Live-in carers support people who want to remain at home rather than move into residential care. This includes older adults, people living with dementia, individuals with mobility issues or people recovering from illness.
Your responsibilities include personal care such as washing, dressing and mobility support. You’ll prepare meals and support nutrition, manage medication according to a care plan, and keep the home environment safe and tidy. You’ll provide companionship and emotional support whilst monitoring changes in health or behaviour and reporting concerns.
Live-in roles normally follow a rota pattern – for example, two weeks on, two weeks off – though arrangements vary depending on the client’s needs and your availability.
These roles suit people who have professional care experience in domiciliary care, care home work, or previous live-in placements.
You’ll be comfortable living in someone else’s home and working independently. You can build rapport, communicate clearly, and support clients respectfully. You feel confident managing daily routines, unpredictable situations, and changes in health, and hold up-to-date training in moving and handling, safeguarding, and medication support.
To work safely as a live-in carer in Belfast, organisations require proof of identity and right to work in the UK, an enhanced DBS certificate or willingness to obtain one, and two or more professional references. You’ll need evidence of care training or qualifications, a complete work history and a clear summary of your experience and skills.
These checks help match carers with suitable clients and maintain safety for everyone involved.
A typical process includes applying with details of your care experience, followed by a phone or video interview to discuss your skills, approach and preferences. Document checks cover your DBS, references and ID. A face-to-face interview or assessment confirms your suitability.
Once approved, your profile becomes available for client matching. This process ensures carers are well-prepared and clients receive safe, reliable support.
“Hometouch has a vast number of skilled, helpful and knowledgeable Consultants and Clinical Directors. Working with Hometouch has been a great journey and enhanced my skills as a carer.” – Tony M
“My recruitment with Hometouch was quick and straightforward. It didn’t take me a long time to have all my documents verified, and I was ready to start working.” – Ruth Mauto
What type of experience does Hometouch look for in live-in carers?
We look for carers with professional experience in domiciliary care, care home work or previous live-in placements. Experience supporting people living with dementia, mobility issues or complex needs is valuable, as many of our clients require this type of specialist support.
Do I need specific training or qualifications to register with Hometouch?
You’ll need up-to-date core training, including moving and handling, safeguarding, first aid and medication awareness. If your certificates need refreshing, we’ll let you know before matching you with clients.
Does Hometouch require an Enhanced DBS or AccessNI check?
Yes. All carers must hold a valid Enhanced DBS certificate (or AccessNI if you’re living in Northern Ireland) registered on the Update Service. If you don’t have one yet, you can apply during the onboarding process.
Am I employed by Hometouch or self-employed?
Hometouch carers work on a self-employed basis. You manage your own availability, choose the clients you want to support and take responsibility for your own tax and National Insurance.
Will Hometouch assign a client to me, or do I choose my own placements?
We operate a matching model. Once you’re approved, you can review available placements and express interest in roles that suit your skills, preferences and availability. Our team may recommend clients we believe are a good fit, but the choice remains with you.
How does Hometouch match carers with clients?
We compare client needs and preferences with your experience, training, availability and personality. Families review carer profiles as part of the selection process. The final match is based on suitability for both sides—finding a carer who clicks with the individual.
What support does Hometouch offer while I’m on placement?
Although you work on a self-employed basis, we provide ongoing support through our dedicated care team. You can contact them for guidance on care concerns, safeguarding issues or if you need help resolving matters during a placement.
What documents do I need to complete the Hometouch application?
You’ll need proof of right to work in the UK, an Enhanced DBS or AccessNI certificate, two professional references, proof of address, up-to-date training certificates and your CV or work history. Submitting documents promptly helps speed up the onboarding process.
How long does it take to start working with Hometouch?
Timescales vary. Carers who already have an updated DBS and current training certificates can often complete onboarding within one to two weeks. Matching with a client depends on demand and your specific experience.
Does Hometouch provide set rotas for carers?
Rotas vary by client. Many Hometouch placements follow popular patterns such as two weeks on, two weeks off. You can choose placements with rotas that best suit your lifestyle and commitments.
What do families typically expect from a Hometouch live-in carer?
Families look for carers with strong communication skills, calm professionalism and a person-centred approach. Reliability, respect for the home environment and confidence in managing day-to-day tasks are especially valued.
Can I work only in Belfast or across Northern Ireland?
Hometouch placements are available across the UK. If you’re based in Belfast, you’re free to accept roles locally or travel for placements elsewhere if you prefer.
