How Much Does Home Care Cost in the UK?

The adult social care sector currently contributes £46.2 billion to the UK economy. Just to put that into perspective, that’s more than Britain’s oil industry. When examining Local Government spending, adult social care takes first place, accounting for £16.8 billion of council budgets last year, putting it ahead of policing and transport and highways.  

This raises some important questions, where is the money going and is there a better solution to finding effective, well-matched care that doesn’t consume all the budget? 

The rising cost of care 

Before we crunch the numbers, it’s worth examining the recent rise in the cost of care. Usually a mild increase in prices is down to inflation, however in the last year alone the average cost of care has increased by nearly 5%. This is down to a number of reasons including a rise in workforce costs as well as an increase in the cost of care packages for people with more complex needs.  

Previously where councils will have had their own care provision, this is now almost entirely dominated by external suppliers.  

So, what are the options available, how much do they cost and how much admin is involved? 

Weighing up the cost of care homes 

Understandably residential care homes and nursing homes come with a significant price tag. In a report by Langbuisson the average costs are as follows: 

• Residential care is around £622 a week  

• Nursing homes are around £893 a week 

*figures vary greatly depending on your geographical location 

For patients requiring round-the-clock nursing care this was a good solution before Covid-19, despite the considerable admin involved and the dependency on the availability of beds. But now, with the doors of care homes firmly closed to prospective new residents wanting to look round before they commit to moving in, the process of admitting new clients for both the care home and case managers and discharge staff is nigh-on impossible.  

How do agencies stack up?  

Assuming you only need to contact one agency, they can be an efficient route to finding care, but this comes at a price. Not only are agencies the most expensive care option, and so consequently tend to be the last port of call for a discharge nurse arranging a care package, but they choose the carer on your behalf. This could result in an entirely unsuitable carer being supplied at a greater cost. An agency may also change the carer, diluting that all-important continuity of care. Agencies charge an average of over £20 an hour, with the carer being paid less than 50% of the fee.  

What is the alternative to a care home or an agency?  

With so little choice and the care industry tied up in knots, it’s easy to wonder where we go from here. Curam has the solution. We’re committed to creating a better care community.  

Our innovative platform is the largest source of self-employed carers in the UK. The clients, case managers and discharge nurses who use our platform, are able to post their care requirements and reach out to any carers whose profile matches their brief, and then interview whoever they feel is best suited to the person they’re arranging care for, before deciding to hire them.  

You can arrange a carer in under an hour, either using our app or by picking up the phone to our Client team.  

The cost of care with Curam  

So what’s the cost attached to all this stream-lined technology?  

• Curam carers are self-employed and their average hourly rate is £15 an hour 

• This includes our fees which at 12.5% plus VAT are the lowest in the sector 

• Based on this average rate the carer receives £12.75 an hour 

Does a saving mean a compromise in quality?  

For a self-employed carer to be approved to use our platform, they are vetted, DBS checked, have their right to work in the UK confirmed by our team and have 2 checkable references.  There are no contracts, hidden fees and you only pay for the care provided. Also our fee includes the carers’ insurance and our secure payment system ensures the carer is only paid after the end of a shift.   
 

If you’re in need of a rapid turnaround, cost effective care that you control, then give our Client Team a call today on 01387 730766 or drop us an email to client@curamcare.com 

We are Curam: creating a better care community.