The job, and what we pay for it
At Helping at Home you’ll earn £14 per hour, above the Real Living Wage. We pay your travel time as part of your contracted hours, 30p per mile between visits, time-and-a-half on bank holidays and double time on Christmas Day. We pay for your training and shadow shifts, and any certificate you earn with us is yours to keep forever. We never use agency staff.
How our pay compares to the local market
The April 2026 National Living Wage is £12.71 per hour. The Real Living Wage outside London is £13.45 per hour. We pay £14 per hour as a flat rate, before any bank holiday or Christmas Day premium.
| What you get | At Helping at Home | What a typical agency care role pays |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly rate | £14 flat | National Living Wage, £12.71 |
| Travel time between visits | Paid as contracted hours | Often unpaid |
| Mileage | 30p per mile | Often not paid, or below 30p |
| Bank holidays | 1.5x | Usually flat rate |
| Christmas Day | 2x | Usually 1.5x or flat |
| Shadow shifts during induction | Paid | Often unpaid |
| Training, DBS, uniform, ID badge | Paid by us | Often deducted from first pay or self-funded |
| Training certificates | Yours to keep forever | Sometimes retained by the employer |
| Employer pension contribution | 3% on auto-enrolment | 3% on auto-enrolment (the legal minimum) |
| Use of agency staff to plug gaps | Never | Common |
Travel time, mileage and training paid separately can add several pounds to a typical hour worked. The headline rate is only part of the picture.
What the job involves
A care assistant at Helping at Home visits people in their own homes across Newark and the surrounding area. A typical week is a mix of:
- Personal care, including washing, dressing, toileting and continence care
- Medication prompts and, with the right training, medication administration
- Meals, hydration and light household tasks that keep someone safe and comfortable
- Mobility support and falls reduction
- Companionship visits, welfare checks and dementia-informed support
- Logging visit notes, observations and medication records in the Birdie app
You’ll be visiting the same people on a regular schedule wherever possible. We aim to keep each client’s care team to a maximum of four familiar carers. You build real relationships, not transactional visits.
Who we’re looking for
You don’t need experience. You do need:
- A full UK driving licence and access to your own car. Our coverage is rural in places, and visits won’t run on foot or bus.
- The right to work in the UK. We check this at offer stage as the law requires.
- To be 18 or older (some personal care duties have a legal minimum age).
- An enhanced DBS check, which we pay for.
- Genuine interest in working with older adults. Patience matters more than speed.
- Willingness to complete the Care Certificate during your induction.
What helps but isn’t essential: previous care or healthcare experience, NVQ in Health and Social Care, dementia-specific training, end-of-life experience.
Real progression: Megan’s story
Megan Williams joined us as a care assistant. She progressed to Senior Carer, then to Care Co-ordinator, and now serves as our Deputy Manager. We funded her NVQ Level 3 and her NVQ Level 5 while she was working with us.
“I started visiting clients in Newark. Now I help shape how we deliver care across the whole service. The pathway was real, the training was paid for, and the team backed me at every step.”
Charlotte Offord followed a similar route, from care assistant to Care Co-ordinator. Charlotte now matches new carers to the clients they’ll be visiting, based on geographic proximity, care needs and personality fit.
If you want progression, the pathway exists. Both NVQ Level 3 and NVQ Level 5 are funded by Helping at Home for staff who want to move into senior roles.
Training we pay for
You’ll start with a paid induction. That includes:
- The Care Certificate (Skills for Care, 15 standards). Statutory induction for care workers in England.
- Paid shadow shifts with a senior carer before you take any visit on your own.
- Manual handling, safeguarding adults, medication awareness, infection prevention and control, basic first aid, food hygiene and fire safety.
- Dementia-informed training.
- End-of-life training.
- Specific medication administration training, separate from the awareness module, for carers who progress to administering medication.
Every certificate you earn while you work with us is property of you, not us. If you leave, you take your training record with you, including the certificate scans.
After induction, you’ll have regular supervision, an annual appraisal, and access to ongoing competency sign-offs in complex care (PEG, catheter, stoma, ventilation) if you progress into that work.
A typical week
You’ll work in regular shift patterns rather than being on call. There’s a built-in scheduling buffer between visits so you’re not being asked to compress care into impossible windows.
| Element | What that looks like |
|---|---|
| Minimum visit length | 30 minutes |
| Travel time between visits | Paid as part of your contracted hours |
| Mileage | 30p per mile, paid monthly |
| Bank holiday work | Time-and-a-half premium |
| Christmas Day | Double time |
| Geographic clustering | We schedule your visits to keep travel sensible, not to make you race across the patch |
How to apply
The application process is simple and fast.
- Submit the form below or call 01636 646915. Tell us a bit about yourself, your driving licence, and which area you live in.
- Phone call from the office. Usually within two working days. We’ll talk through the role and answer your questions.
- In-person interview. With Courtney, Megan or Charlotte. At the Newark office.
- Offer and DBS check. We pay for the DBS check. Right-to-work check happens at this stage.
- Paid induction. Care Certificate, mandatory training, and paid shadow shifts before you take any visit on your own.
Tell us a little about yourself.
Fill in the form and someone from the team will be in touch within three working days — usually sooner.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need care experience?
No. We provide full paid training during induction, including the Care Certificate. What we look for is the right attitude. Care skills can be taught.
Are you really paying £14 per hour?
Yes. £14 per hour is the flat rate for care assistants. Bank holidays are paid at 1.5x and Christmas Day at 2x.
Do I need my own car?
Yes. Our coverage includes rural villages around Newark, Grantham, Ollerton, Bingham, Retford and Southwell. Public transport won’t get you to most of the visits.
Is travel time really paid?
Yes. The time you spend driving between client visits is paid as part of your contracted hours. Mileage is paid separately at 30p per mile. This is one of the biggest differences between us and agency contracts.
What if I want to progress?
Both NVQ Level 3 and NVQ Level 5 are funded by Helping at Home for staff who move into senior roles. Megan, our Deputy Manager, and Charlotte, our Care Co-ordinator, both progressed from care assistant. The pathway is real.
Do I keep my training certificates if I leave?
Yes. Every certificate you earn with us is yours. We never retain them. If you ever leave, you take your full training record with you.
Do you use agency carers?
No. Every carer working a Helping at Home visit is directly employed by us. We never plug gaps with agency staff.
What hours can I work?
We have a range of shift patterns to fit different lives. Talk to us at the application stage about what works for you.
Where is the office?
65 London Road, Newark, NG24 1RZ. Interviews are in person at the office.
Talk to us about joining
You can also email us directly at hello@helpingathome.co.uk. Office hours are 8am to 6pm Monday to Saturday.
