Going Self-employed

Becoming a self-employed carer is easy and rewarding. You remain in complete control of who you work for, when, where and how much you earn. Here is what you need to know:

There is no legal requirement for carer training or previous care experience to start caring as a job so you can get going today!

To register with HMRC, you need:

  • To choose a name for your business

  • A start date

  • An email address

  • Your NI number

  • Your personal details

    Registering with HMRC it should take under 30 mins. You can click here to start with HMRC or contact an accountant who will do it all for you!

  • Keep a record of your incoming and outgoing money. You can use a bookkeeper and give them your receipts and hand notes, or software such as Quick Books to keep a tab on your spending and expenses.

  • You can use our template contracts for FREE for your agreements with your clients.

  • We can help you get the DBS check (see video below) that you will need for any care position just click HERE

  • We are excited to announce, that subject to self-employed carer status, you will be eligible to be covered with Mark Bates insurance if you opt in when working through AtHome and will have access to opt into FREE care training and FREE private GP services (subject to status) for carers working through AtHome to care for clients with AtHome from September 2024 - please get in touch to find out more. You will need to actively opt into this service if you wish to take advantage of it. If you do not opt in, you will need your own insurance to work independently, Insurance is around £8 a month and can be bought through many online / insurance brokers. Here are some options you may like to explore, but there are many others too:

    BLUE BADGE

    FISH

    OCTOPUS

    SURE WISE

DBS application

If you don’t have an up-to-date (within 1 year) DBS on the update service, we can help you apply for a new DBS and digital ID. The DBS and digital ID will be yours to provide to any employers or client as you will pay for your own DBS and ID

Here is a short video about what to expect when you apply :

Click the arrow to play