Frequently Asked Questions

Sisterhood is a private-pay, family-run companionship and home-help service in Bradford. The focus is familiar female companionship, light practical help at home and a separate Cooking Companion service.

Before getting married, the lead companion worked in a care home. She has also spent many years supporting ageing grandparents and older relatives within the family, including being closely involved in supporting her husband’s grandmother through the final years of her life while raising four children. Sisterhood brings that practical, personal experience into a clearly defined companionship and home-help service.

Sisterhood has been designed particularly around the needs of women living at home who can manage their own personal care but would benefit from companionship and practical help around the home, with fresh home-cooked meals available where wanted. Our companions are female, and we take privacy, dignity, culture and personal preferences seriously.

No. Sisterhood does not provide the hands-on personal care associated with a domiciliary care service. We deliberately keep a clear boundary around companionship, light home help and agreed meal preparation.

No. Sisterhood is designed particularly around women’s needs but welcomes enquiries from families of any cultural or religious background. Punjabi, Potwari, culturally familiar communication and halal/traditional cooking are available for families who value them, but they are not a requirement.

English, Punjabi and Potwari are available within the team. Some Urdu is also understood; please ask us if Urdu communication is particularly important for your family.

Yes. A family member may arrange or pay for Sisterhood, but the wishes, dignity and privacy of the person receiving the service remain central. The client, contracting party, payer and person authorised to receive updates can be different people, and family updates are only provided where appropriate permission or authority has been agreed.

It can include conversation, tea, reading, hobbies, simple activities, listening, sitting together and ordinary social company. Practical light home-help tasks can also be included where agreed.

Examples include hoovering, washing up, laundry, folding, wiping accessible surfaces, tidying, a light kitchen reset and changing ordinary bed linen.

No. We do not provide heavy or deep cleaning, ladders, moving heavy furniture, hazardous chemical work, pest control or property maintenance.

No. Sisterhood does not provide personal care such as washing, dressing or toileting, and we do not administer or manage medication. We also do not provide physical feeding, lifting or transfers.

The companion must not cross the service boundary, even if the request seems small. She will explain that she cannot provide that hands-on personal care and will contact the agreed family contact if appropriate.

No. Sisterhood does not administer or manage medication, select doses, open medication packs as part of medication support, or make medication decisions.

No. Overnight, sleeping-night and waking-night services are not part of Sisterhood’s current service.

No. Client transport is not part of Sisterhood’s current service. Workers may use their cars for their own work travel where appropriately insured, but not to transport clients.

No. Sisterhood’s current service is home-based. We do not provide client transport, social outings or appointment-companionship services.

Yes, where the enquiry is suitable and the diary allows. Pay-as-you-go and Cooking Companion Visits can be used without committing to a long plan. Sisterhood still prioritises reliable regular families when allocating regular diary capacity.

Visits have a two-hour minimum. Many regular families find that a three-hour block gives enough time for genuine companionship plus useful household help without rushing.

Our standard visit minimum is two hours. This allows enough time for genuine companionship and practical help without making the visit feel rushed.

It is a one-time two-hour first visit for a suitable household. Its purpose is to let the client experience Sisterhood and see whether the personality fit and style of support feel right before moving to a regular plan.

Continuity is a core part of Sisterhood. Regular visits stay with the same familiar companion wherever possible, rather than rotating through unfamiliar people.

Sisterhood discusses the options with the family. If suitable familiar cover is available it can be offered; otherwise we will discuss a reschedule rather than send someone unfamiliar without discussing it with the family first.

Yes. Matching considers language, cooking requirement, personality, location, availability and household preferences. A particular match cannot always be guaranteed, but those needs are discussed before regular service is accepted.

Usually yes, subject to diary capacity. Regular slots are reserved, so permanent changes should be discussed as early as possible.

Only where the extra time is agreed and does not interfere with another booking. Cooking Companion extra time is charged at the published rate of £12.50 per 30 minutes.

