Find the answers you need
If you’re new here, take a look through our frequently asked questions to learn more about all of the great reasons to sign up to ilarna.
Arranging care is deeply personal and, using traditional agencies, it can be time-consuming, difficult and expensive. Long waiting lists, lack of available carers and high prices can make finding care really challenging.
At ilarna, we’re making it easier for you to find the right carer, with the right skills, at the right price.
You might have questions, so we’ve tried to answer as many as possible below. If you think of any others, please contact our friendly team by email on hello@ilarna.com and we’ll be happy to help you.
How is ilarna different from a traditional agency?
ilarna gives the Care Seeker complete control over who their Personal Assistant is and saves money in care fees against traditional agencies. It’s an online care platform that connects people needing in-home care to self-employed professional Personal Assistants.
People seeking care – either for themselves or their loved ones – can view ilarna certified Personal Assistants in their area and can communicate and hire their chosen Personal Assistant(s) from within the care platform.
Care Seekers and Personal Assistants can discuss and agree the services through the care platform and can communicate directly at all times. This allows Care Seekers, care recipients and Personal Assistants to build a relationship and trust.
ilarna gives Personal Assistants the opportunity to earn more. Personal Assistants set their own rates of pay and the full agreed hourly rate is paid to the Personal Assistant. There are no hidden costs and no deductions from the hourly rate agreed with the Care Seeker.
What is the dispute and resolution procedure?
The relationship between the Care Seeker and Personal Assistant is a working relationship between two parties, facilitated by ilarna.
If the relationship is not meeting expectations, either party can cancel the agreement giving 72 hours notice. Once cancelled, the parties can seek a care arrangement with another Personal Assistant or Care Seeker.
If the dispute is of a serious nature, for example a criminal act, then this must be reported to the police immediately and a complaint made to ilarna.
ilarna takes reports of unacceptable behaviour by Personal Assistants or Care Seekers extremely seriously. ilarna will investigate the complaint fully and reserves the right to inform other clients or Personal Assistants that a complaint has been made. ilarna reserves the right to prevent a Personal Assistant working with other clients or a Care Seeker from engaging the services of another Personal Assistant.
In cases of a serious nature ilarna will remove the party from the care platform completely.
What are the benefits of using the ilarna online solution?
ilarna’s care platform is beneficial for both Personal Assistants and Care Seekers.*
Personal Assistants receive better rates of pay by being able to set their hourly rate dependent on their expertise, skills, qualifications and experience. Personal Assistants receive 100% of their hourly rate, so they’re compensated much more fairly than through traditional care agencies, who often pay minimum wage and don’t value their employees.
Care Seekers save, on average, 25% against what they’d normally pay for care through a traditional care agency. Care Seekers have much more choice and total control over the selection process of their Personal Assistant(s).
Care Seekers have all the tools they need within the care platform to communicate and engage with prospective Personal Assistants, including messaging, live interviews and visit reports. They can also ensure continuity of care by having the same Personal Assistant(s) providing services and build a long-term working relationship.
*There is a critical shortage of care workers in the UK. They’ve been undervalued and underpaid for too long, while care agencies reap large profits. ilarna’s technology-enabled platform is helping solve this key issue by compensating Personal Assistants fairly and matching those needing care with a skilled workforce without long waiting lists.
Is ilarna safe to use?
We believe that ilarna is safer to use than traditional care agencies. This is because you’re in control of engaging the Personal Assistant for yourself or your loved one.
You or your family select your own Personal Assistant. You can speak with the Personal Assistant, check their qualifications, skills and expertise and you can seek references for added security and peace of mind.
ilarna connects Care Seekers with Personal Assistants. Personal Assistants are ilarna certified before their details are published on the care platform. They’ve been interviewed and their DBS details have been verified before approval. The ilarna secure care platform also allows Care Seekers to communicate and build a relationship with the Personal Assistant.
Who is the Care Seeker?
