Beginner’s Guide on Starting a Care Services Business in the United Kingdom
What Is a Care Services Business?
If you are interested in starting a care services business in the United Kingdom, you should know that it is tough but rewarding. There is a strong growth outlook for home care agencies, but it involves demanding work.
If you are motivated by entrepreneurship and humanitarianism, it is important that you build a business you are proud of while knowing that you impact other people’s lives.
This ranges from a shopping visit per week to giving 24/7 care and care visits that are double-handed while handling and moving equipment, as well as supporting people until their life ends.
It is a huge responsibility to administer medications that help with personal care, and specialist equipment is used. Therefore, it rightly has a lot more oversight compared to home help or businesses for cleaning.
This also adds value, which means longer relationships about clients, intensive services, and clients with higher revenues.
Read this guide to company registration in the United Kingdom to gain more knowledge.
Business Registration Process
Before you start your UK company incorporation, there is a specific process you must follow. First, You should send an application for a DBS (Disclosure Barring Service) check. This is formerly called CRB check, and the DBS makes sure that you are lawfully allowed to work with vulnerable adults. This is an action that you must do. The DBS check has to be carried out based on the following:
- Individuals who register to give care service
- All partners, in case you have those
- The registered manager
You should provide enough employment references, so they can see your career history. This includes your last employer and another one that comes from your GP. The purpose of this is to establish that you are healthy enough to give this kind of service.
Then you need to fill out the registration form. The forms could vary depending on whether you want to supply the services like an organization, partnership, or individual. You also need to fill out the registered manager application.
You should place a statement of purpose. This is a bit rich in information, so to make sure that nothing is omitted, QCS gives you a template that adapts to your needs. A lot of information should be included in the Statement of Purpose, including but is not limited to just the details of the services provided, such as the contact details and the aims and objectives provided.
After receiving your DBS green copy and fulfilling everything above, you can already file your application which is sent by email. You can also send it by post.
Licenses and Permits Needed
Not all small businesses in the UK need a license. In a lot of cases, you can trade without using one, as long as you are properly set with just using the HMRC and have chosen your business’ legal structure.
However, there is a huge range of business activities that need a UK license. One of them is care services. You can apply at:
- Ofsted in England
- The Care Inspectorate located in Scotland
- The Care and Social Services Inspectorate in Wales
- Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety in Northern Ireland
The cost of a business license in England is based on a fee for application, but that is based on the value of a venue where you need a license.
Benefits of Hiring a Care Services Business
There are also several benefits that might interest you in starting a care services business in the UK.
- It is a very cost-effective delivery of health care offered because there are no costs for room and boarding compared to nursing homes, institutional care settings, and rehabilitation centers.
- This kind of business encourages healing because studies show that patients have it quicker when they are at home.
- Care services offer individualized services that fit the client’s health care requirements and finances.
- It becomes a reinforcement and supplemental care from the family and friends of clients.
- Not unless you do a criminal background check, you do not really know who provides home care. Agencies of home care are asked to conduct extensive criminal background checks that give more comprehensive data than what is available to the public. This is before any agency in-home care with an employee who steps foot into the home of clients.
- Training and supervision are ongoing – If the consumer directly hires people, then they will handle the training and supervision continuously. Care services possess the necessary knowledge, experience, resources, training, and licensure. Therefore, their employees get all the training in order to perform better, which includes safe infection control, preparation for emergencies, falls prevention, and tasks for personal care.
Agencies of home care have expertise with their staff when it comes to assessing the needs of clients and developing care plans, normally at no cost. The professional staff of a care services business is helpful when it comes to navigating the web over the network of healthcare resources as well as relay your needs and goals to the staff. Care services can also help clients and families that have emotional barriers and concerns when it comes to saying ‘yes’ to home care services.
The local authorities determine the license cost, and it can differ depending on where your business is located. The local authority is going to publish license costs on their website. If you need help, then you can consult a UK corporate service provider like 3E Accounting United Kingdom.
If you want to register for a business in the UK, contact 3E Accounting, and they will surely help you. Their staff are all professional and can handle all the requirements needed to start a care service business.