Hi Sop,
By a strange coincidence, I’ve seen this popping up a lot on Facebook, lately.
I did have some concerns about it, though. Basically, it looks like a glorified classified ads column. So anyone can offer their services, with no checks at all.
In fact, the site itself boasts that the way the prices can be kept so low in comparison with registered care providers is they don’t have the “expense” of complying with regulations!
I’m not sure whether this is a good thing or not. Affordable local care is a good thing, but I’m not sure it’s quite such a good thing if the sole responsibility for checking safety and trustworthiness of carers rests with the person hiring them.
I mean, how the heck can you tell? Anyone can say anything in an ad. Some claim to be CRB-checked, or willing to be (presumably at hirer’s expense). Some expressly say a CRB check is NOT available. I wouldn’t touch any of those, because why would a person hoping to be hired not make it available, unless it would show something adverse?
Others claim to have had various training or experience, but how could a lay person verify? Anyone with a computer and a printer can knock up a plausible looking certificate. I have absolutely no idea about care qualifications, so wouldn’t be able to tell genuine from bogus.
I’m glad your friend found someone that worked out well. There’s no doubt some advertisers are genuine, and I’m not sure formal training and experience are always necessary, if you’re not looking for personal care, but just a bit of help with shopping or odd-jobs.
However, I also think it’s really open to abuse. Unscrupulous people could offer their services as “carers” to people they know are elderly or vulnerable, and there doesn’t seem to be anything to stop it, apart from the hirer having to trust their intuition. If you’re not such a good judge of character as you thought you were, you might be inviting an abuser into your home.
Sorry, but I just think people need to understand the risk they’re taking, when they hire through the equivalent of a newspaper small-ad.
Tina