Practical local support for someone you care about.

Local Family Links provides practical, non-medical support at home, including household administration, suitable technology and practical help, regular visits, help navigating outside services and liaison with an agreed trusted person. It may help identify or coordinate an appropriate service where something falls outside its scope.

Local Family Links does not provide:

• personal care, including washing, dressing or toileting support
• medication administration, clinical or medical care
• emergency response or guaranteed urgent attendance
• regulated financial or investment advice, or independent access to client bank accounts
• specialist clinical or Occupational Therapy assessments
• professional building surveys
• regulated or specialist trade work outside its competence
• routine cleaning, gardening, full shopping or routine transport services
• decorating as part of membership
• unlimited practical labour

An initial enquiry and conversation help decide whether an Initial Assessment appears appropriate. The assessment considers the client’s needs, the support already in place and whether Local Family Links can provide a useful role safely and appropriately.

One of three outcomes may apply: suitable for LFL, suitable alongside other support, or beyond LFL scope. Receiving support from formal carers does not automatically mean membership must end or that Local Family Links is unsuitable.

Local Family Links may decline, pause or end support where needs fall outside its scope, the service can no longer be provided safely, consent or authority is unclear, risks cannot be appropriately managed, the service no longer appears suitable or beneficial, or agreed boundaries are repeatedly breached. Reasons will be explained where it is appropriate and safe to do so, and another route may be identified where possible.

The Initial Assessment forms part of the normal route into Local Family Links Membership and is not a separate paid product. It is used to understand the client’s circumstances, priorities, existing support, consent preferences and whether Local Family Links is suitable.

If Local Family Links is suitable and the client wishes to continue, a practical support plan is agreed and membership begins. If another service is also needed, Local Family Links may be suitable alongside that support. If needs are beyond Local Family Links’ scope, membership will not begin.

An Independent Living Home Review is separate from the Initial Assessment. A practical review may form part of ongoing membership where appropriate, or a one-off Independent Living Home Review can be booked separately for £100.

Local Family Links may provide support to one client or to two clients living together in the same household. Where appropriate, one Local Family Links Membership may cover both people and the shared household; a couple does not automatically need two memberships simply because both receive some benefit from the service.

Whether the membership is suitable will depend on the amount of visit time, administration, follow-up and support required. If supporting both people materially increases the workload beyond what the membership reasonably covers, the arrangement may be reviewed and additional visits or another appropriate service suggested. If less support is required over time, the suitability of the ongoing arrangement may also be reviewed. Any change must be discussed and agreed before it takes effect.

Each adult remains responsible for their own decisions where they have the capacity and legal authority to make them. Being a spouse, civil partner or partner does not automatically give one person authority to make financial, household, health or other decisions on behalf of the other.

Where one person holds a valid Lasting Power of Attorney or other recognised legal authority for the other, Local Family Links will respect that authority according to its type, scope and circumstances.

Support is provided with the client’s knowledge and agreement, and the client remains central to decisions wherever they have capacity. Trusted-person involvement is optional. The client can decide who is involved and, subject to safeguarding or legal requirements, what information may be shared.

The person paying for membership does not automatically control the service or receive information. A trusted person, spouse, partner or payer does not automatically have authority to make decisions for the client. Where valid legal authority exists, Local Family Links may need to take its type, scope and circumstances into account.

Where a couple is supported, each person has their own consent preferences and may nominate the same trusted person or different trusted people. Shared household matters may be discussed jointly where both have agreed, while personal information and individual decisions remain separate where appropriate.

Local Family Links may audio-record an agreed visit or relevant conversation to maintain an accurate contemporaneous record of matters discussed, instructions given by the client, decisions or choices made, actions agreed, permissions or authorisations given, information supplied and follow-up work Local Family Links has been asked to undertake.

The purpose of recording is to improve accuracy and accountability and reduce the risk of misunderstandings about what was discussed or agreed. Where appropriate, an accurate recording may also assist in protecting the client, any authorised trusted person involved, Local Family Links and its staff if a disagreement, complaint or query later arises. A recording does not provide absolute legal protection or guarantee the outcome of any dispute.

