Live-in Care and how to develop a sense of community… from afar!

Like many companies around the globe, our Live-in Care office team gathers (yes, with mugs of freshly brewed, steaming coffee in hand) every Monday morning to reflect on the past week and map out the week ahead. Unsurprisingly, our conversations revolve around all things care—from industry news and sector updates to celebrating which of our wonderful clients have birthdays coming up, ensuring we send a thoughtful gift.

These meetings often stretch into long, passionate discussions as we chew the proverbial ‘care-cud,’ especially when I arrive with a new idea! I know my bursts of inspiration can make our incredible private carer and office teams nervous—more ideas often mean more work for an already-busy crew. But I can’t help it. My aim is always to push the boundaries of what Access Care should do—and more importantly, what we could be. I believe a live-in care agency shouldn’t just focus on introducing the ideal home carer (although that is at our core), but also strive to create a genuine sense of community for everyone involved—our fantastic live-in carers, valued clients, their families, and our dedicated team.

One weekend, I found myself thinking deeply about inclusion and community—how can we create meaningful connections for people receiving home care, who are often spread across the UK and sometimes beyond? It’s not always possible for people to travel to a central event, and many of our clients simply aren’t physically able to. The question became: How do we build a community among people who may never meet in person?

We’ve all seen the amazing work big charities do through events like coffee mornings and fun runs—they’ve mastered the art of creating fun, inclusive ways for people to contribute to a bigger cause. That got me thinking: could live-in care agencies like ours do something similar on a national scale, bringing together individuals and families receiving private care at home?

Out of that spark came the idea for The Big Live-in Care Tea Party. Simple, heartfelt, and fun—we decided to use social media to bring people together. With the Queen’s 90th Birthday as our backdrop, we sent all our clients and their families a ‘party pack’ complete with flags, crowns, and classic British tea recipes. In return, we asked them to share photos of their tea party celebrations using hashtags like #liveincare and #Queens90th.

The response was heart-warming. As proud members of the Live-in Care Hub—a collaboration of live-in care agencies that believe full-time support at home is a dignified and cost-effective option—we shared the idea. It was met with such enthusiasm that we decided to invite all UK home care agencies to take part. Suddenly, this little idea of mine had legs—it stood up, started walking, and even picked up a bit of a jog!

The UKHCA (United Kingdom Homecare Association), of which we’re members, kindly promoted the event, and we watched in delight as tea party photos began to roll in from across the country. On Friday, June 20th, most participants joined us in raising a cup with our office team. The photos showed joy—clients beaming with their private carers, fellow home care agencies joining the fun, and even a few four-legged friends dressed up in Union Jack accessories!

In summary, we believe there are many ways for home care agencies to foster a sense of belonging among their widespread communities. It just takes a little imagination and a lot of heart. So, here’s to next year’s Big Live-in Care Tea Party, and the hope that more private carers, clients, families, and agencies across the UK will unite in spreading happiness and connection in the home care sector.

So, whether you're a client, a family member, a fabulous private carer, or just someone who loves a good cup of tea and a sense of community—we’d love for you to join us next time! Keep your teapots at the ready and your crowns nearby, because the Big Live-in Care Tea Party will be back, and we’re planning for it to be bigger, brighter, and even more brew-tiful!

If you’d like to learn more about live-in care, becoming a home carer, or joining our growing Access Care family, give us a ring—we love a chat almost as much as we love a cuppa call us on 0330 401 0023 Here’s to care, community, and lots of tea!