Reinventing the way to find in home care workers

But how does Careseekers work and how can the platform work for you?

Careseekers was developed by Sydney sisters and co-founders Marissa Sandler and Lauren Hockley in 2015, after their grandparents became ill and wanted to remain at home but struggled to find suitable and affordable care.

The platform uses digital technology to directly connect more than 1,200 skilled, qualified care workers with people who need care, now making it easier than ever to find affordable in home care.

“We created Careseekers as an online matching platform where people can search for care workers based on their specific needs. An algorithm in the backend ensures the most relevant search results so people find the care worker that’s the right fit for them,” Ms Sandler explains.

How does Careseekers help consumers?

People looking for care workers can post a job, invite care workers to apply for their job and contact care workers directly.

“We know that not everyone is tech savvy and most people are time poor and so we also have a concierge service for those families that want us to do the hard work of finding a care worker for them,” Ms Hockley says.

“This is often a great option for finding live-ins or when there needs to be a specific personality match. We can do it all.”

Careseekers is a private service. However, as CDC rolls out, Careseekers is working with aged care providers to help their clients pay for the service using their Government funding.

To register with Careseekers, all care workers need to have a National Police Check obtained in the last 12 months, 100 Points ID and two references that can be called. They also go through an on-boarding process that involves a detailed online questionnaire and phone call from a member of our Care Community Team.

“Once a family has found a care worker online they should meet them and interview them,” says Ms Hockley. “We have lots of resources to assist families to choose the right care worker including, interview tips, questions to ask referees and a guide to engaging an in-home care worker.”

When the right care worker is found and care has commenced, consumers can pay the care worker directly or, because the care recipient is not always the person paying for the care, use Careseekers easy to use payment system – CarePay. This system allows care workers to log their hours, submit timesheets and family members can pay for the care using credit/debit cards.

“Our Care Payment system is a game changer. It caters to the different ways people pay for care and takes the headache out of invoicing and recording hours by allowing care workers to submit their timesheets and have them approved and paid with the click of a button,” Ms Sandler adds.

How to use Careseekers as a care worker looking for work?

Care workers looking for work can use Careseekers to create a profile to highlight their qualifications and experience, which can then be browsed by consumers and their family looking for a carer to assist them at home.

Whilst no set qualifications are needed to sign up to the platform, care workers do need to have a National Police Check obtained in the last 12 months, 100 Points ID and two past employers who can give a valid reference.

Workers can set their own rate based on skills and experience and may choose to negotiate with consumers based on job, Ms Sandler explains.

“Careseekers is not a care agency. We are an online platform bringing together people needing care workers and care workers looking for work,” she adds.

“You do not work for Careseekers. Rather you enter into private arrangements with the person needing a care worker. You decide whether you do the care work and negotiate the terms.”

How does Careseekers work with providers and organisations?

“We believe the Australian government has an incredible system of in home care and support for the elderly. Careseekers is keen to work with the providers of Government funded aged care where we can to support their important work,” Ms Hockley says.

Providers can use Careseekers to recruit staff or find care workers for clients.

“By posting a job on Careseekers providers will only receive applications from care workers who have the qualifications and experience needed to work in the industry. It’s the most efficient way to find suitable care workers for an organization,” she adds.

“Alternatively providers may have a client with care needs their staff cannot meet, like a specific language or location. They can broker their client’s services to us and use CarePay to view the care workers timesheets and make payments to the care worker.”

Careseekers aims to help consumers connect directly with care and support workers. As the business grows, it aims to provide the tools and resources to aid this connection including an online payment system and helpful downloadable resources.