Local Family Links will not knowingly audio-record a visit without informing the people taking part. Where recording is intended, it will be explained beforehand and the appropriate authorisation or consent will be obtained and recorded. People taking part will have a clear opportunity to ask questions about the recording arrangements.

If another person is actively participating in the conversation, such as a trusted family member, representative, visiting professional, tradesperson or another third party, Local Family Links will make that person aware that recording is taking place and obtain any authorisation required before including them. Covert recording does not form part of the normal Local Family Links service.

Where Local Family Links relies on consent, a person may refuse permission or withdraw that consent. If consent is withdrawn, Local Family Links will stop making new recordings covered by it. Refusing audio recording will not automatically prevent someone from receiving support. Where an accurate record is particularly important because of the work requested, another suitable method may be used, such as written notes, confirmation forms or written approval.

Recordings are made only for legitimate service, record-keeping, quality, accountability and dispute-resolution purposes. They will not be used for unrelated purposes or published or used for marketing, publicity or social media without separate specific permission.

Audio recordings will be treated as confidential information. They will be stored securely, accessible only to authorised Local Family Links personnel, and protected against inappropriate access, loss or disclosure. Audio recordings are retained only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which they were made and in accordance with the Local Family Links data-retention policy.

Recordings will not routinely be provided to family members, trusted people, funders, referring organisations or other third parties. A recording or information from it may be shared only where there is an appropriate lawful reason, including where the client has authorised sharing, where it is necessary to provide an agreed service, where disclosure is legally required, where it is necessary and lawful in relation to safeguarding or serious risk, or in connection with a legitimate complaint, insurance or legal matter where disclosure is lawful and proportionate. Any sharing will be limited to what is reasonably necessary.

The presence of a trusted person does not automatically authorise them to make decisions for the client. A recording may document what was discussed and who gave particular instructions, but Local Family Links will still follow its normal consent, capacity and authority procedures. Where someone acts under a valid legal authority, such as a relevant Power of Attorney, that authority must be separately established and recorded where applicable.

Audio recordings may contain personal information and sometimes particularly sensitive information, including details about health or support needs. They will be processed in accordance with applicable data-protection law and the Local Family Links Privacy Notice.

With permission, Local Family Links may help make calls, write letters, complete forms and communicate with organisations on the client’s behalf.

Some organisations may require the client to:

• be present
• complete security checks
• give verbal authority
• speak directly to the organisation

Where required, the work will normally be completed during a visit with the client present. Local Family Links does not have automatic authority to act on anyone’s account.

Local Family Links supports the client in organising and progressing household administration. Some matters may take more than one visit.

Documents should normally remain with the client unless there is a specific agreed reason for temporary handling, copying, scanning or uploading. Relevant documents may be securely stored or shared electronically where agreed.

With the client’s permission, Local Family Links may help explain letters and bills, review household subscriptions and services, sit alongside the client while they review their own statements or account information, identify costs or renewals worth questioning and contact providers where agreed.

Local Family Links does not independently access or control a bank account, retain PINs or passwords, hold bank cards as an operating arrangement, make independent financial decisions, carry out banking transactions or provide regulated financial or investment advice. Financial decisions and payments remain with the client or their legally authorised representative.

A trusted person may be nominated by the client, but involvement is optional. Where the client has consented, appropriate updates may include:

• wellbeing observations
• progress with post, bills and household admin
• practical concerns noticed
• agreed actions and matters requiring attention
• organisations contacted and follow-up actions
• relevant uploaded documents

What is shared depends on the consent given. A trusted person or the person paying for membership does not automatically control the service, receive all information or have legal authority to make decisions for the client.

Where a couple shares a support plan, one trusted person may receive a household-level update only where both clients have agreed. Personal information will be included only where the consent of the person concerned or another valid legal basis allows.

Local Family Links may help identify local authority, charitable, community or government support the client could potentially access.

Help may include forms, applications, supporting information and contact with relevant organisations. Local Family Links cannot guarantee that an application will be accepted, funding awarded or a client found eligible.

Local Family Links may help locate or coordinate independent gardeners, cleaners, handymen, plumbers, electricians and other practical service providers.

We may identify what is required, seek potential providers, advertise a job, obtain proposed prices or quotes, liaise between the parties and help coordinate the initial arrangement.

