Choosing a live-in care company is a big decision. You’re inviting someone into your home, or into the home of someone you love, and that person will become part of everyday life.
So alongside the practical questions about care, costs and cover, it’s worth thinking about the things that make someone feel comfortable at home. Do they enjoy company? Are they particular about their morning routine? Would they like someone who shares their love of gardening, music or dogs?
The right arrangement should work around those details, rather than lose sight of them.
What to look for in a live-in care company
There are plenty of questions you can ask a care company, but a few are particularly important when you’re arranging live-in care.
How are carers checked and matched?
Start with the basics. Find out how carers are interviewed, what references and criminal-record checks are carried out and what experience they have of the type of care you need.
Then look beyond the checklist. If you’re a keen gardener, would you enjoy having a carer who likes being outside too? If you have a dog, are they comfortable around animals? Perhaps you’d like someone happy to accompany you to choir practice or sit down for a chat over a cup of tea.
It’s also worth talking about communication, cultural and personal preferences. Small things can make a surprisingly big difference when someone is going to share your home.
Ask whether you’ll be able to speak to a proposed carer before making a decision. If you’re arranging care for a parent or another relative, involve them as much as possible. After all, they’re the person who’ll be living with the carer.
Will I have continuity with familiar carers?
Live-in carers need time off, so it’s normal for more than one carer to be involved over time.
That doesn’t have to mean constantly starting again with someone new. Ask how regular carers are arranged, whether a carer can return after their break and how information about the person’s routines is passed on.
A good handover can be as simple as explaining that someone likes breakfast early, always phones their daughter after dinner or prefers to have a quiet afternoon.
Those details help a new carer settle in and make the changeover easier.
What happens when a carer needs time off?
Carers need holidays, rest and time away from work. They can also become unwell or have an unexpected reason they can’t stay.
Find out who arranges replacement cover and what happens if the first person contacted isn’t available. If you’re relying on a replacement carer, they need to be able to stay in the home and provide the agreed support.
Daily breaks need thinking about too. A live-in carer doesn’t work around the clock. They need proper time to rest and sleep, so if the person receiving care needs support while their carer is taking a break, agree how this will be covered before the arrangement starts.
The same applies overnight. Occasional help may be possible, but a live-in carer shouldn’t be expected to provide regular waking-night care. If someone needs a carer awake throughout the night, additional overnight care or a different care arrangement may be needed.
Introductory vs fully managed live-in care
One of the most important things to understand is who is actually responsible for managing the care.
An introductory agency and a fully managed care provider can both help you find live-in care, but the arrangements work differently.
Fully managed live-in care
With a fully managed service, the provider takes responsibility for managing the care arrangement. Depending on the service, this can include employing or contracting carers, supervising their work and arranging replacement cover when someone is away.
If you’re considering this type of service, ask exactly what the provider manages and what happens if a carer is sick, takes a holiday or the person’s needs change.
In England, providers that deliver regulated personal care as part of a managed service generally need to register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The CQC inspects registered services and publishes its findings.
Introductory live-in care
An introductory agency matches you with self-employed carers. You or your representative agree the arrangement directly with your chosen carer, pay them for their work and oversee the day-to-day care.
This gives you a direct relationship with your carer and flexibility over how support fits around your routines. It also means you need to be comfortable taking responsibility for the arrangement.
Under CQC guidance, an introductory agency that doesn’t manage or direct the personal care provided is exempt from registration for that activity.
Our guide to introductory vs fully managed live-in care providers explains the differences in more detail.
How Country Cousins supports you
Country Cousins has been introducing families to live-in carers since 1959.
We’re an introductory agency, which means we introduce you to self-employed carers rather than directly managing their day-to-day work.
Our selection process includes interviews, references and DBS or PVG criminal record checks. We look at care experience and the type of support someone can provide, but matching isn’t just about qualifications.
Personality matters too. We consider things such as interests, routines and practical preferences when looking for a potential match. Maybe the person receiving care loves gardening, enjoys talking about football or would simply feel more comfortable with someone calm and easy-going.
You’ll also have the opportunity to speak to a proposed carer before deciding whether you’d like to work with them.
