How to Become a Self-Employed Carer in the UK
Most experienced carers think about going self-employed at some point. The reasons are usually the same. The agency you are working for takes too many liberties. Your travel time is unpaid. The shifts do not fit around the rest of your life. You are working with people you like, on rounds you know, but the work itself feels increasingly hollowed out, getting dragged down by people who don't seem to care.
Going self-employed changes the maths in your favour. You set your own rates. You choose your own clients. You decide how you work and when. You keep what you earn.
It is also a real step up in responsibility. You become both the business and the carer. That means admin, insurance, tax, and finding your own work. None of it is complicated, but it needs to be done properly and does not sort itself out on its own.
This guide walks through what it actually takes to become a self-employed carer in the UK in 2026. It covers the practical steps, the costs, and the softer decisions you will need to make along the way.
Is self-employed care the right move for you?
Self-employed care work is not for everyone, and that is absolutely fine. Some people prefer the steady predictability of agency work, where the hours and the pay come without having to run a business alongside the hard work of providing the care. It's a fair choice.
Self-employment tends to suit carers who:
Have enough experience to work confidently without a supervisor
Want real control over their schedule and their clients
Are comfortable with a bit of admin and record-keeping
Want to earn meaningfully more than an agency pays
Are happy to build deeper relationships with a smaller number of clients rather than rotating between many
If most of those apply to you, self-employment is probably worth exploring seriously.
Step one: register as self-employed with HMRC
You become self-employed by registering as a sole trader with HMRC. This is free and can be done online at gov.uk. You will need your National Insurance number and basic personal details.
Once registered, you are responsible for:
Keeping records of your income and expenses
Submitting a Self Assessment tax return every year (usually due by 31 January)
Paying Income Tax and Class 2 and Class 4 National Insurance on your profits
Most new self-employed carers use a simple spreadsheet or an app like FreeAgent or QuickBooks to keep track of income and expenses. You do not need an accountant to start. Many carers bring one in once they are earning enough to make it worthwhile, and a good one will usually save you more than they charge.
Step two: sort out your insurance
As a self-employed carer, you need two kinds of insurance before you work with a paying client:
Public liability insurance, which covers you if something goes wrong during a visit (accidental damage to the home, for example)
Professional indemnity insurance, which covers you against claims relating to the care you provide
Policies are widely available and tend to cost between £80 and £200 per year, depending on the cover. Specialist brokers like PolicyBee offer policies aimed at self-employed carers. Do not skip this step. Working without insurance is not worth the risk, no matter how much someone you know and trust tells you it will be fine.
At Gladys, we'll get this sorted out for you as it forms part of our offering. While working with clients you find through us, you'll be covered by our master policy.
Step three: DBS check and training
You will need an enhanced DBS check. If you have one from a previous care role, check whether it is still valid and on the update service. If not, you will need a new one.
Families will also want to see that your basic training is current. Most self-employed carers keep up-to-date certificates in:
Moving and handling
Basic life support and first aid
Food hygiene
Safeguarding adults
Medication awareness
If you are planning to specialise (dementia, palliative care, post-operative support), additional training in that area helps both your credibility and your rates.
Again, if you're working with Gladys and need a new DBS we'll help you get one before you start. This costs around £60, but as we're part of a fast track system we can typically get one back within a week or so.
Step four: set your rates
This is where most new self-employed carers underprice themselves, and it is the single biggest mistake to avoid.
As an employed carer, your hourly wage is what you take home. As a self-employed carer, your hourly rate has to cover:
Your actual time with the client
Travel time and fuel costs to move between clients
Insurance, training, and DBS renewal
Time spent on admin, invoicing, and tax
Paid holiday (you do not get any, so you need to factor in around 14%)
Sick pay (also yours to manage)
Pension contributions
Whether you'll increase your charges if you work during bank holidays
In practice, self-employed carers in the UK in 2026 typically charge between £18 and £25 per hour, depending on experience, specialism, and location. Live-in work is usually quoted as a daily rate, typically £150 to £180 per day depending on complexity.
Step five: find your clients
This is often the part that feels least familiar. There are three main routes:
Word of mouth. If you have been working in an area for a while, you probably already know people. Past clients, families you have supported, colleagues who move into different roles. A quiet, professional conversation that you are going self-employed can travel surprisingly far, particularly in care, where trust is the whole game.
Online platforms. Platforms like Gladys connect self-employed carers with families looking for support. They handle matching, introductions, and most of the admin, while leaving you fully self-employed. Every platform works slightly differently, so it is worth understanding the commission model and the level of support offered before you sign up.
Direct marketing. Some self-employed carers build their own local reputation through leaflets, GP surgery noticeboards, community groups, and local Facebook groups. This takes longer but gives you full control.
Most carers use a mix. A platform like Gladys provides a steady flow of work while word of mouth builds over time.
Step six: manage the client relationship properly
Once you are working with clients directly, a few things matter:
A simple written agreement that sets out what you do, the hours, the rate, and how you invoice
A clear process for holidays and cover (what happens when you are away)
Regular invoicing, usually weekly or fortnightly
A way to keep care notes, even if it is just a simple notebook
Clear boundaries about what you can and cannot do (you are not a nurse, for example)
Professionalism at this level is what separates a self-employed carer from someone freelancing informally, and it is what families are paying for.
We help you organise all of this at Gladys. You'll know when, where, how, and everything in between to make sure you're confident and working in the know.
The trade-offs
Be honest with yourself about the trade-offs, because this is where carers sometimes trip up.
The good. Better pay per hour, more control over your schedule, deeper relationships with clients, more autonomy, and work that feels more like your own. No boss: you're your own manager.
The harder parts. No paid holiday or sick pay unless you build a buffer into your rate. No employer pension contributions. You are responsible for finding your own work, managing your own admin, and handling your own tax. If you are ill, the work stops.
Most self-employed carers find the trade-offs are worth it, particularly once the work is steady. But the first few months can feel uncertain while you build a client base, and you need to plan for that. If you're talking to one of the Gladys team, make sure they know what you're looking for. We've helped plenty of agency-employed carers go self-employed over the past few years.
How Gladys fits with going self-employed as a carer
Gladys is an introductory platform for home care nationwide. We match self-employed professional carers with local families who need support. Carers on Gladys earn around 65% more per hour than they would at a traditional agency.
We handle the matching, introductions, and admin involved in bringing you and the client together. From there, you are in a direct working relationship with the family. You set your own rates and manage your own schedule.
It is self-employment with the hardest part, finding the work and the admin, already done.
Find out more about working with Gladys → or see how it all fits together →.
Final thoughts
Going self-employed is one of the biggest professional decisions a carer can make. Done properly, it is also one of the most rewarding. You stop being a number on a rota and start being a skilled professional whose time and judgement are valued.
The practical steps are not complicated. Register with HMRC, sort your insurance and DBS, set realistic rates, and find a route to work that fits you. Or, if you're clever, just speak with us.
The deeper shift is the one that actually matters. You stop working for an agency and start working for yourself, for the people in your community, and for the kind of career you actually want. It's about mindset, not some admin steps that you'll barely remember in a few months' time.