The Care Seeker is the friend, family member or loved one who initiates care for a care recipient. It may also be the care recipient themselves
ilarna empowers Care Seekers to find, hire and communicate with carers through the secure care platform. This gives Care Seekers peace of mind that their friend, family member or loved one is receiving the care they need from the chosen Personal Assistant.
The Care Seeker – if different from the care recipient – will have visibility of the care provided, the time the Personal Assistant has been with the care recipient and a report after each visit.
How are ilarna's rates of pay set?
ilarna Personal Assistants set their own hourly rates according to their skills, expertise and qualifications.
Other factors, such as expenses or travel time may be taken into consideration when the Personal Assistants set their personalised fee.
The minimum rate charged by Personal Assistant on the care platform is £15 per hour.
ilarna adds a £5 service fee plus VAT to the Personal Assistant’s hourly rate. Personal Assistants receive 100% of their agreed hourly rate.
Care Seekers make payment through our secure payment platform and ilarna makes payment to the Personal Assistant directly.
How do I arrange in-home care through ilarna?
First, you build your profile on the care platform. Then you set out the requirements for care, including any special care requests or needs.
You’ll be able to see a list of ilarna certified Personal Assistant in your area. You’ll send the job opportunity to the Personal Assistant and can message, interview and accept the session with your carer through the care platform.
After choosing your Personal Assistant, you pay for care through our secure payment portal and manage all aspects of care through our secure care platform.
What in-home care services does ilarna offer?
The four main types of in-home care are:
- Hourly care
- Respite care
- Live-in care
- Overnight care
Each of the care types can then be broken down into more specialist services such as dementia care or cancer recovery care, for example.
Each Personal Assistant provides information on the services offered in their Skills and Expertise section of their ilarna profile. ilarna’s compatibility wizard then matches the Care Seeker’s needs to Personal Assistants with the desired skills.
Currently, hourly care, respite care and overnight care are available through ilarna, with live-in care to follow as services are expanded.
What is the cost of care?
Personal Assistants are self-employed and set their own hourly rates. Rates can vary according to the Personal Assistant’s location, experience and qualifications. The Personal Assistant’s rate is published on their profile.
Care Seekers can browse applicants, view the Personal Assistant’s skills and experience and see their availability. The cost is fully transparent and is made up of the Personal Assistant’s hourly rate, ilarna’s service fee plus VAT.
Is there a minimum shift length?
Yes, the minimum shift length is one hour. This gives the Personal Assistant adequate time to evaluate and provide quality care for the client. Anything less, we believe, would leave the Personal Assistant rushing. After the one-hour minimum time, the shift can be increased in 30-minute segments if required and agreed in advance.
This ensures a quality and flexible standard of care, with more meaningful relationships being forged between the carer and care recipient.
What geographical areas does ilarna cover in the UK?
ilarna is currently operating around London and the South East before being rolled out nationally.
If you’re a Personal Assistant or seeking care in this area, you can use the ilarna platform to find a match for your needs. The search will go out as far as a 15 mile radius from the care recipients postcode.
What is the minimum hourly rate for care?
Personal Assistants set their own rates, dependent on their skills and expertise. The minimum hourly rate charged by Personal Assistants on ilarna care platform is £15 per hour. Personal Assistants receive 100% of their hourly care fee.
ilarna adds a service fee of £5 plus VAT to the hourly rate for our services.
By removing traditional care agency fees, the cost of having an in-home carer is significant reduced, while paying the Personal Assistants at a better rate. The quality of care delivered to the recipient is improved, the care recipient’s loved ones are better informed and they build a longer-term working relationship with the Personal Assistant.
Traditional care agencies take a large proportion of the hourly rate paid by Care Seekers. ilarna believes carers deserve to be paid at a higher rate than through agencies and should be compensated appropriately for the value they bring to society.
I need care
How do I pay my ilarna Personal Assistant?
All fees are paid through ilarna’s secure payment portal, available on the care platform.
Once your care session has been accepted, prepayment is calculated for the care services required. It’s then processed on our secure payment portal.
