Being Supported by a Micro-carer

Do you want more choice and control over your care and support?

Then working with a Micro-carer may be for you

 

Why choose a Micro-carer?

• Many micro-care providers will operate as sole-traders, only offering support to a small number of people across a relatively small geographical area. By operating in this way they can offer a more flexible and responsive service that can ensure that care and support is delivered in the way you want and at a time that suits you. 
• Working for themselves or in partnership with other Micro-care colleagues will mean a more consistent service delivered by familiar faces.
• Most Micro-carers will offer personal care and a range of other well-being services such as shopping, cleaning and will support you with a range of activities.
• All Micro-carer listed on this website who offer personal care have to meet certain standards of practice, which will be checked before commencing to ensure the safety of customers. They are also monitored on an on-going basis by Flintshire County Council Micro-care Team to ensure they continue to offer good quality care and support.

 

What support can Micro-carers offer?

Examples of support and care that can be provided by Micro-care providers: 

 Care and support in your own home Respite services for carers Holidays and short breaks Activities that bring people together  Leisure, wellbeing and social opportunities Cleaning Assistance with bills Pet care  Befriending/companionship  Help with gardening  Provide meals for people in their own home  Getting in and out of bed Shopping for one or more people

This list is not exhaustive. You can work with your chosen Micro-carer to agree the support you would like from them. 

 

What does Flintshire’s Micro-care Programme require Micro-carers to achieve before they can start working?  

All Micro-carers supported by the Micro-care Team will have the following in place:

• Public Liability Insurance
• A current DBS check
• Registered as self-employed with HMRC
• A Business Profile – explaining their business and services
• A One-page profile – explaining what is important to them
• A Confidentiality procedure
• References

Micro-carers who are offering personal care services will also need to evidence that they have received care training to an appropriate level. 

Although all our micro-carers have to achieve the required levels set out by the Micro-care Team before they are allowed to trade, Micro-care providers are independent self-employed care providers and as such Flintshire County Council cannot be held responsible for their actions.

 

What do you need to know before taking on a micro-carer?

The Flintshire Micro-care Team conduct checks before a Micro-carer can be placed on our database.  This means if a Micro-carer is advertising on this site, they have undertaken all the basic training and other requirements we require through our ‘Quality Framework’.

Although all checks have been completed, it is advisable to interview the Micro-carer yourself or have someone to do this on your behalf, before offering them work. Feel free to ask to see copies of their insurance, DBS certificate and their self-employed status if you like. All Micro-carers will be happy to provide these.

If your needs have been assessed by Social Services and you meet the Council’s eligibility criteria for care or support, you are currently only able to use a micro-provider where you choose to accept a Direct Payment from Flintshire Council. This is where you are given the money from Flintshire County Council to meet your assessed needs and you purchase your own care or support directly.  You can then either choose to become an employer and employ your own Personal Assistants, or use your money to hire a Micro-care provider. All micro-carers are self-employed so you will have no responsibilities as an employer.

When you have decided on the Micro-carer you like and they have agreed to support you, the Micro-carer will give you a contract which you will need to read and sign if you are happy with it. The Micro-carer will be happy to go through it with you.

If a person states they are a Micro-care provider but does not appear on this database, please contact the Micro-care Team on 01352 702126 or 01352 701426 to verify if they are part of this scheme.  

 

Monitoring of Micro-care Providers 

Flintshire County Council will monitor all Micro-carers who are offering personal care or support services to clients who have either a Direct Payment or have had care organised via Flintshire County Council.Flintshire County Council is unable to monitor private arrangements.