The Agency’s Rôle
You, the Carer, are an essential element in a system which provides support and care to elderly and vulnerable people in their own homes. Put simply, the Client who needs support pays the Agency a fee to find an appropriate person to provide domiciliary care and also pays the Carer, either directly or through the Agency, for their services.
Arrangements will vary but, if you are not employed by the Agency (i.e. you are self-employed), its rôle may be solely to introduce you to the Client (or his/her representative) and let you, jointly, decide whether or not to proceed with the assignment. In this case, you will have to be more self-reliant as the Agency may not feel obliged to provide induction training, help in finding accommodation until you start work or advice on practical matters such as travel, insurance, tax or banking. However, having gone up a steep learning curve at the beginning, many Carers prefer this because they are directly involved in the decision and these Agencies often agree to more flexible timing for breaks between assignments.