HOW TO HIRE · CARE & SUPPORT

How to hire a welfare check visitor in Ireland
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

A welfare check visits in Ireland costs €15–€40 per visit, typically around €25. Here is how to check that in a minute, what to ask before you book, and what you must be handed when the job is done.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a welfare check visitor in five steps

  1. Are you a trader, and can I see that in writing?No register covers welfare check visitor work, so trader status is what your consumer rights hang on — basic Needs Assessment — caregivers evaluate whether clients have access to basic needs such as food, water, and hygiene products.
  2. How does caregiver's experience change the price?Experience costs more per hour and shows in the finish. — ask before the quote rather than after.
  3. How does specific services required during the visit change the price?What is included in the package changes the total. — ask before the quote rather than after.
  4. How does complexity of the individual's needs change the price?It determines how long the finished work will last. — ask before the quote rather than after.
  5. What is not included?Emotional Support — these visits provide an opportunity for companionship and emotional support, which can be vital for individuals living alone — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a welfare check visitor job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

THERE IS NO STATUTORY REGISTER OF HOME CARE PROVIDERS IN IRELAND YET, and that is the single most important thing to know before hiring one. HIQA has said plainly that home care and support services are not statutorily regulated. The Health (Amendment) (Home Support Providers) Bill 2025 passed both Houses of the Oireachtas in 2026 and amends the Health Act 2007 to create HIQA registration, a public register, an appeals process and transitional arrangements, and to make providing a home support service without registration an OFFENCE. It is not yet in force — the commencement date is not published and HIQA's national standards for home support are still in development. So in 2026 the checks below are the protection, not a register.

Look for the trader badge and the ID-checked badge on the Locufy profile — both are checked by us, not claimed by the provider.

What to check instead

Whether they hold an HSE Home Support Authorisation — the HSE's own scheme has service specifications, which is the nearest thing to an external standard today; Garda vetting for every individual carer, with dates; Employer's liability and public liability insurance, and whether carers are employees or contractors — it decides who is liable and who covers sickness; What happens when the regular carer is ill or on holiday, in writing; The care plan, in writing, and who reviews it and how often; References from two current families.

Ask for each of these before you agree a price, and get the answers in the same message as the quote.

Garda vetting

National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012–2016 Vetting is mandatory for work with vulnerable adults and is obtained through a relevant organisation, not by a family. Ask to see the disclosure and its date for EVERY carer who will come, not just the manager.

Ask to see the garda vetting letter itself, with its date on it — not a statement that one exists.

Insurance

Expect employer's liability and public liability, plus cover for medication handling where that is part of the care. You are booking an individual for a set number of hours, so ask whether the ID has been checked and what the rating is from people who booked the same way — there is no company behind them to carry either.

Ask to see the current certificate of insurance — the insurer's name, the limit and the date it runs to.

VAT

VAT at 23%, the standard rate Revenue publishes for this service. Ask whether the price you were given includes it. An individual working under the €42,500 registration threshold does not charge VAT at all, and does not have a VAT number to give you.

Ask whether the figure you were given includes it, and for the VAT number if they are registered — Revenue publishes the rate for this service. revenue.ie →

“Are you a trader, and can I see that in writing?”

A good answer: No register covers welfare check visitor work, so trader status is what your consumer rights hang on — basic Needs Assessment — caregivers evaluate whether clients have access to basic needs such as food, water, and hygiene products.

“How does caregiver's experience change the price?”

A good answer: Experience costs more per hour and shows in the finish. — ask before the quote rather than after.

“How does specific services required during the visit change the price?”

A good answer: What is included in the package changes the total. — ask before the quote rather than after.

“How does complexity of the individual's needs change the price?”

A good answer: It determines how long the finished work will last. — ask before the quote rather than after.

“What is not included?”

A good answer: Emotional Support — these visits provide an opportunity for companionship and emotional support, which can be vital for individuals living alone — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a welfare check visitor job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.

“Who insures you, and what is the policy number?”

A good answer: Expect employer's liability and public liability, plus cover for medication handling where that is part of the care — health and Safety Checks — welfare check visits often include assessments of a client's physical health and safety at home.

“What do I get in writing, and when?”

A good answer: A written scope and a price before the welfare check visitor starts, and an itemised invoice after — resource Referral Visit — an assessment that identifies additional services or resources the individual may benefit from.

