Recognising independent carers:
a practical option for councils
Local authorities are increasingly working with self‑employed personal assistants and independent carers, particularly through Direct Payments, where they play an important role in maintaining flexible and responsive care.
However, this part of the system can be difficult to navigate in practice. Commissioners and Direct Payment leads are familiar with challenges around employment status, regulatory boundaries, and the consistency of information across local systems. The employment‑status work has clarified these risks.
What it does not provide is a practical, optional mechanism that councils can choose to recognise, without taking on new duties or liabilities. The National Register of Independent Carers (NRIC) is being developed to explore whether such a mechanism is useful.
What NRIC is
NRIC is a voluntary national register for genuinely independent carers and sole trader micro providers.
In practical terms, it:
- Checks a core set of baseline information
- Makes registration status visible and portable
- Supports clearer recognition of legal and regulatory boundaries
NRIC is being built by a specialist verification technology team, working with the Independent Living Group (ILG), and shaped by the findings of the employment‑status work.
It is designed as infrastructure, not a service or platform.
Why councils are choosing to recognise NRIC
Councils signing the Recognition document are not committing to use NRIC or change local practice.
They are choosing to recognise a piece of national infrastructure that:
- Aligns with the risks and boundaries set out in the employment status work
- Supports transparency around independent care arrangements
- Can sit alongside existing DP support, directories and local lists
- Does not transfer responsibility or create additional workload
- Involves no cost or procurement process
Recognition gives councils an option, not an obligation.
How NRIC fits with local systems
NRIC is designed to work alongside what councils already operate.
Where councils run:
- PA directories
- Local lists of independent carers
- E marketplaces or information platforms
they can, if they choose, simply reference NRIC registration status as an additional piece of information.
Councils do not have to:
- Change their systems
- Promote NRIC
- Route people through NRIC
Any use is discretionary and informational only.
NRIC operates a voluntary, two tier registration framework for genuinely self employed carers and sole trader micro providers. It focuses on baseline legitimacy and regulatory awareness, not care quality or delivery.
Tier 1 – Baseline legitimacy
Confirms a core set of checks that would reasonably be expected for independent working, including:
- Right to work
- Enhanced DBS
- Public liability insurance
- References and relevant training
This tier establishes baseline credibility only. It does not approve, recommend, or rank individuals.
Tier 2 – Regulatory awareness (“Independent Carer MOT”)
Provides an additional, optional layer designed to help surface risk and prevent arrangements drifting over time. This focuses on improving understanding of:
- Employment status boundaries (e.g. HMRC considerations)
- CQC thresholds and regulated activity
- The responsibilities and risks associated with genuinely independent working
Registration is renewed annually so that changes in working arrangements are reviewed rather than assumed.
Additional elements (at a high level)
NRIC also includes:
- A publicly accessible register that allows verification of registration status only; and
- The development of proportionate quality and fitness to practise arrangements, aligned with established voluntary professional register models.
These elements are intended to support transparency and confidence. They do not replace statutory regulation, council oversight, safeguarding processes, or local decision making.
NRIC has been developed with input from sector specialists.
The focus now is to explore how this could sit alongside existing council systems and local arrangements in practice.
Where this reflects issues you are encountering locally, further engagement would be welcomed.
This may include:
- Sharing how these challenges are presenting in your area
- Exploring how this could align with existing directories, Direct Payment support and local processes
- Contributing to the development of an approach that is practical, proportionate and workable
There is no expectation of commitment, recognition or adoption at this stage. If you would like to stay connected or take part in this exploration, you can indicate this below.