How do I register as a freelance carer in the UK?

To register as a freelance carer in the UK, you need to: set yourself up as self-employed with HMRC, get an enhanced DBS check (ideally linked to the Update Service so it's portable), complete right-to-work and identity verification, gather references and any relevant training certificates, and then arrange public liability insurance before you start picking up shifts. There is no single official "carer register" — instead you build a personal set of verified credentials once, and use them to work across multiple care agencies, care homes, or carer-sharing platforms.

What "freelance carer" means in practice

A freelance (self-employed) carer isn't tied to one employer's payroll. You take on shifts or visits from whoever needs cover — a domiciliary care agency, a care home, or (increasingly) a carer-sharing platform that connects freelancers directly to unfilled shifts. You're responsible for your own tax, insurance and finding work, but in return you get flexibility and, often, better pay per hour than agency-employed staff.

Step-by-step: registering as a freelance carer

1. Register as self-employed with HMRC. You'll need to register for Self Assessment and pay Class 2/4 National Insurance and income tax on your earnings. This is a legal requirement, not optional, once you start earning as a sole trader.

2. Get an enhanced DBS check. Because care work involves vulnerable adults, you'll need an enhanced DBS check with barred-list information. Join the DBS Update Service when you apply — this keeps your check current and lets employers or platforms verify it online instead of you re-applying every time, which is the single biggest time-saver for freelancers working across multiple providers.

3. Prove your right to work and identity. You'll need to verify identity and right-to-work status, usually through a certified identity service provider (a UK DIATF-certified IDSP) or manual document checks.

4. Build your training record. The Care Certificate isn't legally mandatory for freelancers, but most agencies and platforms will expect it (or equivalent training) plus basics like moving and handling, medication awareness, and safeguarding. Keep certificates together — you'll be asked for them repeatedly.

5. Get references. Recent care-sector references (ideally from a registered manager or CQC-regulated provider) make you far more bookable.

6. Arrange public liability insurance. Most agencies and clients expect freelance carers to hold their own insurance; it's inexpensive relative to the protection it gives you.

7. Find work. Register with domiciliary agencies and care homes that use freelance/bank staff, or sign up to a carer-sharing platform that matches you to nearby shifts across multiple providers.

The catch: repeating this for every agency

Here's the honest problem: right now, most freelance carers have to repeat steps 2–5 separately for every agency or care home they want to work with. Each provider runs its own vetting, even though your DBS, ID and training don't change. That duplication costs time and turns away good carers from picking up nearby shifts they'd otherwise happily cover.

How carer sharing is changing this

This is exactly the gap that carer sharing platforms like Nanum are built to close. The idea is simple: verify once at the platform layer — DBS, identity, right-to-work, training — and then that verification travels with you across every agency and care home on the platform, instead of being redone each time. Shifts are matched to you by proximity, so you're offered nearby work first, and every match still works on a request-and-accept basis — a human on the agency side approves you before you start, and you see only the minimum information needed for the visit. Nanum's freelancer registration flow is in the final stages of being rolled out, so if this is the kind of setup you're looking for, it's worth getting in early.

FAQ

Do I need a DBS check to work as a freelance carer? Yes. Anyone doing regulated activity with vulnerable adults needs an enhanced DBS check, and joining the Update Service is strongly recommended so it stays valid and can be checked instantly by new agencies or platforms without a fresh application.

Can I work for more than one care agency at once as a freelancer? Yes, that's the core benefit of freelancing — you're not tied to one employer. In practice each agency currently runs its own onboarding and vetting, though platforms enabling carer sharing are working to make one verified profile usable across multiple providers.

Do I need public liability insurance as a self-employed carer? Most agencies, care homes and clients will expect it, and it protects you personally if something goes wrong during a visit. It's a standard, relatively low-cost part of setting up as a self-employed carer alongside your DBS and HMRC registration.

If you'd like to register your interest ahead of Nanum's freelancer onboarding opening, Contact Nanum — registration is opening soon and it costs nothing to get on the list early.