Companion Care
Regular company for someone who is otherwise on their own — conversation, a film, a walk, or a hobby picked back up.
Loneliness rarely announces itself. It looks like a television left on for the noise, a diary with nothing in it after Tuesday, or a phone that only rings when somebody needs something.
Companion care is the part of what we do that asks nothing clinical of anybody. A companion arrives at the same time each week and stays for an hour or two. What happens in that time is up to the two of you: talking, a film, a walk to the shops, a jigsaw, an afternoon at the garden centre, or simply sitting together with a cup of tea.
It is not personal care, and it is not a minder. There is no rota of strangers and nothing has to be explained twice, because the same person comes each time — matched on the things that make conversation easy rather than on who happens to be free.
Companion care works on its own for somebody who is managing well but spends too much of the week alone. It also works alongside a care package: a familiar face between the visits that are about washing, dressing and medication.
Before the first visit, a companion comes to meet you with a member of the office team. Nothing is agreed until you have met them, and you can change companion without giving a reason.
Every package is written after the assessment — this is the shape of it, not a fixed list.
A regular weekly or twice-weekly visit, at a time that suits you
The same companion each time — matched on interests, not on who is free
Conversation, films, walks, hobbies, outings and appointments
A quiet word to the family if something does not seem right
No personal care needed — though it can sit alongside a care package
One or two hours at a time, agreed before the first visit
Available on its own, or alongside a care package.
Most families get there within a week, and nothing is agreed until you have seen the plan and the price.
A nurse or care manager visits, meets the person, and writes the plan with you.
We match carers by skill and personality, and introduce them before the first visit.
Two weeks in, we sit down and change whatever is not working.
Usually within a week of the assessment. If someone is being discharged from hospital or a situation has become unsafe, we can often move within 24 to 48 hours. Call us and tell us the deadline you are working to.
It depends on the type of care, the number of hours and where you live. We give a clear weekly figure in writing after the assessment, before anything is agreed, and there are no charges for the assessment itself.
Wherever possible, yes. We match carers by location, skills and personality, and we introduce them before the first visit. When someone is on holiday or unwell we tell you who is covering, in advance.
Yes. Needs change, and the plan should change with them. Your care manager reviews it with you, and you can ask for a review at any point — you do not have to wait for a scheduled one.
Our care line is answered 24 hours a day. If something happens outside a scheduled visit, call the number at the top of the page and you will reach a person, not a voicemail.
Our care service looks after people in their own homes, arranged with the family. Our staffing service supplies nurses, carers and senior carers to care homes and local authorities that are short of cover. Both are run from the same Nottingham office, and the same checks apply to everyone who works for us.
Yes, where the package justifies it. Live-in usually suits someone who needs help through the day and overnight but does not want to move into a home. It is arranged with a named carer on a rota, with cover for their breaks and days off, so the arrangement is sustainable rather than a single person doing everything.
Yes, and it is one of the most common reasons families call us. Our carers are trained in dementia support, and we build the routine around what the person still recognises — the same faces, the same times, the same sequence in the morning. We also work with the family on what to do when a bad day happens.
A nurse or senior carer visits the person at home, with the family present if they want to be. We talk about what has changed, what help is wanted and what is not wanted. You get a written plan before care starts, and you can change it — it is a working document, not a contract to argue with later.
Employed. That matters more than it sounds: employed carers are covered by our insurance, receive paid induction and holiday, and are supervised by us. Self-employed carers are common in this sector and leave the family carrying risks they did not agree to.
Yes, and we prefer it. A short introduction visit is arranged before the first working visit, so the person knows who is coming and the carer knows the house. If the match is not right, tell us early — changing a carer in week one is far easier than in month three.
All care staff complete mandatory training before their first shift: moving and handling, safeguarding adults, infection prevention, medication, food hygiene, first aid and fire safety. Nurses hold current NMC registration, which we verify rather than take on trust. Refreshers are tracked in the staff portal, so nothing quietly lapses.
Sometimes. If someone is being discharged today and there is no safe alternative, call us — we will tell you honestly within the hour whether we can staff it. What we will not do is accept the booking and then send someone who has never read the care plan.
In writing, with a named person responsible and a date. We acknowledge within two working days and answer within twenty-eight. If you are not satisfied with our answer, you can complain to the Care Quality Commission, and we will tell you how — that route is not something we hide.
Often yes, if the new address falls inside an area we cover. Tell us as early as possible — moving a package means rebuilding a rota, and doing that in a week is realistic, doing it in a day usually is not.
We are registered with the Care Quality Commission for the regulated activity we provide, we carry public and employers liability insurance, and all staff are enhanced DBS checked before they start. Certificates are available on request — you should never have to take a provider's word for it.
Regular company for someone who is otherwise on their own — conversation, a film, a walk, or a hobby picked back up.
Loneliness rarely announces itself. It looks like a television left on for the noise, a diary with nothing in it after Tuesday, or a phone that only rings when somebody needs something.
Companion care is the part of what we do that asks nothing clinical of anybody. A companion arrives at the same time each week and stays for an hour or two. What happens in that time is up to the two of you: talking, a film, a walk to the shops, a jigsaw, an afternoon at the garden centre, or simply sitting together with a cup of tea.
It is not personal care, and it is not a minder. There is no rota of strangers and nothing has to be explained twice, because the same person comes each time — matched on the things that make conversation easy rather than on who happens to be free.
Companion care works on its own for somebody who is managing well but spends too much of the week alone. It also works alongside a care package: a familiar face between the visits that are about washing, dressing and medication.
Before the first visit, a companion comes to meet you with a member of the office team. Nothing is agreed until you have met them, and you can change companion without giving a reason.
A short conversation about the person, the week, and what would make it easier. No charge.
They visit with a member of the office team. Nothing is agreed until you have met them.
The same day and hour each week, reviewed after a fortnight — and changed whenever you like.
Available on its own, or alongside a care package.