Jacqueline Berry, My Care Consultant

My Care Consultant was established, by me, in 2016 with the aim of becoming the first nationally recognised care navigation firm in the UK.

We seek to solve three key issues that the public has. The first is that when a care need arises most people are dealing with a very fragmented care system for the first time. So, they probably haven’t got any prior experience of dealing with it and don’t know where to start.

The second key issue is that there is a lot of incorrect information out there, so, you could speak to five different sources and ask the same question and get five different answers. So, that’s a challenge.

The third is that there’s no obvious central space of support to go to for help. The Society of Later Life Advisers, which is shortened to SOLLA, is the gold standard accreditation for any adviser who wants to focus, specialise in, or advise clients when it comes to paying for regulated care advice. And that’s just one of the five key areas typically, people need help in. Ultimately, nobody has a crystal ball when it comes to knowing about our longevity.

There are nine different ways to pay for care, and it is very seldom that the best way to pay will be from a savings account.

We know that’s got a definitive life expectancy. So, a financial adviser that’s regulated by the FCA and holds a specific care advice qualification will be able to discuss all nine ways and make sure that the right solution or combination of options is selected for your loved one. And that is why, as an attorney, in my opinion, it is so important as a duty of care to speak to an appropriate financial adviser.