No. Sisterhood is not designed as a cleaning shift. Practical tasks matter, but the human relationship and unhurried company are part of what the family is paying for.

It is a separate two-hour visit priced at £60, with ingredients not included. Fresh meals are prepared in the client's own kitchen, with the menu and likely portions agreed beforehand.

Yes, where the assigned companion has the relevant cooking competency. Sisterhood can also prepare other ordinary home meals where agreed.

Yes, where the household's halal requirements, ingredients, brands or suppliers have been agreed. We do not make assumptions about what a particular family regards as acceptable.

The family can provide them, or Sisterhood can shop during booked time using an agreed list and spending limit. Groceries are charged at exact receipt cost.

Yes, where the menu and kitchen conditions allow it to be done safely. Portions can be prepared, cooled, stored and labelled for later agreed days.

No. What can reasonably be prepared depends on the dishes, preparation time, kitchen, ingredients and agreed menu. We prefer a realistic plan to rushing food to hit an artificial dish count.

The companion can talk with the client, prepare ingredients, fold laundry or complete another agreed light home-help task where it is safe to divide attention.

Allergies and dietary needs must be recorded before cooking. Ingredient labels are checked where relevant, and the worker stops and asks rather than guessing if an ingredient or substitution is uncertain.

The worker does not continue just because cooking was booked. A material food-safety or kitchen hazard is recorded and escalated, and the cooking task may be stopped until it is safe.

No. Physical feeding is personal care and is outside Sisterhood’s service. If that support is needed, the family’s requirements need reassessment.

Yes. Shopping can be completed during booked time using an agreed list and spending limit.

Yes. Shopping time is part of the booked service time unless a different arrangement has been specifically agreed.

No. Groceries are charged at exact receipt cost.

Yes, under the agreed client-money process. The cash received, amount spent, receipt and change returned are recorded.

No. Sisterhood does not accept or use a client's PIN, online-banking login or ATM card for cash withdrawals.

The worker contacts the authorised payer or agreed family contact before materially exceeding the agreed spend. She should not simply spend extra and explain afterwards.

It is reported immediately and recorded honestly. Records are never altered to make a discrepancy appear to balance.

Sisterhood does not advertise dementia care. Some women with mild or early memory difficulties may still be suitable if they remain within the companionship/home-help boundary, can be safely left after the visit and do not require continuous supervision or hands-on personal care. Suitability is assessed individually.

A history of falls does not automatically answer the suitability question. We need to understand what happened, her current mobility and whether the visit can be delivered safely without Sisterhood lifting or transferring her.

The companion does not attempt to lift her from the floor. She checks for immediate danger within her role, obtains emergency help where required, keeps the client reassured and contacts the agreed family/emergency person as appropriate. An incident record and suitability review follow.

If urgent help appears necessary, Sisterhood can call 999. The agreed emergency contact is also used as appropriate. Sisterhood does not diagnose or provide nursing treatment.

The worker does not simply leave and hope for the best. She follows the agreed escalation process, contacts the founder and appropriate family/emergency support, and the service is reassessed before the next visit if needed.

We reassess. If her needs move into personal care, medication management, unsafe transfers, continuous supervision or another area outside Sisterhood's scope, the service may need to pause or end and the family will be encouraged to seek appropriate regulated support.

Worker safety is not negotiable. The companion can withdraw from an unsafe situation and escalate it. The household may need reassessment before any further visit is accepted.

Sisterhood records observed facts, acts for immediate safety and follows its safeguarding procedure. Workers do not conduct their own investigation or promise to keep serious safeguarding concerns secret.

We only describe a companion as DBS checked once the appropriate check for that role has been completed and verified. Please ask us to confirm the current status when arranging service.

We only describe Sisterhood as insured once the policy is in force and covers the services we provide. Families can ask us to confirm the current position before paid service begins.