Unless specifically stated otherwise:

• the provider is not an employee of Local Family Links
• the provider is responsible for their work, qualifications, insurance and conduct
• the agreement is directly between the provider and the client or trusted person
• payment is made directly to the provider
• Local Family Links does not guarantee third-party workmanship

We will take reasonable care when helping identify providers, but the final decision to appoint them remains with the client or trusted person.

Local Family Links will maintain appropriate business insurance for the services provided. If accidental damage to a client’s property is caused directly by Local Family Links while carrying out agreed work, the matter will be recorded and dealt with appropriately, including through the relevant insurance policy where the circumstances are covered.

Insurance cover is subject to the terms, limits, exclusions and excesses of the policy in force at the time. Local Family Links cannot accept responsibility for pre-existing damage, normal wear and tear, faults unrelated to the work being carried out, or damage caused by third-party contractors or service providers.

Any accidental damage or incident should be reported as soon as reasonably possible so that it can be documented and, where appropriate, referred to the insurer.

During ordinary visits, Local Family Links may notice and raise practical issues such as cluttered walkways, loose rugs, poor lighting or obvious trip and fall risks.

We may help make simple practical changes where appropriate or help arrange additional support. This is not an occupational therapy assessment, building inspection, fire-risk assessment or specialist safety inspection.

A practical Home Review may form part of ongoing Local Family Links Membership where appropriate. A separate one-off Independent Living Home Review is also available without membership for £100.

Both routes are practical, non-clinical reviews of the home environment. They are not Occupational Therapy, medical or clinical assessments, professional building surveys, fire-risk assessments or specialist accessibility inspections.

Observations reflect the conditions visible and information available at the time. Local Family Links does not guarantee that every possible hazard, defect or accessibility issue will be identified. Recommendations are practical suggestions or signposting rather than clinical prescriptions, and appropriate qualified professionals remain responsible for specialist assessment or specification.

Relevant photographs and approximate measurements may form part of an agreed review or report. Equipment, materials, installation and additional work are not included unless expressly agreed.

The Professional Home Environment Information Survey is separate from Local Family Links Membership, Community Links and the £100 one-off Independent Living Home Review. It gathers factual home-environment information specifically requested by an appropriate referring professional or public service.

Local Family Links does not use the survey to provide an Occupational Therapy, medical or clinical assessment, a professional building survey or any substitute for qualified professional judgement. The referrer remains responsible for assessment, recommendations and decisions.

The scope, consent, access, information-handling arrangements and any charge must be agreed for the specific request before the survey is carried out.

Local Family Links may install, configure, troubleshoot and explain TVs, phones, tablets, Wi-Fi, smart speakers, streaming services, smart plugs, motion lighting and similar household technology.

Where third-party equipment, subscriptions or internet services are involved, the provider’s own terms and warranties continue to apply.

Local Family Links may recommend, research, supply or coordinate straightforward products and practical improvements. The client is free to buy elsewhere, accept or decline a suggestion, and will be told the price before any item is supplied.

Any installation offered by Local Family Links is separately agreed where applicable. Local Family Links only installs straightforward items within its competence and insurance. Specialist medical, mobility, gas, electrical, structural or other regulated work must be assessed or completed by an appropriate professional.

Equipment, materials, replacement items and third-party services are separate from membership unless specifically stated. Product and manufacturer warranties and third-party terms continue to apply.

The purpose of a Home Review is to identify practical matters and appropriate next steps, not simply to generate sales for Local Family Links.

Where appropriate, Local Family Links may identify statutory, charitable, community or professional services that could help. The customer is never required to purchase equipment, materials or additional services from Local Family Links.

Where Local Family Links offers separately charged follow-on work, equipment sourcing or coordination, the proposed service and cost will be explained separately and must be agreed before proceeding.

Professional commissioned surveys will remain separate from private sales activity unless a completely separate service is subsequently requested and appropriately agreed.

Local Family Links does not routinely undertake personal shopping or handle shopping money.

We may help establish what is needed, set up supermarket deliveries or online shopping accounts, and arrange recurring household orders where appropriate. The client or their authorised representative remains responsible for approving and paying for purchases.

