Quick summary
For a rural round covering Chelford, Mobberley or the moorland villages, yes. For a tight town round in Macclesfield, not always. Most home care jobs in this area do need a car, and we pay 35p a mile plus travel time. Ask before you rule yourself out.
The honest answer
Home care is not shift work in one building. A round is a sequence of houses, and how you get between them is the whole question.
In practice, across this patch, most rounds need a driver. The villages are not reachable by bus at seven in the morning, and a round that depends on public transport falls apart the first time a service is cancelled.
There are exceptions, and they are real rather than theoretical:
- Tight town rounds in central Macclesfield, where several clients are within walking distance of each other.
- Live-in care, where you are based in one house. Driving may still be useful for shopping and appointments, and it is not always essential.
- Overnight or sitting work at a single address.
- Longer visits with fewer moves, such as a small number of two-hour calls close together.
These rounds exist and there are fewer of them, so availability depends on where you live and what is running at the time. Ring and ask rather than assuming the answer is no.
What the car actually costs you, and what you get back
What you pay for | What we pay |
|---|---|
Fuel, wear and tear between visits | 35p a mile |
The time spent driving between visits | Paid at your hourly rate |
Business use insurance | Your responsibility to arrange |
Parking, where a client has none | Ask us. Some rounds have known parking issues we plan around |
The 35p is the part most people focus on, and paid travel time is worth more. A round with ninety minutes of driving a day is over seven hours of paid time a week that an unpaid-travel employer would not give you, as our piece on how rounds are built explains.
Business use insurance, which catches people out
Ordinary social, domestic and pleasure cover does not usually cover driving between clients as part of your job. You generally need business use, often called class 1 business use.
Two things worth knowing. It is frequently cheaper than people expect, sometimes only a small addition to the premium. And getting it wrong matters, because an insurer can decline a claim if you were driving for work on the wrong policy.
Ring your insurer, tell them you visit clients during the working day, and ask what they need. Do it before your first shift.
What we need to see
- A valid UK driving licence.
- Your insurance certificate, showing business use.
- A valid MOT where the car is old enough to need one.
Points on a licence are not automatically a problem. Tell us at application stage rather than later.
If you do not drive
Options worth considering rather than giving up on care work:
- Ask about town rounds and live-in work specifically, rather than asking whether you can work without a car.
- Care homes and supported living are single-site and do not need a driver, though the work is different.
- Learning to drive opens up considerably more work in this area, and for someone committed to care as a career it usually pays for itself.
- Tell us where you live. Whether a non-driving round is possible depends almost entirely on that.
Winter, since it comes up
The moorland villages and the High Peak lanes are a genuine part of this job from December to March, and no amount of mileage makes a blocked lane passable.
What we can do is build rounds so carers work near where they live, prioritise the visits that cannot be missed, and not leave anyone driving across the patch in bad weather to reach a fifteen minute call, because we do not have fifteen minute calls. Our planning for rural clients follows the same logic from the family’s side.
Frequently asked questions
Do carers need a driving licence?
For most home care rounds in this area, yes. Town rounds, live-in care and overnight work are the main exceptions, and availability varies.
Do I need my own car, or can I use one of yours?
You would use your own, with mileage paid at 35p and travel time paid.
What insurance do I need?
Business use cover for driving between clients. Check with your insurer before starting, since standard social and domestic cover is usually not enough.
Is mileage paid on top of wages?
Yes, mileage is separate from your hourly pay, and travel time is paid as working time.
Can I work if I have points on my licence?
Often, depending on what and when. Tell us at application stage.
Are there care jobs without a car near me?
Sometimes, mostly in central Macclesfield or as live-in work. Ring and tell us your postcode and we will tell you honestly whether anything fits.
What we pay
- £15.70 an hour after a three month probation, £14.70 during it.
- 35p a mile, and travel time between visits is paid.
- No visit shorter than an hour.
- Rounds built by area, around where you live and the hours you can do.
- Carer turnover of 12 per cent, against 23.7 per cent across the sector (Skills for Care, 2025).
How to apply
Call us on 01625 720157 and ask about caregiver roles. Tell us your postcode and whether you drive, and we will tell you on that call what is realistically available.
Visiting Angels Cheshire East covers Macclesfield, Wilmslow, Knutsford, Congleton, Alsager, Buxton, Whaley Bridge, Leek, Biddulph and Kidsgrove.
Authored by Kim Blissett, Registered Manager, Visiting Angels Cheshire East.
Published 27 September 2026. Last updated 27 September 2026.
This article is general information about working in care and is not employment, insurance or legal advice, nor a contractual offer of employment. Insurance requirements depend on your policy and insurer; check with them directly. Pay rates and terms are correct at the date of publication and may change. To the fullest extent permitted by law, GB Care at Home Ltd accepts no liability for any loss arising from reliance on this article.