Booking by the hour

  • The rate per hour, and whether it changes in the evening or at a weekend
  • The minimum booking, and what happens if the job finishes early
  • What they bring and what you supply
  • Whether the ID has been checked, and the rating from people who booked the same way
  • Insurance, where the work can damage something or somebody
  • The hours and the list of what is to be done, agreed before the first one

Walk away if

  • They will not talk about it: caregiver's experience — experience costs more per hour and shows in the finish
  • They will not talk about it: specific services required during the visit — what is included in the package changes the total
  • They will not talk about it: complexity of the individual's needs — it determines how long the finished work will last
  • A price for the welfare check visitor before anyone has asked the size, the access or the condition of what they are working on
  • Cash only, or a large deposit before anything at all has started
  • No written quote, or one that moves once the welfare check visitor has begun
LOW
€15
TYPICAL
€25
HIGH
€40

What a welfare check visitor costs: €15–€40 per visit

The figures are for the job, per visit, and a quote for your own is the only number that binds anyone. Routine welfare check and Emergency welfare check each carry their own band. Welfare Check Visits price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Welfare check visitors near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. Look firstCaregiver's experience — experience costs more per hour and shows in the finish — that is what the welfare check visitor is judging on the first visit, and a price given without it is a guess.
  2. Agree what is being doneSpecific services required during the visit — what is included in the package changes the total — put in writing before anyone starts, because it is the document you both read back at the end.
  3. The work itselfComplexity of the individual's needs — it determines how long the finished work will last — and anything found on the day that was not in that is priced before it is started.
  4. Check it togetherDistance to travel — coming to your door is a convenience you pay for — walked against the written scope rather than against the feeling of it, while the welfare check visitor is still there.
  5. What you are handedThe itemised invoice and any guarantee on the workmanship and the parts, level of care required — the look you want decides the method, and the method sets the price.

Health and Safety Checks
Welfare check visits often include assessments of a client's physical health and safety at home.
Emotional Support
These visits provide an opportunity for companionship and emotional support, which can be vital for individuals living alone.
Basic Needs Assessment
Caregivers evaluate whether clients have access to basic needs such as food, water, and hygiene products.
Emergency Welfare Check
An urgent visit triggered by concerns about an individual's safety or health, often arranged quickly.
Follow-Up Welfare Check
A visit conducted after an initial assessment to monitor ongoing needs and provide continued support.
Companionship Visit
A visit focused on providing social interaction and emotional support for those feeling isolated.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the invoice and the paperworkAn itemised invoice with the trader's name, the work and the total — basic Needs Assessment — caregivers evaluate whether clients have access to basic needs such as food, water, and hygiene products, because it is what a buyer's solicitor, an insurer or a lender asks for long after the welfare check visitor has gone.
Test what was doneEmotional Support — these visits provide an opportunity for companionship and emotional support, which can be vital for individuals living alone — and something that does not work on the day is theirs to put right there and then.
Ask what the guarantee isOn the workmanship and on the parts, and for how long each one runs — they are usually different. health and Safety Checks — welfare check visits often include assessments of a client's physical health and safety at home — under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 what was agreed is what can be relied on.
Leave the reviewOnly a booked job can be reviewed on Locufy, which is why the score on a welfare check visitor's card means something — resource Referral Visit — an assessment that identifies additional services or resources the individual may benefit from.

STEP 1Say it in writing, firstSay what is wrong and what you want done. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 the work must be carried out with reasonable skill and care, and defective work put right.
STEP 2Use the make-it-right step on LocufyUnder four stars you are asked whether to send it to the provider first; we follow it through. Then review.
STEP 3Escalate to the body that regulates itThere is no register, so the route is the consumer body and, if needed, the courts.
STEP 4Small claimsSmall claims covers €2,000, once you have asked in writing and given them a chance to put it right.

Hiring a welfare check visitor: questions people ask

The cost can vary based on the caregiver's experience, location, and the specific services required during the visit. Additional needs like medical assessments or extended time may also increase the price.

Typically, welfare check visits last between 30 minutes to an hour. However, the duration can be adjusted based on the client's needs or specific concerns that require more attention.

In most cases, a general caregiver is sufficient for welfare check visits. However, if medical assessments or specific health evaluations are needed, a qualified healthcare professional may be required.

Same-day availability for welfare check visits can be limited, but many care providers strive to accommodate urgent requests whenever possible. It's best to check with local services for immediate assistance.

Yes, you can often book several welfare check visits in advance. This can be beneficial for ongoing support and allows caregivers to schedule visits according to your preferred routine.

Welfare check visits generally do not include medical treatments or interventions. They focus on well-being checks, companionship, and basic needs assessment rather than specialised healthcare services.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in care & support

How to hire: Elderly CareHow to hire: Live-In CarerHow to hire: Home Care AssistantHow to hire: Personal Care AssistantHow to hire: Companion CareHow to hire: Respite CareHow to hire: Dementia CareHow to hire: Palliative CareAll 701 hiring guides →

Welfare check visitors near you

Welfare check visitors in DublinWelfare check visitors in CorkWelfare check visitors in GalwayWelfare check visitors in LimerickAll welfare check visitors on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. Department of Health — Health (Amendment) (Home Support Providers) Bill 2025 passes both Houses
  2. HIQA — evidence review on homecare and home support services
  3. HSE — Home Support Authorisation Scheme service specifications
  4. CCPC — your rights when you buy a service
  5. Consumer Rights Act 2022
  6. Revenue — NURSING AGENCY — Standard rate
  7. Revenue — current VAT rates (effective 1 January 2026)
  8. Revenue — VAT thresholds: €42,500 for a person supplying services only