Local Family Links takes concerns about a client’s safety, wellbeing or circumstances seriously. Where appropriate, a concern may first be discussed with the client and, with appropriate consent, may also be shared with their nominated trusted person.

Where a safeguarding concern is considered sufficiently serious, Local Family Links may contact the appropriate safeguarding authority, health service, emergency service or other relevant professional body. Safeguarding concerns, decisions, actions taken, referrals and reports will be recorded appropriately.

Where there is an immediate danger or emergency, the appropriate emergency service should be contacted first. Local Family Links is not an emergency response service.

Local Family Links is not an emergency, medical or emergency-response service. It must not be used instead of 999, NHS services, police, fire and rescue, safeguarding services or another appropriate professional service. Where there is immediate danger or urgent professional help is needed, the appropriate service must be contacted first.

An agreed out-of-hours practical call-out costs £100 and includes travel and up to 30 minutes at the property. It is for a practical, non-emergency situation and is subject to Support Assistant availability, location and whether it is safe and appropriate to attend. Attendance is not guaranteed.

Local Family Links may provide practical reassurance and, where appropriate, remain with the client while professional help is awaited or help keep a trusted person informed where consent and circumstances allow. Local Family Links does not provide medical treatment, clinical assessment or personal care.

Complaints can be submitted by email to [email protected] or by phone on 07508 390070. Please include as much relevant information as possible, including the nature of the issue, relevant dates, what happened, who was involved where relevant and the outcome being sought.

Complaints will be acknowledged, reviewed fairly and handled respectfully with appropriate confidentiality. A response will be provided as soon as reasonably possible.

Making a complaint will not disadvantage the client or affect their right to appropriate support. If a complaint raises a safeguarding or safety concern, Local Family Links may also need to deal with the matter under its safeguarding procedures.

Suitable practical or technology work may be arranged separately without membership or in addition to membership. An additional planned one-hour visit is £50, an additional practical call-in of up to 15 minutes is £20, and an agreed out-of-hours practical call-out is £100.

All additional work is subject to suitability and availability. The scope, travel requirements and any equipment, materials, installation or third-party costs will be explained and agreed before chargeable work begins wherever possible.

A request to attend an engineer, tradesperson or other specific appointment may be separately chargeable. The client remains free to decline additional work or products.

Local Family Links Membership costs £199 per month and provides an ongoing practical-support relationship. Each membership month includes two planned one-hour home visits and one suitable short practical call-in of up to 15 minutes.

Membership also includes reasonable research and follow-up arising from agreed support, action tracking, record keeping, trusted-person updates where the client has consented, and practical support within the Local Family Links scope. Membership is not unlimited and immediate or same-day availability is not guaranteed.

The membership can be reviewed as needs change. A review may be suggested by Local Family Links, the client or their trusted person and can consider whether membership remains suitable, whether additional support may help, or whether another service would be more appropriate. The client remains involved and any change is discussed and agreed before it takes effect.

For a shared household membership, a review can consider whether the included support remains suitable for both clients and the household.

Each membership month includes one suitable short practical call-in of up to 15 minutes for a quick practical task or check-in. It is subject to Support Assistant availability. Same-day attendance may sometimes be possible but is not guaranteed, and the call-in may need to be scheduled for another suitable time.

The included call-in is not an emergency or on-demand service. Unused call-ins do not roll over or accumulate. Additional practical call-ins of up to 15 minutes cost £20 each and are also subject to suitability and availability.

The Local Family Links Membership includes scheduled visits for ongoing practical support. Each scheduled visit has a wider purpose and is not simply a block of time reserved for individual household jobs.

Scheduled visits may include:

• A friendly welfare check
• Reviewing any concerns or changes
• Agreed household admin or practical support
• Reviewing outstanding matters
• Follow-up from previous visits
• Maintaining regular contact and continuity of support

Practical tasks such as technology setup, minor practical jobs or other agreed support can be carried out during a scheduled visit where sufficient time is available. The important checks and agreed support that form part of the membership should not be displaced simply in order to complete a longer practical task.