Your payment is held securely until the shift has been completed. Once validated, payment is released and paid directly from ilarna into the Personal Assistant’s bank account.
ilarna adds a £5 service fee plus VAT for the use of the technology, insurance costs and secure payment portal fees, payable by the Care Seeker. This fee is included in the hourly rate that’s displayed in the Personal Assistant listings.
PLEASE NOTE: Off-Platform care services and cash payments are strictly forbidden and are liable to a Private Hire Placement fee + VAT, payable by the client. ilarna will remove both any Care Seeker and Personal Assistant that breaches this condition from the care platform.
We take the safety, security and privacy of Personal Assistant, Care Seekers and care recipients very seriously. All communication should be conducted through ilarna’s secure care platform. Communication is archived and can be accessed in the event of any dispute. Please see our Terms and Conditions for more information.
Can I choose and interview my own Personal Assistant?
Yes. Once you enter your care needs, either for yourself or a loved one, you’ll see a list of available Personal Assistants in your area. You can send them your job opportunity and communicate with them through the care platform.
The ilarna care platform provides a messaging service so you can communicate with your chosen Personal Assistant.
How do I contact and connect with Personal Assistants?
Once you have signed up and created your profile and set your care needs, you’ll see a list of available Personal Assistants in your area. You can view profiles and select Personal Assistants you’d like to chat with. Care Seekers send Personal Assistants the job opportunity and then communicate through the chat platform via messaging.
Once you’ve found a Personal Assistant who meets your needs, you can accept and confirm the care session by making payment through the care platform.
All communication should take place through the chat platform so it’s recorded and stored.
Are Personal Assistants DBS-vetted and identity checked?
Yes. As part of the ilarna vetting and certification process, every Personal Assistant must submit ID, right to work documentation (right to work in the UK, if applicable) and a valid Enhanced DBS certificate.* Carers are also interviewed and assessed for suitability by our onboarding team.
A DBS certificate (previously known as a CRB) is a criminal records check carried out by the Disclosure and Barring Service. A clean DBS certificate is required, dated within the last three years. We encourage Personal Assistants to join the Update Service before signing up to ilarna, where their DBS is updated annually. The DBS check is a process which not all traditional care agencies take part in.
For additional peace of mind, we recommend that during the hiring process, you check that the DBS check meets your requirements.
*A PVG (Protecting Vulnerable Groups) check is the Scottish version of DBS. The check in Northern Ireland is called an Access NI.
Can I request PPE is used during care visits?
We expect every self-employed Personal Assistant using the ilarna care platform to adhere to the latest government guidelines for Personal Protective Equipment.
As ilarna Personal Assistant are self-employed, it’s their responsibility to source and wear the correct PPE. As part of the care arrangement agreed with your Personal Assistant, you can stipulate that PPE is to be used during the visit.
Why will I pay less for an ilarna Personal Assistant than with a traditional care agency?
Typically care agencies often take up to 50% of the fees you pay for carers in commission. Alternatively, they charge a large flat rate fee and pay carers minimum wage.
As we are a marketplace platform for private self-employed Personal Assistants, we have fewer overheads and can pass those savings onto you as clients. By connecting you directly to professional Personal Assistants, you can save 20-25% on what you’d pay with a traditional care agency.
As well as Care Seekers saving money, Personal Assistants are paid properly for the care they deliver, rewarding the vital contribution they make in the care industry. Through ilarna, Personal Assistants receive 100% of their agreed hourly rate.
Those seeking care have transparent pricing. ilarna charges a flat rate fee of £5 plus VAT, paid for by the client. This is included in your payment schedule and is invoiced separately. There are no hidden charges and you only pay for the hours of care agreed and received. The flat rate fee covers care visit, insurance and all the operational tech tools that you can use within our secure care platform. These tools allow you to manage your care needs confidently and securely.
What if there are no Personal Assistants in my area?
ilarna is onboarding professional Personal Assistants across the UK daily. Once they’ve been verified by our Customer Experience Team, their profiles become live on our care platform.
