcarers.co.uk
sparrowcarers.co.uk
Best for: Clients who prefer to arrange their own care.
How the Client Referral Process Works
When you refer a client to Sparrow, here’s what happens:
If you share your client's contact details
1. Immediate confirmation
You’ll receive a confirmation email as soon as you submit our simple referral form.
2. We contact your client
We’ll get in touch with your client (or their nominated representative) to discuss their care needs. We can usually introduce them to potential carers within 24 hours.
3. Your client meets carers and chooses
Your client can meet potential carers and decide who they’d like to work with. If you’ve requested updates, we’ll keep you informed of the outcome.
If you're checking carer availability first:
1. Immediate availability summary
You’ll receive an email with info about potential carers in your client’s area, including links to carer profiles and availability.
2. Refer back to us if suitable
If your client would like to go ahead, simply pass on their contact details via the referral form and we’ll take it from there, we’ll usually be in touch within 24 hours.
Please note: Carer schedules change regularly and adjustments can be made to accommodate clients. If carers don’t quite have the availability your client needs get in touch to see if we can help.
Sparrow is an introductory agency – we connect people who need care with carefully selected self-employed carers in their local area.
Unlike traditional care agencies, we don’t manage or oversee the care itself. Instead, we focus on finding exceptional carers vetting them,and supporting them to run successful independent care businesses that offer care services directly to your clients.
What this means for your clients:
- Choice and control – They can choose their carer and build a direct relationship
- Continuity of care – The same carer visits each time, not different people on a rota
- Personalised care – Carers have time to provide unhurried, attentive support tailored to individual needs
- Better value for clients – Typically 15-30% less expensive than traditional agency care
- Better for carers too – Carers earn up to double agency wages, helping us attract and retain high quality carers
Our carers work directly for their clients. This means no agency middleman, no rushed 15-minute visits, and genuine relationships built on trust and consistency.
How we choose our carers
We only work with carers we’d trust to look after our own mum and dad. That’s not just a tagline – it’s how we approach every carer we bring into the Sparrow network.
We look for three key qualities in every carer: they must be caring, communicative, and competent.
Our selection process includes:
- Personal interviews – We meet every carer face-to-face to assess their qualities and motivations
- Enhanced DBS checks – All carers have Enhanced DBS checks with Adult Barred List checks, arranged and paid for by Sparrow
- Professional references – We require at least two references, including professional references where available
- Insurance – All new carers verify that they have set up appropriate self-employed carer insurance, which Sparrow covers the cost of
- Ongoing training – Carers have access to award-winning online training courses to continuously develop their skills
- Active support – We stay in regular contact with our carers, providing ongoing guidance and support
We turn down most applicants because we’re committed to maintaining the highest standards.
*Compared to typical care agency prices calculated by the homecare association.
£20-25
Typical carer charge per hour
10%
Sparrow’s industry leading fee
£0
No upfront fees or commitments
£7.39
Typical cost saving per hour of care*
Ready to get started?
There are 3 ways for you to introduce a client to us. Simply the choose the method that works best for you:
1. Refer a client to Sparrow or check carer availability first
2. Talk to us – Call or email Anna or Tom to discuss your client’s needs
Phone: 01434 444 888 or Email: hello@sparrowcarers.co.uk
3. Share our details – Give your client our contact information.
Anna and Tom are here Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm, and we’ll always do our best to help you find the right care for your clients.
Partnership FAQs
How long will it take to find care for my client?
If you submit a partner care enquiry, you’ll receive an immediate email with potential carer profiles and their availability. We’ll also provide a personalised carer shortlist for your client, usually within 24 hours (Monday to Friday) and as soon as our carers have confirmed their availability.
From there, the timeline depends on your client. Once they have given their consent for us to contact them, we’ll be in touch with them or their nominated representative to answer any questions they may have and to put them in touch with any suitable carers. Most clients are able to meet potential carers within a few days and start care within a week of first contacting us.
We can’t guarantee a start date or the availability of carers since this depends on individual carers and the space they have for new clients at any given time. We’ll always do our best to help your clients find the care they need. For urgent care needs, please let us know when you submit your enquiry and we’ll prioritise finding available carers quickly.
What areas do your carers cover?
Our carers work throughout Northumberland, Tyneside and North Eastern Cumbria. We’re based in Hexham, but our carers cover a wide geographic area including rural communities.
Coverage varies by individual carer – some work within a small local area, while others are happy to travel further. When you search for carers or submit an enquiry, we’ll show you which carers operate near your client’s specific location.
What if you don't have any local carers with availability?
The carers we have available at any given time will vary. Submitting a referral form for your client is usually the quickest and easiest way to find out which carers are available. We’ll usually be able to let you know within 24 hours (Monday to Friday) the names and details of any carers that can help.
If we don’t have any local carers available, we may be able to widen the search for your client to find a carer that is a little further away. Please be aware though that this will likely mean additional cost for your client to cover the carer’s additional mileage and travel time.
