Care Professional Jobs in Farnborough, Farnham & Fleet: Your Questions Answered
If you’re based in or around Farnborough, Farnham or Fleet and you’re thinking about a role in care, here are the questions our team gets asked most before someone decides to get in touch. We’ve tried to answer them honestly, so you have a clear picture before you take the next step.
Working Hours and Contracts
What do flexible hours mean?
It means your availability can be built around your wider commitments for family, clubs or another job, rather than the other way around and can include mornings, evenings, weekends, or a mix. Many of our Care Professionals across Farnborough, Farnham and Fleet work around the school day, fitting client visits in around dropping off the kids and picking them up in the afternoon. What we ask is that whatever pattern you commit to, you offer it reliably, because the people we support in this part of Hampshire and Surrey count on that consistency.
If I’m on a zero hours contract, how will availability work?
Once we’ve agreed on the hours that work for you, your schedule is built around them, and we need those slots kept free on your end too. For Care Professionals working across Farnborough, Farnham and Fleet, we do our best to keep your visits geographically sensible, so you’re not spending your day driving back and forth all over the area. What we’re asking for isn’t constant availability, just reliable commitment during the pattern you’ve agreed.
How many hours will I get?
We offer both guaranteed hours contracts and flexible arrangements, depending on what works for you. Guaranteed hours give you a stable, predictable income each month, while flexible contracts suit Care Professionals who are balancing care with college, another job, or family commitments. Whichever route is right for you, we bring you in steadily at first, to give you time to get to know your clients and how we work before your schedule grows, with pay starting from £14.50 per hour.
Can I work school term time only?
This isn’t something we can offer. The people we support in Farnborough, Farnham, Fleet and the surrounding villages need consistent care throughout the year, and building gaps around school holidays would undermine the continuity of care that makes such a difference to them. Our scheduling team will work with you to make sure your annual leave lines up with the school breaks where possible, and it’s a priority for us to ensure we can achieve this balance for you. Most of the team will tell you our schedulers are genuinely flexible when it comes to making holiday work.
Is there a minimum number of hours I have to commit to?
We ask for availability across at least three to four days a week, with a shift pattern you can offer consistently. For the people we support across Farnborough, Farnham, Fleet and the surrounding villages, their Care Professional isn’t just someone who turns up to help, they’re a familiar face who arrives at a time they can count on. That reliability is at the heart of what we do.
Getting Started as a Care Professional
What qualifications do I need?
We don’t ask for formal qualifications. What we look for is someone who is patient, reliable, and truly interested in the lives of the older people they’ll be visiting. The skills that make someone exceptional in this role aren’t learned in a classroom. A good number of our Care Professionals from across Farnborough, Farnham and Fleet arrived with no care background at all, having previously worked in retail or hospitality.
Julie’s story is an example of exactly this, having originally worked for over 24 years in finance and following redundancy she took the opportunity to re-evaluate her career and take on a role that truly gave her purpose. For those joining our team with prior care experience or training, that’s of course always welcome and a great foundation for us to build upon.
Do I need a driving licence and car?
Yes, a full UK driving licence and your own car are essential for this role. Our area spans Farnborough, Farnham, Fleet, Aldershot, Frimley and the villages in between, so the ability to travel independently between clients is central to how the role works. There’s paid travel time built into your schedule between visits, and we pay a standard mileage rate on top of your hourly rate.
What happens after I apply?
Someone from our Farnborough recruitment team will be in touch within a couple of days. The first conversation is an informal phone or video call where you can tell us a bit about yourself, why you’re considering a role in care and the type of availability you have. It’s as much a chance for you to find out more about us as it is for us to learn about you. If we both feel that the role could be a great match for you, we’ll invite you in to meet the team at our Farnborough office before any decisions are made.
Will I get a DBS check and who pays for it?
Yes, an Enhanced DBS check is required for all Care Professionals before they begin working with our clients. Our team will organise this and cover the full cost, with nothing to pay back should you leave the company in the future. The Enhanced level is the most thorough check available, and it reflects the trust that our clients across Farnborough, Farnham, Fleet and the surrounding area place in the people they welcome into their homes.
Your Training at Home Instead Farnborough, Farnham & Fleet
What will training be like?
You start with two fully paid days of face-to-face training on our Welcome Home course, covering the Home Instead approach and what delivering excellent care looks like in practice. There’s additional online learning to complete from home, which is paid as well. As your role develops, you’ll receive specialist training relevant to the clients you’re supporting, including Parkinson’s, stoma and catheter care, and baseline observations. Our clients across this area often have complex, changing needs, so training is ongoing throughout your career with us.
What the Role Looks Like Day to Day
Will I wear a uniform?
No. It’s really important to us and our clients that the service we deliver is discreet and dignified. Across the Farnborough, Farnham and Fleet local area, the people we support take real comfort in knowing their care doesn’t come with huge amounts of advertising and sign written vehicles being brought to their door. You’ll wear your own clothes with a simple Home Instead lanyard, and to anyone on the street, you could easily be a friend popping in or a relative dropping by. Personal protective equipment (PPE), such as gloves or light aprons are used when clinically appropriate, inside the home only.
How far will I be expected to travel?
We cover Farnborough, Farnham, Fleet and the surrounding villages, meaning access to a car (and having a full driving licence) is essential for this role. Our scheduling team works to cluster your visits within one area at a time, where possible, so if your first client of the day lives in Fleet, we’ll try and plan the next client visits to be nearby, and the same applies for Farnborough and Farnham. We aim to allow at least 15 minutes of paid travel time between each client, and we pay a standard mileage rate on top of your hourly rate.
Your next step into a career in home care
If you’ve read through the above and feel that a role in care could be the right direction, we’d love to hear from you. Our team is currently recruiting Care Professionals across Farnborough, Farnham, Fleet, Aldershot, Frimley and the surrounding villages of north-east Hampshire and Surrey. You can contact our recruitment team by calling 01252 758 716 or you can view our current roles here.
