Micro-carers are individuals or small businesses who offer flexible and personalised care, support or well-being services to people. They differ in the way care has been traditionally provided in that they tend to be sole traders or only have a small number of staff. Micro-Carers work closely with individuals to find out what matters most and the best way to support them to achieve their goals or outcomes.

Many Micro-Care providers will operate as sole-traders, only offering support to a small number of people across a relatively small geographical area. By operating in this way they can offer a more flexible and responsive service that can ensure that care and support is delivered in the way you want and at a time that suits you.

Working for themselves or in partnership with other Micro-Care colleagues will mean a more consistent service delivered by familiar faces.

Micro-Carers can be paid for using a direct payment, private funds, and Flintshire County Council may also commission a Micro-Carer if it’s the service that would best fit your outcomes. 

Micro-carers can support people with a variety of things, which could include:

• Domiciliary care services
• Respite for carers
• Holidays and short breaks
• Activities that bring people together
• Leisure, wellbeing and social opportunities
• CleaningAssistance with bills
• Pet care
• Befriending/companionship
• Help with gardening
• Provide meals for people in their own home
• Getting in and out of bed
• Shopping for one or more people

Micro-Carers are small unregulated services and as such you need to bear in mind that they will not be inspected like a domiciliary agency, care home, or childcare provision.

You need to be sure that you are happy to do your own checks on Micro-Carers, be in control of co-ordinating your care, and discussing appropriate contingency arrangements.