Two brothers have launched an online platform to help families find personal care for elderly relatives and ensure carers earn the living wage.
SuperCarers, designed by Daniel and Adam Pike, allows families to access a database of carers online and find the right match for their loved one's needs.
According to former Union of Jewish Students president Adam, 29, "it works in the same way a dating site works, matching the right people with each other.
"It is a personal service that allows the families to choose who they get, based on filters."
He added: "When our grandmother was unwell, our mum was the full-time carer and it was stressful for her and puts a strain on the family.
"We had bad experiences with carers not working out, and this is a common thing experienced by a lot of families. Typically people go to an agency and they get sent someone at random, and there is nothing personal about the process."
SuperCarers eliminates the agency and the high fees, with the saving allowing carers to be paid the living wage.
Adam said: "It just makes sense; if you pay people properly you get better care, and you change the face of the industry as a whole."
Launching this month with a website and smartphone app, the database already has 50 carers signed up looking for work in the north-west London area. The brothers, whose late grandmother eventually moved to a Jewish Care home, hope to launch the project across London before going nationwide.
The concept has won the support of leading care experts, including Alan Rosenbach, formerly of the Care Quality Commission.
Appointed chair of the SuperCarers Care Advisory Board, he said: "They are trying to fix a system that isn't working very well.
"I think it has the potential to be really innovative. I'm a firm believer that we haven't been giving caring enough
profile and status as a career."
