Trust & safety
Most services tell you they are trustworthy. That is not worth much on its own, so this page sets out precisely what every helper completes before we introduce them, what they will never do, and what happens if you raise a concern. Free connection sites and community groups do none of this; it is the main reason to use us rather than a Facebook post.
No exceptions, and no “pending” profiles. A helper appears on Witho only once all of this is complete.
Every helper holds a current DBS certificate, obtained through Care Check, an approved DBS umbrella body. We see the original certificate — not a photocopy or a screenshot — and we record the certificate number and issue date. Helpers stay subscribed to the DBS Update Service, so a check cannot quietly go stale after a year. Most free connection sites do no criminal record check at all; we will not list anyone without one.
Photo identification is checked against the person in front of us at interview, and their mobile number is verified separately. We confirm the right to work in the UK and check the home address — an address that cannot be confirmed is one of the clearest early warning signs there is.
We take up two references and speak to the referees rather than accepting written statements at face value. We ask directly whether they would be comfortable with this person supporting their own relative. Hesitation in that answer tells us more than a paragraph of praise.
Every helper is interviewed by a person, not a form — face to face where we can get to them, and by video call everywhere else, always with their photo identification in front of us. We listen for judgement and boundaries: what they would do if cash went missing, if they arrived and no one answered the door, and above all if a family asked them to help with washing or medication. Helpers who are vague about that last one are not introduced.
Helpers describe what they enjoy doing and what they are good at, in their own words, so you can judge for yourself whether they are right for your family. We check what they tell us against their references. We do not train helpers or certify skills, and we say so plainly.
Witho pays for a group policy covering every helper for visits booked through the platform — £2m public liability, legal expenses, personal accident and income protection. It applies to visits arranged and booked through Witho — anything arranged privately outside the platform falls outside that cover, which is one of the reasons we ask families and helpers to keep bookings on Witho. If you would like the policy details, ask us and we will send them.
Helpers who drive to visits or take the people they support out show a valid driving licence and business-use motor insurance. Social and domestic cover is not sufficient for this, and we check for it specifically.
Witho is support, not care. That boundary is not a technicality — it is what keeps the service safe, affordable and outside CQC regulation. Alongside it sit the integrity rules about money and gifts, which is where families are most often let down. Every helper accepts all of it as a condition of using Witho, and breaching any of it means removal from the platform.
No personal care, ever:
And on money and honesty:
If what your family needs has moved into personal care, we will tell you so directly and point you towards regulated providers, even though it means we lose the work. Here is exactly where the line sits.
Simple steps. Safety first. Always.
We check every helper before we introduce them. These are the things that are in your hands — none of them take long, and together they matter more than anything we can do at our end.
Every introduction starts with a free, no-obligation meeting. Nobody should be doing paid work in your relative’s home before you have sat down with them. Take as long as you need, ask whatever you want, and if it is not right, say so — you never have to explain why, and we will suggest someone else.
Whether it is you, another relative, or a neighbour, do not let the first meeting happen with your relative on their own. This is the single most effective thing you can do, and it is normal — no good helper will think anything of it. If you live too far away, ask a friend nearby, or join by video call.
Make sure a trusted family member, friend or neighbour knows who is coming and when. It costs nothing, it means somebody notices if a visit does not happen as expected, and it is the habit that matters most once a routine settles in.
It is tempting to arrange the next visit informally, or to pay cash. Please do not. Visits booked and paid for through Witho are insured, recorded, and covered by our dispute process — and payment is held for two days after each visit so you can raise a problem before your helper is paid. None of that applies to a private arrangement.
A helper may do agreed shopping and will give you the receipt. Beyond that, no Witho helper should ever have your bank card, your PIN, access to online banking, or any involvement in your will, property or finances. They accept those rules in writing as a condition of using Witho. If anyone asks, tell us the same day.
You do not need to be certain and you do not need evidence. Ring 0345 351 0207 or email safeguarding@witho.co.uk. The helper is paused from all bookings the same day while a director looks into it, and what you tell us stays between you and us. You are never being a nuisance.
If anyone is in immediate danger, call 999 first. Tell us afterwards at safeguarding@witho.co.uk.
Witho is an introduction service, not a care provider — but we are always here for feedback on any helper, and what you tell us stays confidential between you and us.
Raising a concern does not make you a nuisance. Here is exactly what happens, in order, so you know what you are setting in motion.
Email safeguarding@witho.co.uk or call us. You do not need to be certain, and you do not need evidence. If someone is in immediate danger, call 999 first; tell us afterwards.
As soon as a concern is raised, that helper takes no further Witho introductions or bookings while we look into it. Pausing is not a finding of fault — it protects the person supported, and it protects the helper from a concern hardening in the gap.
Concerns are reviewed by a director of Witho, not passed down a queue. We speak to the family, the person supported where they wish, and the helper. Everything is recorded with dates and decisions.
Where the concern meets the threshold, we refer to the local authority adult safeguarding team and, where a crime may have occurred, the police. We cooperate fully with any statutory investigation and we do not wait to be asked.
We come back to you with the outcome and what has changed as a result. Where a helper is removed from Witho, they are removed permanently and we make a referral to the DBS barring service where the legal duty applies.
Immediate danger: call 999.
Safeguarding concern: safeguarding@witho.co.uk
Anything else: hello@witho.co.uk
Read our full safeguarding policy.
Send us a message and we will come back to you within one working day.