Three things we know about the new government framework on homecare providers

After the Department of Health’s recent announcement regarding the regulation of the home care sector, Jenny Diamond from Carer Payroll looks at three ways this could advance home care in Ireland.

As an advocate of home care, Jenny Diamond, Co-Founder of Carer Payroll, a complete payroll service for families who employ a carer, was excited to hear the recent announcement from the Department of Health that there are plans to regulate the home care system. While the public funding model for the sector is still under examination, all homecare providers – whether publicly-funded, for-profit or not-for-profit - could be subject to a new licensing framework for home support providers. Here, Jenny looks at what we can expect from the new framework.

Carers may need to apply for a licence

Under the proposed new system, carers may need to apply for a licence to be included in a new register of licenced providers. “This register would provide piece of mind to clients such as ours who are privately employing for-profit carers in their own home,” says Jenny. “The development of this government regulation scheme will make it more important than ever for families who employ carers to meet their Revenue obligations as an employer. At Carer Payroll, we can look after this worry for you. For a small annual fee of €299, we’ll set you up as an employer and deal with all Revenue returns and correspondence, run your carer’s payroll, provide payslips and give unlimited help and advice on financial complexities, such as carer shares and splitting tax credits. We can also help you draft an employment contract tailored to your needs and budget and can help you claim 40% tax relief back on the cost.”

A standard of care could be written in law

New regulations could determine whether or not a licence is granted to a carer, factoring in things like qualifications and standards of service. “It’s expected that procedures could also be put in place to revoke licences, impose sanctions and impose improvement and or prohibition notices,” says Jenny. “This is welcome news to those of us working in the sector. For the families we work with, this would be added reassurance when it comes to drawing up a new employment contract for a carer they have hired privately to look after a family member. One of the services we offer is a tailored employment contract between you and your carer (for a charge of just €45). This is a legal obligation for anyone employing a carer at home – you must provide your carer with key terms of their employment in writing within 5 days of them commencing employment and provide a suitable contract of employment within the first 60 days of them commencing employment with you. We envisage that future such contracts would be subject to an up-to-date valid licence for the carer.”

Existing carers will have a transitional period

“It is expected that transitional arrangements will be in place for carers already in operation when the legislation come into force,” says Jenny. “This will be a great comfort to our clients who often form a close bond with their private carer. They can continue to enjoy the comfort of living at home in their familiar environment, while receiving care from a person they know and trust.”

Need help or advice on employing a carer? Get in touch with the Carer Payroll team today.