Your questions about carer breaks, answered

Carer Cover arranges replacement care so unpaid carers can take a break. You tell us when you need time off and what kind of break suits you. We find a provider registered with the CQC (Care Quality Commission), confirm the booking and handle the arrangements. See how it works.

No. We are an introducing and booking service. Care is delivered and supervised by care homes, day services and home-care agencies registered with the CQC. They stay responsible for the care itself.

We're launching first in Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes. If you live elsewhere you can still join the waitlist; it helps us decide where to go next.

We're preparing to launch. People on the waitlist will hear first, before bookings open to everyone.

They overlap. A carer's break is your time off. Respite care, also called replacement care, is the care arranged for the person you look after so you can take that break. We arrange the respite care, and can help you plan your own break too.

Four kinds: a sitter at home for a few hours, a day centre place, a short stay in a care home from a night to a week or more, and help arranging your own break while they are covered. See the options for carers.

We aim to confirm planned breaks within 72 hours. Weekends, school holidays and longer stays fill up first, so more notice gives you more choice.

We'll try to help quickly, for example if you have to go into hospital, but we can't promise same-day cover. If someone is in danger, call 999. For urgent medical help, call NHS 111.

No. Many carers prefer a sitter at home or a day centre place. You choose what suits you and the person you care for.

A short profile of the person you care for: medicines, routines, likes and dislikes, what helps on a bad day and who to call. You fill it in once, and it's shared with whoever provides the cover, so you don't have to explain everything again.

Tell us about their needs in the care passport. We only offer providers who can meet them. Some needs, such as nursing care, need a provider registered for nursing, and we'll match you with one.

This is common. Many families start small, with a few hours at home with the same sitter each time, so trust can build. We can talk it through with you before you book.

Where the provider allows it, yes. Ask when you book and we'll arrange it.

Yes. Cancellation terms depend on the provider and the type of break, and we'll show them clearly before you book.

At launch, bookings are made by adults aged 18 or over. If you're under 18 and look after someone, your council's young carers service can help.

Prices will be confirmed before launch. You'll always see the provider's price and our booking fee before you book. Costs depend on the type of break, how long it lasts and the care needed.

Yes, if your council has agreed that your direct payment can be used for breaks. Check your support plan, or ask your council if you're not sure.

Under the Care Act 2014, your council must offer an assessment to any adult carer who appears to need support. Contact adult social care at Buckinghamshire Council or Milton Keynes City Council and ask for a carer's assessment. Read more for carers.

Sometimes. When a council arranges replacement care, it may ask the person being cared for to contribute, depending on a financial assessment. If you pay for a break yourself, the price you see is the price you pay.

Some employers will offer break credits to staff who are carers. Ask your HR team, or point them to our page for employers.

We only work with providers registered with the CQC and rated Good or Outstanding. We check their insurance and that their care staff have enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks. See what we look for.

The Care Quality Commission is the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England. It registers, inspects and rates care services, and publishes its reports.

The care provider. They assess, plan, deliver and supervise the care. We arrange the booking, share the care passport and check in with you afterwards.

Tell us and the provider straight away. Every registered provider has a complaints procedure, and we'll help you use it. If you think someone is at risk of harm, we report it to the council's safeguarding team.

Care homes, home-care agencies and day services in Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes that are registered with the CQC and rated Good or Outstanding. Register your interest.

No. There's no joining fee. We earn a small fee on bookings we bring you, agreed with you before any booking.

Within 14 days of a confirmed booking, whoever is funding the break: a family, a council or an employer.

Yes. You assess the person, plan and deliver the care, and supervise your staff as you do today. You can decline any booking you can't meet safely.

We're building a bank of trained carers who want extra hours, to supply to partner providers who are short of staff. If staffing stops you taking short bookings, tell us when you register.

About 100 breaks over 90 days for carers your team refers. Care is paid at providers' normal rates from your existing breaks budget or carers' direct payments, plus a coordination fee per break delivered. See the pilot.

That depends on your contract rules. A small pilot often falls under lower-value buying routes, but your procurement team will confirm what applies.

Breaks delivered, time from request to confirmed break, cost per break, and carers' wellbeing before and after their break.

We follow UK GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), complete a data protection impact assessment, keep a safeguarding policy and named lead, and hold insurance. We share these before any pilot starts.

Prepaid credits your staff who are carers can use to book a sitter, day place or short stay. Read more for employers.

Since 6 April 2024, employees in Great Britain with a long-term caring responsibility can take up to one week of unpaid carer's leave a year. Break credits help that time become a real rest, because someone is there to take over the caring.

No. You get usage reports without personal or health information about your staff or the people they care for.

So we know where demand is and can tell you when we launch in your area. When you type your postcode, we fill in the town for you.

It makes sure the address is yours, so messages about Carer Cover only go to you.

We don't sell your information, and we won't pass your details to care providers, councils or employers without your agreement. Read our privacy notice.

Email hello@carercover.co.uk and we'll remove your details.