Safety & Verification
What we check, what we don't, and how to be safe on Care-Lo
Home healthcare means inviting someone into your home, or walking into someone else's. We'd rather be honest about the limits of what Care-Lo checks than promise more than we can, so you can make good decisions for yourself and for the people you love.
What the Verified badge means
When a healthcare professional joins Care-Lo, they can submit their ID and qualification documents for review. If the details match, their profile shows a Care-Lo Verified badge. Here is exactly what that review covers, and what it doesn't.
What we check
- The healthcare professional has uploaded an identity document and educational or training documents.
- The name, date of birth and profile photo on their Care-Lo profile appear to match those documents.
- Once a profile is verified, the healthcare professional can no longer change their name, date of birth, gender, profile photo or specializations.
What verification does not mean
- Whether their licence or registration is valid, or whether they are in good standing with any council or professional body.
- Their clinical skills, competence or the quality of the care they will give.
- Their availability, punctuality, fees or suitability for a particular patient.
- Any outcome of the care. A Verified badge is not a recommendation or a guarantee.
- A criminal record or police check.
We may pause or remove a Verified badge at any time, for example if we have reason to doubt a document or receive a serious complaint.
Choosing a healthcare professional safely
- Take a little time to read the full profile, including their experience, services and reviews, not just the verification badge.
- Use Care-Lo chat to ask about their experience and training, and whether they have cared for someone with similar needs before.
- If you need extra reassurance, you can ask to see their original qualification or registration documents when they arrive.
- For the first visit, it's a good idea to have someone you trust at home with you.
- Make sure the fee and any other arrangements are clear before the visit. Keeping these details in Care-Lo chat and in your service request helps avoid misunderstandings later.
- If at any point you feel uncomfortable or something doesn't seem right, you can end the visit.
For healthcare professionals: customers are not verified
Anyone can create a customer account on Care-Lo and send you a request for Home healthcare services. We ask customers for a name, phone number and email address, but we do not verify customers' identity, address or the information they give in a request.
Please use your own judgment before you accept a request or visit someone's home. You are never obliged to accept a request, and you can leave a visit at any time if you feel unsafe.
Staying safe as a healthcare professional
- Have a quick chat with the customer before accepting a request. Ask who needs care, what kind of help they need, and who will be at home.
- Take a moment to check the address and the area before heading out.
- Let someone you trust know where you're going and roughly when you expect to be back.
- Try to keep important conversations and arrangements in Care-Lo chat, so you have a clear record if you ever need it.
- Only accept work you're comfortable and qualified to do. If something is beyond your experience, it's okay to say so.
- Trust your instincts. If something feels unsafe, or the situation is very different from what you were told, you can decline the request or leave.
Report a concern
If a profile seemed misleading, a customer or healthcare professional behaved inappropriately, or anything during a visit made you feel unsafe, please tell us. We review the safety reports we receive and may restrict or remove accounts where appropriate.
In an emergency, call your local emergency number or the police first. Care-Lo is not an emergency service and may not see your message straight away.