What Type of Insurance Do I Need for Domiciliary Care?

If you provide domiciliary care, offering professional care services inside the home of clients, you know about the unique risks and responsibilities that come along with it. To best protect not just yourself, but also the wellbeing of your clients, you should be looking at insurance for your business. However, what type of insurance do you need for domiciliary care?

In this helpful guide, we’ll look at the different types of insurance covers relevant to you. Assisting you in selecting the right combination of cover and value to suit you and your business.

Before we begin, we need to look at why domiciliary care providers need insurance in the first place. It all depends on the level of risk you might interact with while doing your job — without the right insurance, you could be exposed to significant financial and legal consequences. Some of the most important reasons for getting the right insurance include:

• Legal protection — You might want insurance in the case of injury, accidents or negligence that could occur while you deliver care in a client’s home.

• Financial protection — If you face a legal case or compensation claim, having insurance can cover legal costs and settlement fees.

• Property protection — Insurance can help to cover the repairs of property damage in clients’ homes or to your essential equipment.

• Compliance — In the UK, lots of agencies, employers and even regulatory bodies will ask that domiciliary carers provide evidence of their insurance upfront.

To ensure you are adequately protected, you might want to consider the following insurance policies as a domiciliary care provider:

Public liability insurance

Public liability insurance is one of the most important coverages for domiciliary care providers, as it covers allegations of claims related to accidental injury or property damage that could happen while you provide care.

Let’s say a client trips over a piece of equipment left by you and sustains an injury — this insurance would cover legal defence fees and pay compensation costs if you are found to be at fault.

Professional indemnity insurance

As a domiciliary care provider, you must also think about arranging professional indemnity insurance, which protects against claims of negligence or breach of professional duty.

If a client or their family has alleged that inadequate care led to the deterioration of their health — professional indemnity insurance would help you to defend such allegations and pay compensation if you are found to be at fault (up to the policy limit selected by you)

Employers’ liability insurance

If you employ other professionals as domiciliary carers or admin staff, you are legally required to have employers’ liability insurance.

In the case of an employee suffering an accidental injury while assisting a client and deciding to hold you responsible making a compensation claim against you - employers’ liability insurance would protect your company from legal defence fees, and compensation payouts if you are at fault for the injury.

Personal accident insurance

As a domiciliary carer, you might find yourself working in a variety of different environments and that variation could bring with it a higher risk of accidental personal injury – which is where personal accident insurance can come into play.

Should you suffer an accidental injury during your policy term, and you are unable to perform your duty as a carer, personal accident insurance will pay a weekly benefit to assist you in covering your bills helping to keep you financially secure until you can get back to work. You can also tailor the benefits to suit your circumstances.

Business equipment insurance

Whether it’s mobility aids or medical devices, lots of domiciliary carers rely on special equipment to do their jobs. If you are one of these carers, business equipment insurance could be a good option for you.

If your equipment is stolen or accidentally damaged (excluding wear and tear), business equipment insurance could provide you with the funds to replace it.

There are many factors that affect the cost of domiciliary care insurance policies. If you’re looking to invest in relevant cover, you should be aware of the factors below:

• Type of care — If you offer more complex or medical focused care, you might be presented with higher premiums due to the level of risk associated.

• Number of employees — If you have a business that offers domiciliary care, the number of employees you have increases the potential risks and the calculation of premium. Your policy will cover you and your direct employees.

• Business size — Your premium will vary according to a combination of annual turnover and number of employees. Smaller companies will generally pay less than larger firms dependent on risk.

• Claims history — As with all types of insurance, past claims experience is considered when assessing risk. If you have no previous claims, your premiums should typically be lower than if you have multiple historic claims.

Picking the right type of insurance cover for your domiciliary care business can be overwhelming, so we advise that you choose a suitable policy that meets your demands and needs by following these steps:

1. Determine the level of care services you provide, the number of clients you look after and any additional risks involved, like medical procedures or mobility care.

2. Ensure the policy you’re looking at complies with legal and regulatory requirements for domiciliary care providers in your area.

3. Shop around and compare different insurers, policy features and pricing to find the most adequate balance of cover and affordability.

4. If you work with Everywhen, we can help you navigate the complexities of domiciliary care insurance and secure the cover suited for your needs.

Whether it’s protection of your employees, public liability or something else entirely, there's a policy that will suit your domiciliary care needs to a tee. Be sure to assess your circumstances, and get in touch with us — we’ll help you find the right fit for you.

Consistent with our policy when giving comment and advice on a non-specific basis, we cannot assume legal responsibility for the accuracy of any particular statement. In the case of specific problems, we recommend that professional advice be sought.