Frequently Asked Questions
I
have little or no care experience. Could I be a successful
carer?
Will I have enough work?
Why should I have a driving licence?
When will my live-in assignments be?
Where will I work?
How old must I be?
Do I need to have a police check?
I live in South Africa; can I have an interview
in SA?
What advice can you offer applicants living
outside the UK?
Where will I live when not on assignment?
Do I need a bank account?
What daily rate will be paid to live-in
workers?
Can I get work as a live-in nurse?
What will I be expected to do while on
assignment?
What is the employment status of live-in
personnel?
Who pays travelling expenses?
What happens if a carer/nurse or client
is unhappy with the arrangement?
What accommodation does the client provide?
Can a live-in assistant smoke?
What is the dress code for a live-in nurse
or carer?
Does Consultus offer permanent employment?
What are Consultus' office hours?
I have another question, whom should I
ask?
Why should I consider temporary
work?
I
have little or no care experience. Could I be a successful
carer?
Caring is a very satisfying vocation for many thousands
of people. Some simply enjoy helping others and take
the physical and emotional demands of the job in their
stride, others have their hearts in the right place
but realise that the work may be beyond them. To be
a successful carer you need the right maturity and passion
for the task. You also need the presence of mind to
deal with changing and sometimes demanding situations.
Most of our clients are elderly and
many are confused or in poor health so you must be capable
of patience and good humour at all times. You will be
a genuinely compassionate person; always dependable
and with plenty of common sense. There is no upper age
limit to becoming a Consultus nurse or carer but you
should be energetic and fit enough to help your clients
get out of a bath, for example, or to push them in their
wheelchair.
You must be prepared to put your social
life on hold for the duration of your assignments. You
should be a reasonable cook (or be ready to invest in
an English cook book!) You must be happy to do housework
and laundry and to keep the home you are staying in
clean and tidy. You must be prepared to undertake personal
care such as helping people to wash, dress, bathe and
use the toilet.
You must understand and speak English very well.
New carers will initially be allocated
‘light care’ or companionship/ housekeeping
roles. We will be happy to recommend training organisations
for those who wish to learn more and increase their
earning potential.
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Will
I have enough work?
Consultus has hundreds of clients and it highly unusual
for us not to be able to offer good carers as much work
as they wish for.
Licensed car drivers aged over 25 are particularly popular.
Regrettably there is little demand for male carers,
particularly men who cannot drive or who have no care
experience.
Why should
I have a driving licence?
Many of our clients own their own cars and may ask you
to drive them to visit friends, for example. Consequently
we have less work for carers who cannot drive. If you
are from overseas you may be able to use your own driving
licence for a year after entry into the UK but it is
worthwhile purchasing an easily identifiable international
driving licence for use in this country.
Photo driving licences are also widely accepted forms
of identification.
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When will my
live-in assignments be?
You can choose a pattern of work that best suits you.
Some people like plenty of time off between assignments
others want only a day or two. Some carers work only
a few weeks each year but may return to us time and
time again for an enjoyable and worthwhile ‘working
holiday’.
We have new assignments starting on every day of the
week (usually ending on the same day two weeks later)
and we aim to offer you work that coincides perfectly
with your other commitments.
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Where will
I work?
We have clients in England, Scotland and Wales, though
the majority of our clients are in the south and south
east of England. You are likely to stay in some of the
most beautiful places the UK has to offer.
For consistent work and the greatest choice of assignments
you should be prepared to travel anywhere in the UK.
Your travel expenses will be paid by your client at
the end of the assignment.
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How old must
I be?
While drivers aged over 25 are particularly sought
after we would encourage anyone over the age of 21
who feels they have the necessary qualities to contact
us. We have no upper age limit though carers must be
fit enough to help frail and disabled people with their
mobility and weight transference. Consultus is an official
supporter of Age
Positive.
.We have no upper age limit though
older carers must be fit enough to help frail and disabled
people with their mobility and weight transference.
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Do I need to
have a police check?
Healthcare workers in the UK must obtain a Criminal
Records Bureau (CRB) disclosure and Protection of Vulnerable
Adults check before they are allowed by law to work
in the healthcare sector. Both are obtained by completing
a form that we will give you. Unlike many agencies,
we do not charge a commission on the standard government
fee. Please note that due to legislation introduced
in 2004, no U.K. healthcare employer may accept a previously
obtained disclosure, regardless of how recently it
was obtained. For this reason you should make sure
that the agency you choose to register with has plenty
of work.
If you have lived outside the U.K.
you should also bring a police check from that country,
if available.
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I live in South
Africa; can I have an interview in SA?
Yes. We have Consultants in Cape Town and Pretoria who can interview you and help
to find you work though you are most welcome to apply
directly to us in the UK if you prefer. You will still
need to visit our UK office in due course to complete
your CRB application form. Qualified nurses must have
their formal interview in England.
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What advice can
you offer applicants living outside the UK?
For more information click
here
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Where will I live when not on assignment?
You must have somewhere to stay when you are not working.
The website http://www.visitbritain.com/
can advise on local accommodation including hostels.
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Do I need
a bank account?
You will be paid by cheque so you need to have a UK
bank account. We strongly suggest you arrange to open
an account before you come to Britain – your own
local bank may be able to help.
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What daily
rate will be paid to live-in workers?
The daily rate for live-in carers is currently between
£52 and £75. The rate is determined by the
level of each client’s need. If a carer holds
relevant qualifications and is experienced it may be
possible to place them with clients whose needs are
greater and the daily rate will therefore be towards
the top end of the scale. Additional payments are made
for Public and Bank Holidays, Christmas Eve and New
Year’s Eve. When in bookings you also get room,
board and travel expenses.
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Can I get
work as a live-in nurse?