Anyone assigned to cooking must meet Sisterhood’s food-safety, allergen-awareness and cooking-competency requirements. Any training, certification or registration information we publish is kept accurate and current.

Bank transfer is the preferred method. A standing order can suit a regular fixed payment, and cash can be accepted by prior arrangement.

Regular families are normally invoiced monthly in advance once the routine is established.

Yes, by prior arrangement. Cash service payments are recorded and a receipt is provided.

We do not currently take card or Direct Debit payments. Bank transfer is preferred, with standing order available for suitable fixed regular payments and cash accepted by prior arrangement.

We will contact the payer promptly rather than allow unpaid balances to build. Continued regular service may be paused where payment arrangements are not being met, subject to the agreed Service Agreement and individual circumstances.

Yes. With 48 hours or more notice there is no cancellation charge. With 24–48 hours notice, up to 50% of the booked service charge may apply where the reserved time cannot reasonably be reallocated. With less than 24 hours notice, up to 50% of the booked service charge may apply. We will always try to handle changes reasonably.

Tell us as soon as reasonably possible. A hospital admission or genuine emergency is handled reasonably on a case-by-case basis and any cancellation charge is normally waived where appropriate. Regular service can usually be paused, and if needs have materially changed we may review suitability before restarting.

Please give advance notice. We will confirm how the planned pause affects the reserved schedule and the restart date under the agreed terms.

The companion follows the agreed no-access and welfare process and may contact the authorised family contact. Where the companion attends but the visit cannot take place, up to the value of the two-hour minimum booking may be charged.

There is no charge for a visit Sisterhood cancels. Any payment already made for that visit will be refunded or credited, and we will offer a reschedule or suitable cover where possible.

No. Regular services operate on a simple monthly rolling basis rather than long fixed-term contracts. The standard notice period to end a regular service is 14 days, without affecting any statutory consumer cancellation rights that apply.

They may be reviewed as the business develops. Any change to an existing family's agreed rate would be communicated in advance in line with the Service Agreement.

Yes, where the client has authorised it. A short factual update can cover agreed matters such as tasks completed, meals and general reassurance.

No. A family member may arrange or pay for Sisterhood, but the wishes, dignity and privacy of the person receiving the service remain central. Paying for an adult client’s service does not automatically give access to every personal detail. Family updates are only provided where appropriate permission or authority has been agreed.

Sisterhood treats the service as a private personal or family arrangement. We do not announce who our clients are or discuss them with neighbours, friends or the wider community.

Not as part of normal service. Client photographs or publicity would require a separate, explicit and informed consent process; they are not bundled into ordinary service consent.

We record who has authority to make schedule changes and keep the adult client's wishes central. A payer and a client are not automatically the same person.

Our current service areas include Great Horton, Lidget Green, Little Horton, Wibsey, Low Moor, Clayton, Heaton, Frizinghall, Manningham, Allerton, Thornton and Shipley. If your area is not listed, please contact us to see if we can help where you are. We are happy to consider nearby Bradford areas where travel and availability allow us to provide a reliable service.

Ask us. We will look at the actual route, requested frequency and current diary rather than promise an area we cannot reliably serve.

Where agreed, access arrangements can be recorded and controlled. Keys are not labelled with a full address, codes are stored securely and access is only given to authorised workers.

The worker follows the household's agreed no-answer instructions and welfare escalation process rather than simply leaving without checking the agreed contacts.

Not automatically. Pets, smoking and other household conditions are discussed during the risk assessment so the right companion can be matched and any necessary controls agreed.

Please tell us promptly. Sisterhood will listen, review the relevant visit information and work towards a fair resolution. Safety or safeguarding issues are escalated separately where necessary.

She should communicate as soon as possible rather than leave the family wondering. Repeated lateness is treated as a quality issue and reviewed.

Call, WhatsApp or request a callback. We first complete a short suitability conversation, then a free home introduction for a suitable enquiry, followed by the Welcome Visit. If everyone is happy, we agree the regular schedule.