If you have decided that live-in care is the way for you, then it is essential that you look into a contract between yourself and your client. This contract is of vital importance as it should outline everything that you and your client agree on.

What you should have in your contract:

Details of agreed work

From the first day, you need to know exactly what your role is and what you are expected to do. Often a carer may arrive at a placement expecting one thing and later be asked (with no additional fee) to carry out tasks which were not agreed. These can be taking over from a cleaning person or handling the garden work.

Agreed work is what you are happy to do with your client. It prevents a client or family from insisting that you carry out tasks that you are either unwilling to do or unqualified to do.

Payment

It is important that both you and your client know on which day you will be paid, whether it is weekly or monthly.

This helps both ways as you will know when you can expect to be paid and your client can set up a direct debit which is paid regularly.

Hours

Your workday should be divided into the hours that you work, and the hours that you have as breaks. This means that you know when you will get a break and your client/family know when you will not be ‘available if needed.’

Without this clause in your contract, you will find that your client and family often abuse the break time you should have and happily call you when they feel like it.

Responsibilities

This clause is in place, so you know what your responsibility is regarding paperwork and official documentation. This includes you having a care plan and risk assessment procedure in place. It is also there to include events such as when you take your holiday or fall ill.

Anything in particular

This clause should tell you about special request such as the requirement to transport your client or the doctor, dentist, order medication, collect medication. Anything which is classed as ‘out of the ordinary’ should be added here.

Ending the contract

Details of what happens when one of you decides to end the contract should be noted in this section. This may be to give a week, two weeks or even a month of notice to the other party.

Final thoughts

You will be able to find several good templates online for a contract which you can adapt between yourself and your client. A good example can be found below:

https://www.theliveincarecompany.co.uk/carer-agreement/

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