As our service expands geographically, your care needs will be captured by our algorithms and available Personal Assistants will be visible to you upon signing up. So if you do not see any visible Personal Assistants in your area, or that fit your care need ,our Customer Experience Team will contact you and be more than happy to help explore your immediate need with a more bespoke care search.
Who sees my personal and contact information?
Personal Assistants will only see your personal information if you decide to hire them.
The in-platform secure communications suite is there for your privacy. ilarna requires all communication to be conducted through our care platform.
Relevant anonymised postcode location information will be visible to potential carers. This enables them to make an informed decision based on the general location when applying to your job opportunity.
What happens if the Personal Assistant doesn’t fulfil the care plan?
If you’re unsatisfied with the service you receive, ilarna recommends that you first contact your Personal Assistant to discuss the care services and expectations in more detail.
After this discussion, if you’re still unhappy with the service, please give 72 hours notice to the Personal Assistant that you’re terminating the service and report the issue to our office at hello@ilarna.com . You’ll be able to search for a Personal Assistant more suited to your needs on our care platform.
Can I make my budget go further with ilarna?
Using ilarna, you can save on average 20-25% against what you would pay traditional care agencies. By connecting you directly with professional self-employed Personal Assistants, you can translate those savings into more hours of care, making your budget go further. You’ll also receive a consistent standard of high-quality care.
Another great way to stretch your care budget is to check your eligibility for government benefits. Up to £10 billion of benefits go unclaimed every year. Care recipients may be eligible for benefits such as Attendants Allowance.
Do you have any suggestions for interview questions/techniques?
It’s essential that you feel as comfortable as possible with bringing a Personal Assistant into your loved one’s home. Interviewing a Personal Assistant before hiring them is a good way to check that someone is the right person for you and your loved one.
Before the interview, prepare some questions to make sure you ask everything you want to and gather all the information you need to make an informed decision.
Having read the Personal Assistant’s professional profile, you’ll know about their skills, expertise and hobbies. An interview with them will allow you to delve deeper into finding out more about the Personal Assistant, their care experience and personality. These are all important factors when determining the right Personal Assistant for you or your loved one. ilarna allows you to arrange and schedule a video interview at your convenience.
Interview tips
- Try to make the Personal Assistant feel at ease. Building rapport is key to understanding their personality
- Try asking something in a way that allows them to give a more detailed answer – how, what, when why and where are good words with which to start your questions
- For example, instead of asking ‘Do you have experience with Parkinson’s Disease?’, ask ‘What was your experience of caring for someone with Parkinson’s Disease? How did it go?’
- Try to discover whether the Personal Assistant understands what matters to you most when caring for you or your loved one
- Make sure that the Personal Assistant will be able to meet you or your loved one’s care requirements
- Express an interest in their career by asking questions like:
- How long have you been a carer?
- What do you enjoy most about being a carer?
- What skills do you feel you could bring to the job, over and above what’s in your profile information?
- Are you able to do/have you been trained in heavy lifting? If so, please describe a time when you’ve had to do so (if required)
- What are your food preparation skills like (if required)?
- Are you an animal lover and are you okay with pets (if required)?
- Do you have your own car? If not, how do you anticipate getting to and from the workplace?
- Are you able to transport clients in your personal vehicle? Are you insured for B1 Business Class?
- If you or the care recipient have precise issues, ask if they have ever worked with someone similar before. For example: ‘How would you deal with forgetfulness?’, or ‘Have you dealt with an aggressive client before?’
- Invite questions at the end. The Personal Assistant must be happy to work for you as well as you being happy to hire them – it’s the key to a long and happy working relationship
A longer term, enjoyable working relationship will be formed if everyone understands what’s expected of them. An interview can help you check all credentials and understand if the Personal Assistant fits your skills and experience criteria. It can help set the boundaries and help the Personal Assistant feel more comfortable and prepared to deliver excellent quality care.
