UK bound? What to pack and plan for if you’re coming to the UK as an ENA live-in carer

If you are coming to the UK to work for ENA as a live-in carer, you’ll have lots of questions that we want to help answer.

You will probably have sorted out your legal and financial arrangements already (scroll down this blog for further information), but what about the practical details? What are the small things that will make you feel comfortable and happy from the moment you land in the UK?

Read on for tips and advice from some of our live-in carers who’ve already taken that UK-bound flight. Your luggage allowance may not stretch to everything, so be prepared to pick and mix!

Your packing checklist

• Important paperwork. Your passport, documents relating to working in the UK (including original ID documents and your own overseas police check), tickets, driving license (if you have one and intend to drive in the UK), debit/credit card(s) and some UK cash.
• Devices you’ll use to connect with family and friends. Make sure you pack your charger(s) and remember your adapters for UK plug sockets.
• A good selection of different types of clothing. The UK climate can be quite wet, so include some waterproofs, and if you are used to warmer weather pack some extra layers for the cool UK autumn and winter climate. Remember different footwear too – in your first placement you may need everything from walking boots and sandals to slippers.
• A stock of any medication you need. In particular, make sure you have enough of any prescription medication to last you until you’ve registered with a UK GP and managed to get an appointment and a repeat prescription.
• Favourite toiletries and some non-perishable food items. You can source a lot of different types of toiletries and foods/drinks in the UK from supermarkets, chemists, specialist stores and online, but packing a few of these will be useful until you find places that sell any specific toiletries, foods and drinks that you enjoy.
• Anything you need to help you sleep. If you think you’ll struggle to sleep in unfamiliar surroundings in the first few days you might want some items to help you block out nighttime noise or light, such as ear plugs or an eye mask. At ENA we provide all of our carers with access to the Calm App, which includes meditations and sleep stories to help you drift off to dreamland, so once you are in placement you’ll have that to look forward to.
• Hobby and activity items. Do you love yoga? Knit your own scarves? Adore a good book? Want to run 10K? Whatever you enjoy doing on your time off, make sure you’ve got at least the basic items you’ll need to keep your hobbies and interests going until you can find shops and suppliers to make further purchases from.
• Mementoes and keepsakes. Small items that have sentimental value may help you to feel more connected with family and friends you’ve left behind. Once you move into your first placement with a client you will have your own room, so you may want to pack photos or other small mementoes that will help to personalise your space.
• A UK guidebook. You’ll doubtless have Googled information about the UK already, but you may find it helpful to have a book to carry around with you initially, especially if you find yourself wanting to know something but not having a phone signal. (You may want to consider getting a UK Sim card once you are in the UK).
• A blank diary or scrapbook. Some of our live-in carers who’ve come to the UK for the first time have enjoyed diarizing or scrapbooking about their adventures on their days off, detailing places they’ve visited etc.
• Something to share with your new client. Once you move into your first placement, you may wish to share something interesting from your home country or culture. It may be a recipe book, a photo book, or a small item or object of cultural significance (you may struggle to pack a didgeridoo!). You’ll be learning a lot about your client and the UK whilst you’re in your placement, and it can be nice to have something to share of your own too.

Living and working in the UK as an ENA live-in carer

We can help you by:

• Providing accommodation while you complete your 5-days induction training with us, and your accommodation will be free once you are in your live-in carer placement.
• Assistance with setting up a UK bank account and other administration.
You will need to:
• Be able to obtain your own visa before applying to work for us. We don’t currently offer sponsorship visas but we are hoping to provide this service in the future. To register your interest please apply here.
• Ensure you have your National Insurance (NI) number so that we can pay you. If you haven’t been issued with your NI number on your visa, you can apply via the UK Government.
• Arrange and pay for your own transport, from when you arrive in the UK to travel to our head office for your initial training, through to travelling to your placements and on your time off. You will find travel information here: Visit England and a route planner. We will reimburse your flights to the UK once you are placed into work (terms and conditions apply).

More information about working in the UK as an ENA live-in carer

There is lots of information on our website about:

• What being an ENA live-in carer entails and the many benefits of working for us.
• Applying to join ENA as an overseas applicant.
• Our recruitment process.
• The training and support we provide.
• Coming to the UK on a working holiday.

To find out more about working for ENA Care Group, please call 01707 383 033 or email recruitment@ena.co.uk.