Assistance providers - What is important to consider?

Many providers are good, but it is important to check certain things to avoid the risk of hiring a rogue provider. Using a rogue provider can risk both that the assistance is carried out in a deficient manner, perhaps so seriously that the person entitled to assistance is exposed to risks or abuses. There is also a risk that the person entitled to assistance will be exploited for criminal purposes.

A rogue assistance provider, for example:

• Not following the laws and rules that apply when organizing assistance.
• Not providing good quality services to the assistance user.
• Using the assistance as a tool to commit financial crime.

When you choose to hire a company to organize the assistance, it becomes your assistance provider. This means that the company has two responsibilities: as an assistance provider, to ensure that you receive safe and secure assistance in the way you want, and as an employer with employer responsibility.

The company is responsible for ensuring that the person entitled to assistance receives it in accordance with the decision. The assistance must be provided safely and securely based on your wishes. There are two parts to this task/responsibility. Firstly, the actual provision of the assistance, what the assistants help you with, documentation and administrative work linked to the daily work. Then the assistance company is also responsible for what happens further away from you and which you do not notice in your daily life. This work is often done by the area managers and support functions in the company office. This can include training, recruitment, managing the finances linked to the assistance. A lot of resources are put into ensuring that your assistance is provided safely
based on current legislation with a high level of quality.

It is the company that is responsible for the people working in the business. This means, among other things, that it is the company that ensures that the assistants receive their salary and pension, that employer's contributions are paid and that the assistants have insurance to cover them if they are injured at work or if they break something in your home.

How do you know if an assistance provider is reputable?

Some of the things you can check for that are signs of a serious
assistance providers:

• Permission from IVO
• Payment of the assistance allowance goes to the assistance provider
• The assistance provider is the employer of the assistants and pays their salaries
• The persons representing the business are the same as those on the license and other documents.
• The company is a member of an employers' organization
• Employees of the company have collective agreements
• The business has been run by the same person for a long time
• The assistance provider has an authorized/approved auditor
• The assistance provider has no recurrent payment defaults or significant debts
• The assistance provider does not offer benefits such as holiday accommodation or money if you choose them as your provider
• The company's website is up-to-date and has accurate information
• The company's website has contact details of those responsible at the company
• The assistance provider provides training to all employees

Where can I turn if I need help choosing an assistance provider?

You are always welcome to contact us if you have questions or need help with your choice.
If you want to turn to an independent party that is not hired by other companies or has a profit interest, we recommend Ifa (the interest group for those entitled to assistance), which has you, the person entitled to assistance, in focus. Ifa has also produced a complete guide to what you as a person entitled to assistance or a relative should look at when choosing an assistance company, they also describe how to go about checking these things.

Click here here to access the Ifa website.

In addition to checking that the assistance provider is reputable, it is also important to get an idea of whether it is a company that is right for you. We have selected three key areas that we think are particularly important for you to ask the assistance provider about. We also recommend that you read the assistance provider's website, where you can get a lot of information.

The background and values of the assistance provider

Asking the assistance provider what their vision and values are will give you an idea of what kind of company they are. This can help you assess whether you and the assistance provider will be able to work together. For example, for us at Carelli Assistans, it is important that our customers feel safe and receive personal assistance that suits each individual. We are also very careful that the assistance is carried out safely and securely and complies with the decisions, directives and laws that exist. So ask the companies what they think!

How flexible the assistance provider is and what are your opportunities to influence and decide on your assistance

How much you as a customer want to be involved in influencing and deciding varies from person to person, so it is important to discuss this before you sign a contract so that you have clarified your expectations. All assistance providers must systematically plan and follow up your assistance together with you. You can agree together on how this will be done. How involved do you want to be in recruitment and scheduling, how involved do you want to be in the coordination of your assistance and how do you want the communication between you and the assistance company to look like? Some of our customers have chosen to be more involved from the beginning of a collaboration and then released more to us as an assistance provider as they became more confident and we got to know each other. Everything becomes personal.

What skills employees have

Find out about the skills of the assistance provider's staff, so you know how experienced and knowledgeable the people who will be in charge of your assistance are. Find out the skills of both the manager who will be responsible for your assistance but also the people working in the office as they can also affect the quality of your assistance. At Carelli, all employees have the skills they need to do their job. If they are new to the role, they will receive training and the introduction they need to know everything in their work. Because we work for people in a changing industry, we never see ourselves fully learned, but there is much left to learn, partly through new experiences but also in the meetings with our customers, their relatives and other partners.

By asking questions and being curious, you will get a better idea of the assistance provider before you sign the contract. But if, after you have chosen a provider, signed a contract and started working together, you discover that you do not work together at all, you can always terminate the contract. The most important thing is always that you are safe and satisfied with your assistance. We at Carelli will always help and support you in the decisions you make.