We recommend asking for a Personal Assistant’s references. Review these prior to hiring your Personal Assistant as it will enable you to make an informed decision based on unbiased third-party experience.
How do I choose the right Personal Assistant for my care needs?
Whether you’re arranging care for yourself or a loved one, when you’re searching for a Personal Assistant on ilarna, you can specify by care type, skills, experience, expertise, languages spoken, hobbies and much more.
ilarna will display Personal Assistants based on their skills, expertise and location. You’ll be able to send them a job opportunity and the Personal Assistant can review the job and accept or decline it.
Unlike other time-consuming care job sites, our site uses matching compatibility technology to determine the best carers for your needs. You can then communicate with them to make sure they’re a good match, giving you total control over the hiring process.
Can I hire multiple Personal Assistants?
Once you’ve created a care requirement, ilarna will display a list of available Personal Assistants.
Multiple Personal Assistants can be sent the job opportunity, and hired depending on your specific care needs. We advise hiring more than one Personal Assistant, so holidays and unforeseen illness can be comfortably covered by your other Personal Assistants. It also allows for cover should your usual Personal Assistant be unexpectedly unavailable.
Are Personal Assistants insured?
Every self-employed private Personal Assistant is fully insured by ilarna for the hours that they deliver in-home care through the care platform. The insurance is activated by the approval, hiring, and payment of the care session through our care platform and is activated once they have clocked in to deliver care.
Terms of Insurance
Please contact one of our Customer Experience Team at hello@ilarna.com for more information or for the complete terms from our insurance partners.
What if I’m not satisfied with my Personal Assistant?
If you’re not satisfied with your chosen carer, you can cancel the care service at any time by giving 72 hours notice through the ilarna care platform.
You can then search on available Personal Assistants and send them the job opportunity.
What should I do if my Personal Assistant is sick or on holiday?
We recommend that you consider more than one Personal Assistant to cover unforeseen circumstances such as illness, or for planned leave.
You can hire multiple Personal Assistants on the ilarna care platform, so it’s a good idea to create a personal care team. In the event of sickness or planned leave, you can call on your care team to cover any absence and maintain your continuity of care.
ilarna doesn’t provide managed care and there’s no guarantee of the provision of care through our care platform.
What if my care requirements change?
ilarna gives users total flexibility if care needs change. You’ve always got complete control over the care plan. Care plans can be adjusted – you can change times, days, the amount of time required as well as skills and expertise needed. Changes can be discussed with your existing Personal Assistants or new Personal Assistants can be hired through the platform.
Should I meet the Personal Assistant in person?
Where logistically possible, we encourage clients and Care Seekers to meet their Personal Assistant(s) at the care location. This allows both parties to discuss the care requirements in more detail and develop a good working relationship.
If it’s not convenient to meet due to logistical reasons, ilarna provides communication tools to connect and message with your Personal Assistant at any time.
Can I request a Personal Assistant’s references before I hire them?
ilarna strongly recommends that Care Seekers contact referees directly, with the permission of the Personal Assistant, before hiring them. The Personal Assistant will provide references upon request.
Whilst our platform matches suitable Personal Assistants with your needs, it’s the responsibility of the Care Seeker to make the final decision about the suitability of the Personal Assistant for the role. Contacting references can build confidence and confirm suitability of the Personal Assistant for the care needs.
How much do Personal Assistants get paid?
Personal Assistants set their own hourly rate on the care platform and this may depend on specialist skills and/or experience. The minimum hourly rate for Personal Assistants is £15 per hour. Personal Assistants are paid 100% of their agreed hourly rate.
ilarna levies a flat fee of £5 plus VAT which covers Personal Assistant’s insurance, the service and matching technology, communication suite, platform enhancements and maintenance, and secure payment platform.
The price of home care services, also known as domiciliary care and in-home care, varies depending on where you live geographically, along with the skills and expertise needed. Depending on the geographical location of the service user, the average cost for in-home care ranges from £29 to £39 per hour through traditional care agencies.