If a practical task cannot be completed within the available time during a scheduled visit, the remaining work may be continued at a future scheduled visit. If the client or nominated trusted person would prefer the task to be completed sooner, additional time or an additional appointment may be arranged.

Any additional time or appointment is subject to availability, falls outside the included scheduled visit allowance, is charged separately, and will be discussed and agreed before the additional work is carried out.

The fact that another scheduled membership visit remains later in the month does not automatically mean that extra or earlier attendance is included free of charge. The regular spacing of scheduled visits forms part of the ongoing support and continuity provided by Local Family Links.

Equipment, materials, replacement items and third-party services are not included in the membership price unless specifically stated otherwise. Any proposed additional cost will be explained and agreed before Local Family Links purchases equipment, commits to a third-party service or carries out separately chargeable additional time.

Community Links is a future funded or commissioned service based around one funded one-hour home visit per participant each month. It is separate from private Local Family Links Membership and will be available only where suitable external funding or commissioning and delivery capacity have been secured.

No funded places are currently available. Individuals and families may email to register their interest only; doing so does not guarantee a funded place. Future eligibility, referral routes, geography, duration and availability will depend on the relevant funding or commissioning agreement. Funding is not guaranteed permanently, and nobody will automatically be moved onto or charged for private membership if funded provision ends.

The funded visit would focus on suitable practical matters that can reasonably be addressed within the available hour. Call-ins, ongoing private-membership follow-up, detailed trusted-person reporting or other additional support are not automatically included and would only form part of Community Links where a future funding agreement specifically provides for them.

Community Links is not an emergency, medical or personal-care service and does not replace health, social-care or emergency services.

Where a Local Family Links agreement, including separately purchased services, is entered into at a distance or away from normal business premises, the customer may have a statutory right to cancel within 14 days without giving a reason.

This statutory cooling-off period is separate from the normal one-month notice period that applies once a rolling monthly Local Family Links Membership is established.

If the client asks Local Family Links to begin providing an agreed service during the 14-day period, an express request must be obtained first. Where services have already been provided at the customer’s request before cancellation, any amount properly payable will be handled in accordance with applicable consumer law.

Nothing in these Terms & Conditions removes or restricts statutory consumer rights.

The Local Family Links Membership operates on a rolling monthly basis and requires one month’s notice to cancel. The normal service will continue during the notice period.

Requests to rearrange an individual scheduled visit should be made with as much notice as reasonably possible. Where sufficient notice is given and the diary allows, one alternative appointment will normally be offered.

Repeated requests to move the same visit are not guaranteed and may mean that the visit cannot be rearranged within that period.

If a visit is moved specifically so Local Family Links can attend for an engineer, tradesperson or other appointment, this may be treated as additional support depending on the circumstances. Any additional charge will be discussed and agreed beforehand.

Additional and short-notice requests are subject to availability. Local Family Links does not guarantee 24-hour availability, and emergency situations fall outside the service.

Local Family Links Membership is charged monthly at £199. Payment arrangements and payment dates are agreed during onboarding.

Additional agreed services, products, equipment, materials and third-party costs are charged separately unless specifically stated otherwise. Separately chargeable work and its price will be explained and agreed before it begins wherever possible.

Nothing in these payment terms affects statutory consumer rights.

Personal information, visit notes, scanned documents and trusted-person information will be collected and used only where reasonably necessary to provide the service.

Information will be stored and shared securely. More detailed information is provided in the website Privacy Notice.

The client remains in control of decisions about their home, services, spending and day-to-day life wherever they have the capacity to make those decisions. Local Family Links is there to provide information, practical support and another pair of eyes, not to take control of someone’s affairs.

Where two clients live together, both remain involved in decisions that affect them. Shared household decisions can be discussed together, while personal decisions remain with the individual concerned wherever they have capacity to make them.

A nominated trusted person can be involved in discussions and provide another perspective where the client has agreed to this, but being a trusted person alone does not give them legal authority to make decisions on the client’s behalf.

Where a trusted person holds a valid Lasting Power of Attorney or other recognised legal authority, their involvement will depend on the type and scope of that authority and the circumstances in which it can be used. Where there is uncertainty about capacity or legal authority, Local Family Links will not make that determination itself and appropriate professional advice may be sought.