Your dedicated Care Relationship Executive remains your point of contact for matching, questions and administration. If your carer needs time away, we can help introduce a suitable replacement, subject to availability.
You or your representative remain responsible for overseeing the day-to-day care. Country Cousins doesn’t supervise the carer’s work.
Questions to ask before choosing a live-in care company
It can help to ask every company on your shortlist the same questions. That makes it much easier to compare what you’re actually getting.
| Area | Questions to ask |
|---|---|
| Model and regulation | Are you introductory or fully managed? Which care regulator, if any, oversees your service? |
| Vetting and training | Which references and criminal-record checks, such as DBS or PVG, are completed? What training and experience do carers have for my needs? |
| Matching | How do you consider personality and routines? Can we speak to the carer first? What happens if the match isn’t right? |
| Continuity and cover | Can familiar carers return? Who finds holiday or sickness cover? What happens during daily breaks or if no replacement is available? |
| Costs and terms | What is the full weekly cost, including extras? Which fees are paid separately? What are the notice and cancellation terms? |
| Communication | Will we have a named contact? How do we raise a concern or discuss changing needs? |
Don’t be afraid to ask for the answers in writing. It’s much easier to compare services when you can see the costs, responsibilities and arrangements side by side.
One family’s experience: Mary’s return home
When Mary, 89, fractured her hip, she needed care in place before she could return to her cottage in Faversham.
Her children, Sarah and James, spoke to several providers before choosing Country Cousins. They were introduced to Amy, who supported Mary with the exercises prescribed by her physiotherapist as well as helping with everyday routines.
There was time for cups of tea and looking through photo albums, too. As Mary recovered, she was able to spend time in her rose garden again.
Every care arrangement is different, but Mary’s story gives an idea of what a good match can look like in everyday life.
How to check reviews and reputation
A company’s own website is a useful place to start, but it shouldn’t be the only thing you look at.
Have a look at recent reviews on platforms such as Feefo, Trustpilot and Google. Rather than focusing on one particularly good or bad review, look for patterns. What do people say about the matching process? How easy is it to get hold of someone? What happens when something goes wrong?
It’s also useful to check who has left the review. A client, a family member and a carer may all have very different experiences of the same service.
If you’re considering a regulated provider, read its latest CQC inspection report as well as looking at the overall rating. The report can give you much more detail about how the service operates.
Country Cousins collects client reviews through Feefo. You can read them on our website or visit our independent Feefo profile.
Frequently asked questions
Is live-in care regulated by the CQC?
It depends on how the care service is set up. In England, a provider that manages regulated personal care generally needs to register with the CQC. An introductory agency that simply introduces a self-employed carer and doesn’t manage or direct the care can be exempt from CQC registration for that activity.
Country Cousins operates on this introductory basis.
Different regulators and rules apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
What’s the difference between introductory and fully managed live-in care?
With fully managed care, the provider takes responsibility for managing and supervising the care arrangement. This can include arranging replacement carers and dealing with issues such as sickness and holidays.
With introductory care, you choose and contract directly with a self-employed carer. Country Cousins helps with matching and administration, but you or your representative oversee the day-to-day care.
How much does live-in care cost per week?
There’s no single price for live-in care. It depends on the person’s needs, the length of the arrangement and the fees charged by the carer and agency.
Our live-in care pricing page sets out the options available through Country Cousins.
With Country Cousins, costs include a one-off registration fee, an ongoing agency fee and the carer’s fee, which you pay directly to them.
There may also be agreed travel expenses, bank-holiday rates or additional overnight costs. You’ll need to budget for the carer’s food and other household costs too.
Our guide to live-in care costs explains the different parts of the cost in more detail.
Talk to Country Cousins about choosing live-in care
You don’t need to have everything figured out before you get in touch.
Tell us a little about the support you need, the routines you’d like to keep and anything you’re worried about when it comes to having a carer in your home.
It could be something practical, such as keeping up a favourite activity, or something much simpler, such as having someone to sit and chat with over lunch. These details can all help when we’re looking for a suitable match.
Our team can explain how matching works, what an introductory arrangement involves and what the costs and responsibilities are, without putting you under pressure to decide.
Call us in confidence on 01293 224706 or complete our online enquiry form to talk through your options.