Enter your postcode on the carer page and this will generate a list of carers in your area. You can then filter by language, skills, interests, experience. We recommend you review previous client reviews, watch videos of the carers and read our Trustpilot reviews to see how other clients have used hometouch successfully.
We regularly update our pool of carers – if you are having problems, just call a Care Advisor, and they’ll be happy to help.
It depends on the circumstances. If you need a carer urgently to cover another carer, we can recommend carers who are suitable and who have been able to help in this area before. This is best setup as an immediate contract and payment.
If you are looking for a longer term contract, we advise you meet the carer, decide they are the right person for you or your loved one and then agree the contract terms. Many clients like to meet with their carer before confirming an ongoing or longer term contract to ensure there is a good match.
Yes, carers have personal liability insurance. hometouch will ensure all carers commencing a contract will have a policy in place if this is requested by a client.
No, it is against our terms and conditions to pay for carer services outside of hometouch.
Yes, If you need a carer for different times of the day or week, you may need to find additional carers who are able to work at different times. Equally, you may have a carer who is taking leave and you can arrange a short term contract with another carer to cover this period. hometouch allows you to have multiple carer contracts simultaneously which can all be managed from the contracts page on the main hometouch dashboard.
You should pick your own carer according to the criteria you looking for. However, if you need some assistance, we can help you with recommendations. The ultimate choice though is you and your family’s. Please email us at hello@myhometouch.com or call a Care Advisor for help.
No. You can book a carer for a one-off job for a few hours or days or arrange an ongoing contract. An ongoing contract can be cancelled with two weeks notice. If cancelling a single shift, please give the carer 24 hours notice.
hometouch is committed to supporting minimum one hour visits. Otherwise it is as long as is required by you and your family.
First of all, please let hometouch know straight away if you are having problems. We are here to help and want to resolve any problems you have. We take any allegations of poor care, dishonesty, poor punctuality, incompetence or poor communication very seriously and will take action immediately if you have concerns. If you have reason to be dissatisfied with your carer, you need to decide whether they have breached the contract with you (eg have not turned up, been non-punctual), or whether you no longer wish to employ them for your own personal reasons.
We check all of our carers ID, Qualifications and CRB/DBS certificates. We also face to face interview every carer that joins hometouch and assess them against 5 criteria – punctuality, communication skills, compassion/empathy, ability to take initiative and personal presentation/honesty. We conduct detailed scenario testing and reference check all carers. We pride ourselves on the high quality bar we set and only accept a small fraction of the carer applicants we receive.
Yes, hometouch is registered and regulated by the CQC. However our introductory model of care which started in 2015 is technically not regulated by the CQC as the hometouch does not interfere in the care delivery, manage the care plan or provide rotas. Our managed care service is regulated by the CQC.
The carer will be paid the stated rate on their profile minus 20% (inc VAT) commission on an ongoing basis for the duration of the contract and any further contract with the carer. hometouch defines this as an “introductory fee” which is spread out over the length of the contract and any other subsequent contracts with that individual carer. We are committed to supporting a minimum £10/hr income for all carers.
The payment needs to be made before the contract starts. This is held in a third party (escrow) account before being transferred to the carer at the end of the following week. Weekly recurring payments are then made for contracts longer than a week.
hometouch provides a secure online payment facility. Payment details are required before any contract commences and payment is via credit/debit card or direct debit for self funding clients. For ongoing contracts payment is taken in advance every Monday.
Carers set their hourly rates according to their experience level, areas of expertise and the trust ratings they have built up on hometouch. The minimum hourly rate chargeable on hometouch is £10/hr. Please be aware that carers are working on a self-employed basis and therefore have to cover their travel costs and other reasonable expenses. We are committed to ensuring that carers can earn a living wage via offering their services on hometouch.
No, carers work on a self employed basis and there is no statutory requirement to pay Employers NI.
You can cancel at any time for an ongoing contract. If you are booking for defined time period of less than a month, you are committed to paying that amount unless exceptional circumstances have occurred. We will look at each request on a case by case basis. Please note, you are party to a contract with the carer and if there is no reasonable reason is given for ending the contract prematurely, you would be in breach of that contract and the care would be entitled to full payment. All cancellations must be submitted by email to both hometouch on hello@myhometouch.com and the carer.
If there is reason to believe the carer has not fulfilled their duties or there are any other concerns, you can dispute the contract in the contract section. hometouch will look at each disputed contract on a case by case basis and try to resolve the matter fairly. A carer also has the ability to dispute a contract in case they believe they have reason to.
Our safeguarding policy protects vulnerable adults from abuse and is a legal requirement under the Health and Social care Act