About the directory of micro care & support services:

What are micro care & support services?
Are they for me?
How do I make an enquiry?
What if I have a concern about my service?
Client / family stories
Info & advice about other available support
Click here if you are interested in setting up your own micro care service?

What are micro care & support services?

They are small, independent care and support services. They help people to live independently and well in their own homes and communities. Typically, they offer:

Home help – support with cleaning, shopping, cooking, pets etc.
Companionship – providing company, support to access activities and trips etc.
Personal care – Can include support with eating or drinking, washing, dressing, medication etc. Not all micro care services provide person care.

Most micro care services are self-employed but can be partnerships or small companies employing up to eight full-time staff.

The micro care services on this directory have been supported by the Catalysts for Care project to set up legally and professionally and have committed to the ‘Doing it Right Standards’.

Catalysts for Care is a not-for-profit project supported by Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion, and Carmarthenshire County Councils; Hywel Dda Health Board; and third sector organisations PAVS, CAVO and CAVS.

The reason we are supporting the development of micro care & support services is to give people more choice to find a small, local care / support service that works for them.

Are they for me?

Micro care & support services can be a good option for people looking for:

One person / carer to build a more personal relationship with (rather than being visited by different staff). This can be particularly beneficial for people living with Dementia.
Longer visits with a more holistic range of support – typically a mix of home help, companionship and personal care.
A small, flexible, local service.

However, because micro care services are very small, unregulated services, they are not appropriate for everyone. There are three important things to consider; the person receiving support or their legal representative must be happy and able to:

Make appropriate checks and assess the suitability of a micro care service*
Direct and co-ordinate their care / support on an ongoing basis
Discuss / agree suitable contingency plans for potential cancelled visits with the service

* Please note that whilst micro care & support services on this directory have received support to set up legally and professional, and have committed to the project ‘Doing It Right Standards’, the Catalysts for Care project does not formally accredit or approve these services.

If you are eligible to receive care and support funded by your county council, you can talk to your social worker about whether Direct Payments would be a suitable way to purchase your assessed care and support from a micro care service.

If you would like to ask any questions about whether a micro care service would be appropriate for you, please contact the project coordinator in your county:

Pembrokeshire – Lee James – 07535 810003 / lee.james@planed.org.uk
Carmarthenshire – Tracey Jones – 07789 793228 / tracey.jones@planed.org.uk
Ceredigion – Sue Lewis – 07442 681883 / sue.lewis@planed.org.uk

How do I make an enquiry?

Look at the directory using the postcode search box at the top of this page. Browse the services in your area and make contact with the ones you are interested in. Or
Use the enquiry form by clicking the orange button at the top of this page. When you complete this form we will share your enquiry message with the micro care services near you. You will then receive emails from interested services leaving you with a shortlist of suitable and available services in your area.

The enquiry form can be useful if there are many services you are interested in and don’t want to contact them all individually. Both families and signposting professionals can use this enquiry form.

If someone is not confident to use the online directory, they can request a printed list of services in their area via post by contacting Jo Buy on 01834 860965 / jo.buy@planed.org.uk

If someone is not confident to use the online enquiry form, they can get support from a ‘Digital Champion’ from Age Cymru Dyfed by contacting 03333 447 874 / p.mcilroy@agecymrudyfed.org.uk.

In Pembrokeshire, you can also get support from the Pembrokeshire Community Hub on: 01437 723660 / enquiries@pembrokeshirecommunityhub.org

What if I have a concern about my service?

In the first instance you should speak directly with your micro care service to resolve the issue. The Catalysts for Care project does not accredit or control these services; they are their own small, independent business / service that receive support from the project. At any point, if you are not happy with the service, you can end the contract as per the notice period in your service agreement contract.

However, if you have an unresolved concern about safety or welfare, you should contact your local authority safeguarding team (find details on your local authority website) for advice or to raise a safeguarding concern.

Finally, if you have a serious concern that you cannot resolve directly with the service and it is not a safeguarding issue, you can raise this with the Catalysts for Care project by contacting your county project coordinator (see contact details above). See p.8 of the ‘Doing It Right Standards & Guidance’ for more info on the Catalysts for Care project concerns process.