By engaging a self-employed Personal Assistant through ilarna, you can expect to save 20-25% of the normal care cost, while ensuring your Personal Assistant is paid appropriately for the valuable service they provide.
I am a carer
What is the benefit of signing up with ilarna?
With ilarna, Personal Assistants can earn more and feel more valued for the work they do. Personal Assistants set their own rates of pay and receive 100% of their hourly rate.
Personal Assistants choose their own clients and agree the amount of time they want to work with the care recipient. The minimum length of time that a Personal Assistant is on each visit, is one hour, which gives the Personal Assistant more time to meet the care recipient’s needs and build a relationship with them.
How do I sign up to ilarna?
You can become an approved ilarna Personal Assistant in just 3 easy steps:
- Create an account
- Complete your onboarding profile
- Book your video interview with our friendly onboarding team
How do I create a ilarna profile?
Creating an account is free and easy.
In the ilarna care platform, click ‘I am a carer’ and follow the step-by-step instructions to create an account.
Personal Assistants are required to fulfil all onboarding security checks and are requested to have the following information to hand as this will need to be securely uploaded into the personal profile account:
- Driving licence or utility bill
- Passport
- Enhanced DBS certificate
Once completed, simply build your care profile. Care Seekers will be able to view your profile and will send you job opportunities if they think you’re the right Personal Assistant for their needs.
What kind of profile photo should I upload?
First impressions count, so a clear, smart, well-lit headshot with an uncluttered neutral background is important.
Care Seekers are more likely to notice your profile if you are looking happy and personable. A recent, quality photo of you that makes you shine and reflects your personality will make you stand out.
What can I expect on the welcome video call?
Before becoming approved on the ilarna care platform, every Personal Assistant must schedule a video welcome interview call, which can be done within the care platform. Our friendly and experienced onboarding team will check your DBS and all uploaded documents.*
We’ll discuss your experience as a carer and run through your profile to ensure it complies with our platform terms and conditions.
Please make a note of any questions you may have for our team in advance, they’ll be happy to help.
Please make sure you’re in a quiet location with a good network connection. Once verified your profile will go live on the ilarna care platform within 72 hours and your profile will then be visible to Care Seekers.
*PVG for Scotland or Access NI for Northern Ireland
How do I apply for care jobs?
Once you’re approved on the ilarna care platform, your profile will be visible to Care Seekers looking for care for themselves or their loved ones.
If Care Seekers are interested in having you as their Personal Assistant, they’ll send you a job opportunity which you can accept or decline. A brief summary of the client’s profile will be available to view in the ‘Care Opportunities’ page.
By tapping on the profile, you’ll get a more detailed profile view. You can browse the care recipients’ location, plus the skills and specialisms that they are looking for. You can also chat and message the Care Seeker through the care platform to get to know them.
If you feel you are a good match, you can accept the job with the click of a button. The session will be confirmed when the Care Seeker makes payment. You’ll receive 100% of your agreed hourly rate.
How much can I earn?
As a self-employed Personal Assistant on the ilarna care platform, you set your own hourly rate. The minimum hourly rate is £15 per hour, but if you have specialist skills and experience you may want to set a higher rate.
You will receive 100% of your hourly rate. The Care Seeker pays ilarna through our secure payment platform and ilarna will transfer the money to you after the session has been completed. After the first care session has been completed, payments are made to Personal Assistants after 2 weeks and then every Friday before 3pm.
You can earn as much as you like based on your hourly rate and how many hours a week you want to work.
When your rate is displayed on the ilarna care platform it will include the ilarna service fee of £5 plus VAT, which is invoiced separately to the Care Seeker. This service fee covers public liability insurance for when you are on a care call, plus the technology platform, secure processing for Care Seekers’ payments and the communication suite of tools.
How do I write a great career bio?
You can improve your chances of being hired by writing a great profile bio. A great profile is a powerful way to portray yourself to care seekers and the best way to gain work.
