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Terms & Conditions

Website use and our introductory service

1. About Homestay Carers

Homestay Carers introduces families and individuals to live-in carers across West Sussex, East Sussex, Surrey, Kent, Berkshire and Hampshire.

Contact us at hello@homestaycarers.co.uk or 01798 300 463.

2. What these terms cover

These terms explain use of our website and describe the boundaries of our introductory service. Browsing this website, sending an enquiry, requesting a callback or downloading a guide does not create a paid placement or care contract, authorise a payment, or oblige you to accept a carer.

Before you purchase our service, we will provide the applicable Client Terms of Business and written details of the service and charges for your agreement. Carers must separately agree our Terms of Engagement. The client and each chosen carer must agree their own care agreement. These website terms do not replace those agreements or reduce rights given by law.

3. Our introductory agency model

Homestay Carers describes its service as an introductory agency and is not registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). CQC does not inspect or rate our introductory service. Whether registration is required depends on the activities actually carried out, including any ongoing involvement in personal care; it is not determined by the wording of these terms.

Our intended role is to understand your requirements, carry out appropriate pre-introduction checks, and introduce carers for you to meet and choose. We do not provide a managed personal care or nursing service, supervise carers, direct their day-to-day work, manage care plans or independently arrange care rotas or absence cover. At your request, we may introduce additional carers for you to consider.

The client, or someone with lawful authority to act for them, agrees the care arrangements directly with each carer. A description of a carer as self-employed does not itself determine their legal employment or tax status. The parties should take advice where necessary.

4. Choosing a carer and arranging support

You decide whether to accept an introduction. You should discuss the proposed tasks, experience required, hours, breaks, overnight support, fees, accommodation, food, insurance, notice and emergency arrangements with the carer before agreeing a placement.

We describe our vetting process on Our model and the CQC. Checks provide information at the time they are completed and cannot guarantee future conduct or suitability for every situation. This does not remove our responsibility to carry out our own agreed checks and introductory work with reasonable care and skill.

Carer availability and suggested start dates are subject to confirmation. Live-in care does not mean one person can work continuously, provide uninterrupted supervision or meet every clinical need. Families must agree safe arrangements for breaks and time off, and seek appropriate professional support where needs exceed the agreed arrangement.

5. Prices, payments and cancellation

Website prices are starting prices and depend on the circumstances. Before you commit, the written quotation and service agreement must clearly identify the carer's charges, our charges, any taxes and additional costs, payment arrangements, and who is responsible for each service.

Your written service agreement will set out the advance payment, weekly payments, additional charges, notice periods and refund arrangements that apply to your service. This page does not create a blanket non-refundable payment or waive any cancellation rights.

Before a contract is made, we will explain any applicable statutory cancellation rights, how to exercise them, and any requirements for requesting an early start. Any charge for work begun during a cancellation period must have a lawful basis. Nothing here excludes consumer remedies where our own service falls below the standard required by law.

6. Enquiries, applications and personal information

Please provide accurate information and tell us if relevant circumstances change. If acting for another person, make sure you have appropriate authority and only share information you are entitled to provide. Applying as a carer does not guarantee acceptance, introductions or work.

Our Privacy Policy explains how we handle personal information. Please use the designated application process for CVs and supporting documents. Avoid sending sensitive medical information or DBS documents through general website enquiries or WhatsApp unless a suitable process has been agreed.

7. Website information and acceptable use

Our guides and cost illustrations provide general information, not an individual care assessment or medical, financial, tax or legal advice. Check your circumstances with a suitably qualified professional. We aim to keep information accurate, but circumstances and external guidance can change. This does not exclude responsibility for information on which consumers are legally entitled to rely.

You may view, download and print website materials for personal, non-commercial use. Unless another licence is stated, our content and branding belong to us or our licensors. Do not republish materials commercially without permission, misuse forms, submit unlawful material, attempt unauthorised access or interfere with the website. External websites have their own terms and privacy practices.

8. Our responsibility to you

We remain responsible for our own introductory service and for losses for which we are legally responsible. The fact that a carer contracts directly with a client does not remove our responsibility for our own acts or omissions.

Nothing in these terms excludes or limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any liability or consumer right that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited. We do not impose a blanket exclusion of liability for carers' conduct where the law makes us responsible.

9. Concerns, complaints and emergencies

Contact us using the details above if you have a complaint about our introductions, checks, charges or website. Explain what happened and the outcome you are seeking so we can investigate our own service. Contacting us does not prevent you from using independent advice, statutory remedies or the courts.

For an immediate danger or medical emergency, call 999. For safeguarding concerns, contact the relevant local authority adult safeguarding team; do not wait for a website enquiry or callback. Our website and messaging channels are not an emergency service.

10. Changes and applicable law

We may update these website terms prospectively. Updates do not retrospectively change an existing service agreement. Any change to an agreed service must follow that agreement and applicable law.

These website terms are intended to be governed by the law of England and Wales. Consumers retain any mandatory protections and rights to bring proceedings in their home jurisdiction that applicable law provides.