Safety and staying careful

Practical guidance for using CarePair safely

CarePair is designed to help people looking for care or support connect with carers, support workers, and suitable matches. It is a matching and introduction service, not an employer, agency, or care provider. That means it is important for users to stay careful, ask sensible questions, and make their own checks before sharing personal details, meeting, or agreeing any arrangement.

This page offers practical safety guidance for carers, employers, families, and authorised adults using CarePair on behalf of someone else. It is intended to help users feel informed and confident, while remembering that every arrangement is different.

Keep early conversations steady and sensible

It is natural to want to move quickly when someone seems like a good fit, especially when support is urgently needed. Still, it is usually safer to take a little time at the start. Ask clear questions, look for consistent answers, and be cautious if someone is vague, changes their story, pressures you to decide quickly, or refuses reasonable checks.

Where possible, keep early contact inside CarePair first. That gives both sides a clearer starting point and helps keep communication more organised before any contact details are exchanged.

• Take time to ask about the role, the support needed, availability, location, rates, and expectations.

• Be careful with anyone who seems pushy, evasive, or unusually urgent without a clear reason.

• Trust your instincts if something feels off, inconsistent, or overly pressuring.

Check identity, experience, and references

Before agreeing work or inviting someone into a home, it is sensible to carry out basic checks. Employers or families may want to confirm identity, previous experience, training, and references. Carers may also want to check that a role is genuine, that the expectations are clear, and that the person offering the work is who they say they are.

References can be especially useful. They may not tell you everything, but they can help you build a fuller picture and spot obvious concerns. If a person cannot provide any references at all, or becomes defensive when asked, that is something to look at carefully.

• Ask for references that are relevant to care, support, childcare, or similar trusted roles where appropriate.
• Check that names, contact details, and previous experience broadly match what has been described.
• Consider asking simple, practical questions rather than relying on a single general reference.

Think carefully about DBS checks

A DBS check can be an important part of safer recruitment, but the right level depends on the role and the circumstances. Government guidance explains that some personal employees and personal assistants may be eligible for Enhanced or Enhanced with Barred List checks through an Umbrella Body, depending on the work involved. DBS eligibility is role-specific, so it is important not to make assumptions.

A DBS check should not be treated as the only safety step. It is one part of a wider picture that may also include references, interview questions, clear boundaries, trial shifts, and careful supervision at the start of an arrangement.

• Check what level of DBS check, if any, is appropriate for the role before it starts.
• Keep in mind that a clear DBS result does not replace good judgment, references, or careful induction.
• Where a role involves a child or young person, or regular work around children in a household, take extra care to make sure the checks are suitable for that setting.

Be cautious with personal details

It is often necessary to share some information so that both sides can decide whether a role may be suitable. Even so, personal details should be shared gradually and only where genuinely needed. In the early stages, avoid oversharing sensitive information that is not yet necessary for deciding whether to speak further or arrange a meeting.

This matters for both sides. Employers and families may be sharing information about their home, routines, or support needs. Carers may be sharing information about their address, travel arrangements, ID, or previous work history. Start with what is relevant and proportionate.

Do not share copies of passports, bank details, or other highly sensitive documents too early.

Be careful with home addresses, school routines, medical details, and other information that could create a safety risk if shared too widely.

Only move to more detailed sharing when there is a clear and genuine reason to do so.

Plan meetings with care

If you decide to meet, think in advance about where, when, and how that meeting will happen. Some people may prefer an initial conversation by phone or video first. Others may choose to meet in person once the basics have been discussed. Either way, it helps to plan the meeting rather than arranging it casually at the last minute.

For carers, it is reasonable to ask clear questions before attending a home or agreeing a trial shift. For employers, families, or authorised adults, it is also reasonable to take things steadily and make sure the meeting setup feels safe and appropriate.

• Let someone you trust know where you are going and when you expect to be back.
• Where suitable, consider a first meeting in a neutral public place or with another trusted adult aware of the meeting.
• Keep your phone charged and think about transport before you travel.
• Do not feel pressured to continue with a meeting or shift if something feels wrong.

Take care when moving conversations away from CarePair

At some point, users may decide to swap phone numbers, email addresses, or continue discussions away from the platform. That is a personal choice, but it is worth doing carefully. Once a conversation moves off-platform, CarePair has much less visibility over what is said or agreed.

A careful approach can help. Many users find it sensible to use CarePair for initial contact, then move to direct contact only once they feel comfortable that the other person is genuine and the discussion is progressing in a safe and sensible way.

• Avoid moving off-platform too quickly just because someone asks.
• Keep a basic written record of what has been discussed, especially around hours, duties, rates, and start dates.
• If messages become uncomfortable, aggressive, manipulative, or inappropriate, stop and review whether you want to continue.

Be clear about the role and the boundaries

Safety is not only about background checks. It is also about clarity. Many problems begin when a role is described loosely, expectations are not discussed properly, or the boundaries of the arrangement are left unclear. Taking time to talk through the role can protect everyone involved.

That includes practical things such as duties, timings, location, sleeping or waking night expectations where relevant, whether driving is involved, whether there are children in the household, and who gives instructions day to day.

• Discuss the tasks involved before any trial shift or start date.
• Make sure both sides understand whether the role is regular, occasional, daytime, overnight, or flexible.
• Do not assume that either side understands the arrangement in the same way unless it has been clearly discussed.

Report concerns if something does not feel right

If you see behaviour on CarePair that seems misleading, abusive, unsafe, or suspicious, report it. That may include fake or misleading profiles, inappropriate messages, pressure to send money, harassment, privacy concerns, or anything that seems like a safeguarding issue.

CarePair can review reports and take action where needed, but it is not an emergency service. If somebody is in immediate danger, there is a medical emergency, or you believe a crime is in progress, contact the emergency services or the appropriate authority straight away.

• Report concerns as soon as reasonably possible while the details are still clear.
• In an emergency, contact emergency services first rather than relying on a platform report.

A simple safety checklist

• Take early conversations steadily.
• Ask sensible questions and look for consistent answers.
• Check references, experience, and identity where appropriate.
• Consider what DBS check may be suitable for the role.
• Share personal details carefully and only when needed.
• Plan meetings properly and let someone know where you are.
• Be cautious about moving off-platform too quickly.
• Report anything misleading, abusive, or unsafe.

Good support arrangements are built on trust, clarity, and sensible checks. A careful start can help both sides feel safer and more confident, and can lead to better long-term working relationships.