Care Seekers rely on Personal Assistant profiles to help choose who to hire for work. It’s a chance to let your personality, experience and character shine through.
Being a Personal Assistant is all about being a people-person, forging close relationships and delivering high standards of care. Ultimately caring is about bringing joy, while supporting others to live independently in their home environment during their time of need.
Your personal bio should summarise and showcase all your personal skills and personality traits, your goals and impressive achievements to date. Using key words like: skilled, compassionate, empathetic, reliable, understanding, friendly, dedicated and experienced will make your bio stand out.
1 SKILLS & SPECIALISMS
You need to show Care Seekers what areas of care you specialise in and what you can do.
In the ilarna care platform we have pre-populated specific skills and there is a specialism prompt so you can add these to your profile. It’s important to be honest when adding these, so you find the right Care Seeker and deliver the right care they require with compassion. Consider the areas where you’ve had the most experience and the skills to complement your specific specialisms.
2 WHY YOU LOVE TO CARE
Becoming a Personal Assistant is not just a job, it’s a vocation. Caring gives back to society and fulfils the needs of others and it can be incredibly rewarding.
Tell Care Seekers why you love to care. Include information like what inspired you to become a Personal Assistant, how you help those you care for and your interests outside of work.
3 IT’S ALL ABOUT YOU
Care is so much more than just help in the home. It’s about forging relationships and sharing life experiences while building a bond with care recipients and their families. In your bio, show Care Seekers why you’re unique and special. Grab their attention and let your personality, skills and expertise shine through.
We’re here to help. Feel free to ask during your welcome interview for hints and tips to make your profile stand out – our friendly team will be happy to help you.
Why is uploading a profile video important?
Personal Assistants with a profile video are 80% more likely to secure work than those without.
You can upload a 60-second personalised introduction video to your profile via the ilarna care platform.
How do I create a profile video?
Preparation is key! Here are a few things to think about:
- Prepare what you’re going to say in advance and write a short script (the video recording time is currently a maximum of 2 minutes, however we recommend recording your video to last between 30 seconds to one minute)
- Rehearse a few times and time yourself
- Keep the background clear and uncluttered. Filming yourself in front of a neutral-coloured wall works well
- Be yourself, smile and be confident
- When you first press record, give yourself a few seconds before you start speaking. At the end of the video, stay still for a couple of seconds before ending the recording. This allows you to crop the start and end of the video – making it look more professional
- Remember that you can always edit the video and try again if you’re not happy
Keep the video friendly and positive. Things Care Seekers like to hear about are:
- How long you’ve been a carer
- Why you love caring so much
- What areas of care are your specialties
- What your interests and hobbies are outside of work
- Why you make a difference to care recipients’ lives
Please DO NOT include any personal information or details. Any videos containing personal information other than your first name will not be approved by our onboarding team.
How long will it take for my profile to be approved?
Once you’ve uploaded your ID and DBS information to the care platform and you’ve met our eligibility criteria, you’ll need to complete a welcome video interview with our onboarding team. When you’ve been approved as an ilarna Personal Assistant, your profile will go live on the care platform within 72 hours.
Identification documents required include:
- Driving licence or utility bill
- Passport
- Enhanced DBS certificate
Can I work for the Care Seeker outside of ilarna?
No, this is not allowed and breaches our non-solicitation clause that both the Personal Assistant and care seekers sign in the Terms and Conditions.
As a ilarna certified Personal Assistant, you’re also covered by our public liability insurance and have the support of our team in the event of any problems.
If a Personal Assistant works for a Care Seeker outside of the ilarna care platform, the Care Seeker will be liable for a recruitment fee plus VAT. The Personal Assistant and Care Seeker will both be removed from the ilarna care platform.
Is the ilarna platform free for Personal Assistants?
Yes, ilarna is free for Personal Assistants. You won’t be charged for using our technology. You keep 100% of the hourly fee you’ve set, unlike other platforms – many of which charge commission.