If we are still not able to find a carer that works for your client, we will let you know as soon as possible, usually this will be within 24 hours.
We’re actively recruiting new carers across the area we cover, so availability changes regularly. In some cases, we may have local carers who could become available in the coming weeks or months. We’ll also usually aim to recruit a new carer in any area where we’ve been unable to find a suitable carer for you.
If we can’t help immediately, we’re happy to keep your enquiry on file and contact you if a suitable carer becomes available.
Do your carers provide specialist care (dementia, end of life etc.)?
The types of care our carers provide vary by individual. Many of our carers have experience with dementia care, physical disabilities, palliative care, and other specialist needs. Others focus on companionship, personal care, and general support.
When you submit a referral form for your client you can specify the type of care needed. We’ll match you with carers who have relevant experience and feel confident providing the level of support needed.
Each carer’s profile shows their areas of experience and the types of care they offer. If you’re unsure whether we have carers suitable for your client’s specific needs, just give us a call on 01434 444 888 and we’ll be happy to discuss it with you.
What are your carers' qualifications?
Our carers come from diverse backgrounds with varying levels of formal qualifications. Many have professional care experience as former agency carers, nurses, or healthcare assistants, while others bring life experience and natural caring abilities without prior formal care qualifications.
We prioritize personal qualities over qualifications – we look for carers who are caring, communicative, and competent. That said, we recognize that formal training and experience are valuable, and clients often appreciate carers with professional backgrounds.
All our carers have:
- Been through our rigorous selection process
- Enhanced DBS checks with Adult Barred List checks
- Professional references
- Self-employed carer insurance
- Access to award-winning online training courses
Each carer’s profile shows their specific experience, background, and any relevant qualifications, so you and your clients can make informed choices about who’s right for them.
How much does care with Sparrow cost for clients?
Our carers are self-employed and set their own rates. Most charge between £20-25 per hour for standard daytime care. Some carers have higher rates for evenings, weekends, or bank holidays.
In addition to the carer’s rate, clients pay Sparrow a 10% service fee. This means if a carer charges £22 per hour, the total cost to the client is £24.20 per hour.
If travel is required, clients may also need to cover mileage and/or travel time charges. As each carer is self-employed and responsible for running their own care business, they set their own rates and travel costs. When we ask carers about their availability for your clients, we also ask them to provide details of any expected mileage costs. This means your clients will have a list of available carers, their availability, and anticipated costs.
Overall, when a carer is local, care with Sparrow is typically 15-30% less expensive than traditional agency care, while Sparrow’s low fee means carers can earn significantly more than they would working for an agency.
Can clients get Direct Payments / CHC funding to pay for your carers?
Yes. Many of our clients use Direct Payments, CHC funding, or other local authority funding to pay for their care with Sparrow carers.
Because our carers are self-employed and work directly for their clients, the arrangement works well with most funding types.
The specifics can vary by local authority and funding type, so we recommend checking with the relevant team about using funding for self-employed carers. We’re happy to provide any information they need about individual carers including DBS, insurance and training certificates, care agreement/contract documentation, as well as information about how Sparrow works, billing arrangements and our role as an introductory agency.
If you have questions about a specific funding arrangement, give us a call on 01434 444 888 and we’ll do our best to help.
Are Sparrow CQC registered?
No. Sparrow is not CQC registered because we are an introductory agency, not a care agency.
As an introductory agency, we don’t provide or manage care – we connect people who need care with self-employed carers who work directly for their clients. The CQC regulates care providers and agencies that oversee care, which is not our role.
Our carers are self-employed professionals who are directly responsible for the care they provide. They work for their clients, not for Sparrow, which means each carer is accountable directly to the people they support.
While we’re not eligible to be CQC registered, we take quality seriously. We carefully vet every carer we work with, carry out face-to-face interviews, check references, and ensure DBS certification and insurance is in place when we start with a carer. We also provide ongoing access to training and other support.
We only work with carers we’d trust to look after our own mum and dad and will no longer work with a carer if we have concerns or receive serious or repeated negative feedback about them. Typically we receive extremely positive feedback about the carers that we work with. To find out more feel free to give Anna or Tom a call on 01434 444 888.
Is self-employed care right for my client?
Self-employed care works well for clients who value choice, continuity, and building a direct relationship with their carer. It’s particularly suitable for clients with stable, ongoing care needs who want personalised support from the same person each visit.
Although we’re always happy to try and find suitable care for your clients, in our experience self-employed carers may be less suitable for clients who require one or more of the following:
- multiple carers per visit,
- multiple short visits a day 7 days a week
- highly complex medical care.
Self-employed carers work independently, so clients (or their representatives) need to be comfortable with a direct relationship with one or more carers.
If you’re unsure whether self-employed care is right for your client’s situation, give us a call on 01434 444 888. We’re happy to talk through their needs and help you decide whether Sparrow is a good fit.