Part-time carer - opinions on best way to find one, please

Hello all - I’ve been the main carer for my elderly ma for more than 10 years, and I’ve been helped greatly by a succession of part-time carers (self-funded), two short visits daily, through the week. Originally we found co-carers by advertising in the professional nursing press, Nursing Times, then in The Lady magazine, and then following up references etc – but over the past three years of course the number of replies has fallen off considerably, with Brexit I guess. We have been using agencies on and off, which has been very helpful - but now need to have another self-employed carer on board, from next month, for a few days a week. From people’s own experience, what is now the best way to find experienced, qualified carers at present? Is it online, or still in printed magazines? We don’t want to use general sites such as Facebook of Gumtree. Any suggestions from people’s own experience?

You could try your local council (Adult Services) - at one time ours had a list of vetted, freelance care assistants/PA’s.

Thanks for the suggestion - a while back, maybe five or six years, we did ask the local council for such a list, but I think they decided at that time that they couldn’t recommend anyone working privately - but that might have changed now I guess. I shall contact them.

Thanks susieq - Sadly as I thought, the local city council does not have a list of approved individual carers, just a list of local care agencies.

I suppose you could use a website called Nexttdoor.co.uk and ask for recommendations for home carers. That way you could contact the people who’ve been recommended. That would be one way to network.

Care agencies have to be registered with CQC. Look at their website.

You could try the internet or the yellow pages, etc. Good luck, if you keep searching you will find what you want to find. Good luck and all the best.