Why is Tribe different to other platforms?
Tribe isn't like a Facebook group or a volunteering app. Tribe, with its partner Community Catalysts, will encourage skilled community support providers to become established in national ‘dark patches’ where care costs are prohibitive or no support provision exists. Tribe drops the barriers to local people delivering paid support work, ensuring through its partnerships with Community Catalysts and Skills for Care, that people have the right attitudes, skills and knowledge to do their job well and safely. Tribe offers the opportunity for continuous training and development. Tribe will ultimately help make your support experience more responsive and personal.
How do I become a paid support provider?
If you are already an established support provider or employed personal assistant then you can register on the platform as soon as you have completed the checks we need to make sure you are operating safely. You will have access to learning opportunities through the Tribe Platform that meet national sector skills council standards. You will be asked to sign up to ‘Doing it Right’ standards which are linked to standards for the care sector and set out the way in which you will work.
Will I need a DBS check to become a support provider?
Support providers delivering help and/or personal care to people in their own homes have to have a current DBS check. ‘Current’ means a DBS check that has been made within the last 3 years. The Tribe Platform allows you to upload your DBS certificate, which will be checked by the platform to ensure it is valid. Information on your DBS certificate is not made public, but you should share any criminal convictions with the people buying your service so they can judge whether they want to work with you. Support providers who do not provide personal care and work with people in community settings are not usually required to have a DBS check, although you should check this first with Community Catalysts. If you do not need a DBS check, you should tick the button on the Tribe platform that says ‘DBS certificate not required’ so that customers know this before they decide to use your service.
How many opportunities to provide help will there be?
It depends on the area in which you live and what you are offering. Tribe provides information about opportunities in your local community that help create a stronger and independent neighbourhood. The opportunities are therefore dependant on how many people in your community require the kind of help you provide.
Who employs me?
Support providers are self-employed. Tribe in some areas also provides a platform for personal assistants seeking employment to provide individual support. Personal assistants are directly employed by the person they support.
How much can I get paid?
This depends on the type of support you are providing and the demand in your area. You set your own fee, which will take into account the fees set by other support providers and also the level of the local authority payments available for support. You can sell your support to self-funders as well as people funded by the local authority. If your fees are competitive and you provide the kinds of support people are looking for you are likely to be in demand.
What do I do if I am concerned that someone is compromising the safety and well-being of the person I support?
Report this immediately to your council’s safeguarding team. Their contact details will be on the council website. You can also find information about your local council in the Tribe app and report any issues.