What insurance do I need to work as a paid carer?

If you are working as a self-employed paid carer, you run a small care business or you are a care provider, then it is imperative that you have carer insurance in place.  Those who are self-employed generally need specialist Self-employed Carer Insurance, whilst businesses need something slightly different.If you are looking to employ or contract with a carer then the insurance that you need is slightly different - please read our article hereAs a self-employed carer or personal assistant, you will need to have Public Liability Insurance (PLI) for carers in place. This is because there are some risks involved in the job, especially if you have to give medicine to your client, or help them move from room to room. Having a PLI policy protects you in situations that involve personal injury, errors, accidents, abuse claims and other risks within the job role.If you are employed by a service user directly, they should have Employer’s Liability Insurance in place. However, we suggest that you also take out your own carer insurance policy. We hope that you never need to use your insurance, but this is definitely a case of better safe than sorry.[Ads]Care providers need comprehensive insurance policies in place to ensure that both clients and staff are protected fully in the workplace. These policies will cover things like alleged abuse, theft of property, errors, personal injury and so on. They combine both Employer’s Liability Insurance and Public Liability Insurance, as well as extras related to running a business. If you are looking at setting up your own care agency, then make sure that you have the appropriate insurance in place before you begin delivering services. Some of the providers featured here do offer insurance for care agencies and these are tailored to meet your needs. There are plenty of other insurers that also deal with businesses, so contact your insurance broker to find out the best option for you.Some insurance companies will offer specific policies that are tailored for the needs of private carers. There are a number of companies in the UK that specialise in insurance for the care sector and it is not too expensive – though it is something that will need to be budgeted for. Here is a rundown of some companies that offer comprehensive serf-employed carer insurance in the UK.

Self-employed Carer Insurance Providers

Surewise

www.surewise.com/carers-insuranceSurewise offers Self Employed Carer Insurance for all carers and personal assistants who are self-employed or work for an agency, underwritten by The Salvation Army General Insurance Corporation, who give 100% of their profits to The Salvation Army. There are three levels of cover: Bronze, provides public liability cover for carers up to £1m; Silver, provides public liability cover for carers up to £2m; and Gold, provides public liability cover for carers up to £5mThe Self Employed Carers Insurance policy includes:

• Public liability
• Personal belongings at work up to £250
• Legal expenses up to £100,000
• Accidental death (varies by level of cover)
• Disability Cover
• Hospitalisation (accident-only) (per day, varies by level of cover)
• Administering of prescribed medicines and first aid
• No excess
• Overseas cover up to 90 days (Gold only)

Blue Badge

www.bluebadgemobilityinsurance.co.uk/Carers-InsuranceBlue Badge offers self-employed carer insurance for carers and Personal Assistants to protect you against potential risks due to the nature of your job. Its specialist cover includes public liability insurance with two levels of cover: Standard, provides public liability for injury or damage to property up to £1m; and Premium, provides public liability for injury or damage to property up to £5m.

• The insurance policies include:
• Legal expenses in the event of a liability claim
• Errors and omissions while providing care, including administering medication
• Up to 90 days’ cover for care provision while on holiday
• Accidental injury to any person in your care
• Personal accident insurance

Mark Bates Ltd

https://markbatesltd.com/products/independent-living/personal-care-assistant-insuranceThe Personal Care Assistant Insurance is aimed at self-employed paid carers providing support to individuals. It includes public liability insurance, as well as a range of extras that form an attractive package. There are two levels available: Standard, provides public liability up to £2m; and Plus, provides public liability up to £5m.The Personal Care Assistant Insurance policy includes:

• Legal expenses up to £25,000
• Personal accident up to £10,000
• Personal possession up to £250
• Employer’s possession up to £250
• 24-hour helplines
• No excess

Jelf (Formerly Bluefin)

www.bluefingroup.co.uk/care/individual-carers/Jelf offers an Individual Carer insurance policy to give protection and peace of mind to protect private carers performing all manner of tasks, such as personal care, night care, administering medicine (prescribed and non-prescribed), carers respite, cleaning, cooking, household tasks and more. It is only available to self-employed or sole proprietor carers. The company also offers insurance policies for care homes and domiciliary care organisations, which may be appropriate for those running a care business.The Individual Carer insurance policy includes:

• £5 million public liability insurance (£10 million limit optional)
• Alleged abuse cover
• Temporary visits abroad while working
• Liability arising out of the supply or preparation of food and drink
• Indemnity to Principal
• Errors and omissions cover
• Automatic defence costs
• Personal accident
• Accidental death or personal injury to any person
• Cover in respect of administering prescribed and non-prescribed medicines
• Accidental loss or damage to third party property (subject to £100 excess)

Fish Insurance

www.fishinsurance.co.uk/products/carer-and-personal-assistant-insurance/Fish offers Carer & Personal Assistant Insurance, which is designed to protect you from compensation claims arising from accidents, errors and omissions. The company is well known, as it is one of the UK’s longest established and leading disability insurance specialists.

• The Carer & Personal Assistant Insurance policy includes:
• Up to £5 million public liability cover
• Protection against errors and omissions in the provision of medical treatment
• Accidental damage to property
• Accidental bodily injury to any person
• Legal costs and expenses incurred in defending prosecution under food, health and safety acts
• Up to £10,000 personal accident cover, with hospital allowance