Our live-in or ‘residential’ nurses must
be sufficiently experienced to cope on their own without
local supervision. You must therefore have at least
three years post-registration nursing experience, ideally
with older people.
If you are a less experienced nurse
or a student nurse, or you are not registered with the
UK’s Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC), you
can apply for work as a Consultus live-in carer.
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What will
I be expected to do while on assignment?
Personal care needs will vary from client to client
and you will be briefed about a particular client’s
needs before you go.
Tasks may include helping your client
to dress, wash and bathe, helping them with toileting
and perhaps assisting them to eat. ‘Personal care’
also means providing emotional support and generally
helping them to enjoy a better life. Some clients may
only need companionship, a reminder to take their medication
or an arm to steady them when walking, but for regular
work you must be prepared to do some physical personal
care. Only registered nurses are permitted to carry
out nursing tasks such as wound care and injections.
You will be given as much information
as possible about a client before the booking commences.
It is Consultus’ practice to keep in touch with
carers by phone to make sure they do not get out of
their depth.
Each booking will probably also involve
cooking, shopping, and housekeeping. Carers are expected
to keep the client's home clean and tidy with particular
attention to the kitchen and bathroom. Often, the client
has a car that they need the carer to drive on their
behalf. It is essential that carers in these bookings
hold the requisite driving licence and that the client
arranges for the appropriate insurance cover.
You will probably work an average eight- to ten-hour
day (not necessarily consecutive hours) but you must
always be on hand to help the client if they need you.
Any time off must be agreed between you and the client
or their representative. You can claim an agreed additional
sum if you are called during the night.
At the end of the assignment you will
be expected to meet any replacing nurse or carer and
update them on the client’s needs and routine,
etc.
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What is the
employment status of live-in personnel?
Nurses are employed under a ‘contract for services’
and are paid by us.
Carers are classed as self-employed and are responsible
for their own income tax and National Insurance (we
can give new workers a form which very easily sets him
or her up as a self-employed person). The client pays
the carer by cheque, usually at the end of each week
of the booking. Consultus is an introductory agency
and does not supervise or direct care during the assignment
– the client is your employer and should give
daily instructions.
.
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Who pays travelling expenses?
Live-in workers can claim travelling expenses of up
to £60.00. This is to pay for their return trip
from their base to the client’s home and is paid
directly by the client to the carer. Expenses in excess
of £60.00 must be cleared with the client or their
representative in advance of the booking and there may
sometimes be a need to compromise. As expenses will
probably not be reimbursed until the end of the first
week or the end of the booking it is necessary for carers
to ensure that they have enough money to pay for the
fare to the client’s home. Depending on circumstances,
carers leaving a booking at short notice may have to
pay their own return travel costs.
Live-in nurses claim their travelling
costs on their first week’s timesheet and are
paid by us along with their wages.
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What happens if a carer/nurse or client
is unhappy with the arrangement?
If there are difficulties with a booking or a clash
of personalities between carer and client, either party
may contact Consultus. If necessary, we will arrange
for a replacement, usually to arrive within a day or
two.
You should never leave a booking until
her replacement carer arrives and a proper handover
has taken place. We may refuse further work to anyone
who does so.
Please remember that the office is
closed at weekends except for real emergencies.
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What accommodation does the client
provide?
A separate bedroom, preferably with drawer and hanging
space for clothes, and an easy chair. Most clients also
provide a TV in the bedroom or second living room. You
will also have full access to the kitchen and bathroom.
The client will meet the cost of the room and three
meals a day andt will make no charge for gas, electricity
etc., however you should avoid making calls or connecting
to the Internet on the client’s telephone line,
even if they give you permission to do so.
It is the client’s responsibility
to protect your health and safety within their home
and grounds though you must play your part in preserving
the health and safety of all.
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Can a live-in assistant smoke?
Most clients do not smoke and carers are usually asked
not to smoke in their homes. Wherever possible, we do
not place carers who smoke in non-smoking placements.
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What is the
dress code for a live-in nurse or carer?
Carers are expected to dress neatly. To meet their client
for the first time, women should wear a skirt or dress
and men smart trousers. Clean casual clothes are normally
acceptable while on duty, though nurses are often expected
to wear a uniform (loaned by Consultus). A good outfit
should be taken for special occasions. Facial piercing
and excess make-up are not acceptable.
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Does
Consultus offer permanent employment?
Consultus does not usually arrange for staff to work
for any one client on a permanent basis. However, if
a client wishes a carer to remain permanently an introduction
fee will be charged to the client.
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What are Consultus'
office hours?
U.K. office hours are 9.00 am
to 5.30 pm, Monday to Friday. There is an answerphone
for evening and weekend calls. The answerphone message
gives a mobile number that may be called in genuine
emergencies.
The South Africa offices are not open full-time
so appointments should always be made before you visit; there is an office answerphone available at all
times.
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I have another
question, whom should I ask?
If you have not found the answer to all your questions
please ring our consultants during normal office hours.
Please click the ‘Contact
Us’ link for options.
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Why should
I consider temporary work?
The UK has a thriving “temp” workforce.
A recent survey* of temporary workers found:
| • |
54.4% decided
to register for temp work because of the flexible
hours and lifestyle offered, |
| • |
29% to learn skills or gain experience, and |
| • |
17% to fill an employment gap or as a route into
more permanent employment. |
| • |
90.5% said that their experience of temping was
a “positive” or “very positive”
one. |
| • |
Over 80% said that temporary
work had improved their skills, professional capabilities
and employability. |
| • |
92% said they would recommend
temp work to friends (those who said they would
not recommend temping: just 2.3%). |
* Survey Conducted by Swift Employee
Benefits, 2005. Over 80% of the respondents had been
temping for more than a year with an overall 22.7% having
been registered as a temp for over four years.
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