Now recruiting — Kent & Essex

Your experience.
Your schedule.
Work that matters.

Self-employed companion work with regular clients you actually get to know.

Already working in care? You know what this work is really about — the conversation at the end of a long shift, the client who just needs someone to listen. CompanionFirst gives you that, without the pressure, the rushed rotas or the clinical complexity.

Apply to Become a Companion Find Out More

Self-employed — full flexibility

£13–£16 per hour

Regular, matched clients

No personal care tasks

Companion Pay Rate

£13–£16

per hour, paid on the 28th of each month

Choose your own hours and days

Set your own travel radius

Visits typically 2–4 hours each

Work around existing commitments

No agency, no middleman

Direct relationship with CompanionFirst

Why CompanionFirst

The companionship work you actually wanted to do.

If you have worked in a care home or for a home care agency, you will know the frustration — fifteen-minute visits, no time for a proper conversation, clients seen as tasks rather than people. CompanionFirst is different. We do one thing only: genuine companionship. No clinical tasks, no rushed rotas, no agency politics.

Work that fits around your lifeYou choose your hours, your days and how far you travel. If you already work part-time in care or have family commitments, companion work slots around you — not the other way round.

Regular clients you genuinely knowYou are matched with clients based on personality and interests — not whoever needs covering. You visit the same people each week and build a real relationship over time.

No personal care. No clinical tasks.Companion visits involve conversation, outings, shared activities and errands. No washing, no medication, no lifting. Just the human part — which is often the part that matters most.

Competitive pay, paid reliably£13–£16 per hour, paid on the 28th of each month without fail. No chasing invoices, no agency deductions, no confusion about what you are owed.

Fully supported by the CompanionFirst teamYou are self-employed but never on your own. We handle the matching, the admin and the client relationship. You focus on the visit.

Agency work vs. CompanionFirst

Typical agency

15–30 minute visits

Different clients every day

Personal care tasks required

Rota set by the agency

No time to actually talk

High turnover, low support

CompanionFirst

2–4 hour visits

Regular matched clients

Companionship only

You set your own availability

Conversation is the whole point

Small team, direct support

"I spent three years doing 15-minute home care visits and felt like I was doing everyone a disservice. With CompanionFirst I actually get to sit down, have a proper cup of tea and find out how someone's week has been."

CompanionFirst companion, Kent

Who We're Looking For

Warm, reliable people who genuinely care.

You do not need a care qualification to be a great companion. What matters is character — the ability to listen, to show up consistently and to make an elderly person feel valued.

Warm and personable

You are naturally comfortable with older people. You can hold a conversation, put someone at ease and adapt to different personalities. Patience is a strength, not an afterthought.

Reliable and consistent

Clients depend on you turning up when you say you will. Reliability is the single most important quality a companion can have. If you commit to a visit, you keep it.

Right to work in the UK

You must have the legal right to work in the United Kingdom. We will ask to see documentation before your first visit.

Enhanced DBS (or willing to obtain one)

All companions must hold an Enhanced DBS certificate before their first visit. If you already have one on the Update Service, the process is faster. We can guide you through the application via uCheck.

Two references

We ask for two references — personal or professional. These do not need to be care-related, but they must not be family members. We contact references directly before confirming your place.

Experience with elderly people (valued, not required)

Care home experience, home care, volunteering or having cared for a family member all count. If you have it, great. If not, character and genuine warmth matter more.

You do not need: a care certificate, a nursing qualification, clinical training or a car (though a car does help with rural areas). We provide a two-hour induction before your first visit.

The Process

From application to first visit.

Most companions are visiting their first client within three to four weeks of applying.

Apply online

Complete the application form below. Takes around 10 minutes. We review every application within 48 hours.

Interview

A relaxed video or in-person conversation with one of the directors. We want to understand your background, interests and what draws you to this work.

DBS & references

We order your Enhanced DBS check via uCheck and contact your two references. Typically takes five to ten working days.

Induction & first visit

A two-hour induction covering safeguarding, visit procedures and what to expect. Then we match you with your first client and the visits begin.

Pay & Conditions

Transparent pay. No surprises.

We are direct with you about what you earn and how it works. No complex commission structures. No deductions you did not agree to.

Hourly rate

£13–£16

Depending on experience and location

Payment date

28th of month

After client invoice settles

Typical visit length

2–4 hours

Per visit, agreed in advance

DBS cost

£18

Via uCheck — paid by companion

Self-employed status: CompanionFirst companions are self-employed contractors. You are responsible for declaring your income to HMRC and managing your own tax and National Insurance. We will provide a record of all payments made to you each month.

You choose your hoursTell us your availability when you apply. We only match you with clients whose schedules fit yours. You are never pressured to take on more than you can manage.

You set your travel radiusWe match you with clients within the area you specify — whether that is five miles or twenty. Travel time is your own; we are working on a mileage contribution framework.

No zero-hours pressureThis is not a zero-hours contract — you are self-employed and take on visits you agree to. We will never phone you at short notice and expect you to drop everything.

Regular client relationshipsOnce matched, you visit the same client each week. Stability matters — for the client and for you. We do not reshuffle rotas arbitrarily.

Submit a simple visit log after every visitAfter each visit you complete a short digital log noting what you did and anything we need to be aware of. Takes about five minutes.

Public liability insurance requiredYou must hold personal public liability insurance before your first visit. We can advise on low-cost options — typically £30–£60 per year for self-employed care workers.

Apply Now

Start your application.

Complete the form below and we will be in touch within 48 hours. There is no commitment at this stage — we are simply getting to know you.

Your Details

First Name *

Last Name

Phone Number *

Email Address

Town / City

Postcode

A Little About You

Why do you want to become a companion? (Optional — a few sentences is fine)

CV or relevant experience * (Paste a LinkedIn URL, Google Drive link, or briefly describe your background)

Companion FAQ

Questions we get asked most.

No. You do not need a care certificate, NVQ or any formal qualification. What we look for is warmth, reliability and genuine interest in spending time with elderly people. If you have relevant experience — professional, voluntary or personal — that is valued. If not, we provide a two-hour induction before your first visit.

No. CompanionFirst companions are self-employed contractors. You are responsible for your own tax and National Insurance. You are not on the payroll and you do not receive employment benefits. In return, you have full flexibility over your hours, your days and how much work you take on.

All companions must hold an Enhanced DBS certificate before their first visit. If you already have one on the DBS Update Service, the process takes a day. If not, we guide you through the application via uCheck — costs £18 and typically takes five to ten working days. The cost is paid by the companion.

Yes. Many of our companions work alongside other jobs — including care work. Because you are self-employed and set your own availability, you can take on companion visits during the hours that suit you. There is no minimum hours requirement.

Visits are typically two to four hours. You might spend the time having a conversation over tea, helping with a short errand, going for a walk, playing a card game or accompanying the client to a garden centre or local event. There are no personal care tasks — no washing, dressing, medication or clinical involvement of any kind.

Once your DBS and references are cleared and your induction is complete, we match you with clients based on your location, availability, personality and shared interests. We aim to find a good fit before making any introduction — we do not simply send you to whoever needs covering.

We ask that you give as much notice as possible — ideally 48 hours or more. We understand that life happens, but reliability is the foundation of this work. Consistent last-minute cancellations may affect your ability to continue with CompanionFirst. We handle all client communication on your behalf when a visit cannot go ahead.

Yes. As a self-employed companion you must hold personal public liability insurance before your first visit. This is standard for self-employed care workers and typically costs £30–£60 per year. We can recommend providers when you reach this stage of the process.