76319COVID-19 and Carercard - Adapting for Safer Payments Across All Care and Support ProvidersClosedCollaborative R&DInnovate UK**COVID-19 and Carercard** **- Adapting for Safer Payments Across Care and Support Providers** Behind the project title is a simple ambition. The sort of service our team had wanted, when organising care for a loved one to live well at home for longer. 'How can you organise safe and easy housekeeping payments, when a loved one is being looked after, and you can't always get there'? We started with a safe and easy prepaid card designed for care - Carercard, a Mastercard(r) prepaid card, for use wherever you see the 'Mastercard Acceptance Mark'. With support from **Innovate UK** this can be expanded into a digital platform with virtual cards, screen payments. This adds a facility for other organisations to adapt and use our service to assist their own customers in a more tailored way. One learning we had from care is how each family likes to organise things in ways that work best for their loved ones. Care providers and councils are able to improve access to Carercard. **"The issues we found ourselves**", said CEO William Annandale, "**was how best to help a carer who arrive to help our loved ones, especially when we could not always get there"**. A loved one is doing fine, then a health crisis, and discharge with a care plan, and you the family need to make changes to help a loved one live well in their own homes for longer. Over 10 million of us, in the UK, are involved in aspects of care planning. "**We thought, if we can help get housekeeping at home working well, it takes one pressure away from care providers**", said William. That lead to Carercard and, now, it leads to a digital platform for partner organisations who know their own customers' needs well to tailor what works best for them. The Sustainable Innovation Fund helps this solution become available faster, while COVID-19 is causing pressure on our care and volunteer services. Hestian already works in a sustainable way. Sustainability is part of the company ethos. It starts with helping families to sustain the wellbeing of a loved one, at home. It extends to better choices for household budgeting. Sustainability also informs the operating decisions Hestian makes. As does inclusivity. Our market offering is 'all age and all conditions' backed by a workforce pledge to build a team with diversity in all aspects and able to bring their own work-life balance, post Covid. As a sign of both the need and of how Carercard delivers a better option, here are two insights that we really appreciate; The MD at the registered care agency in our recent pilot said **"Carercard is a great solution we will be encouraging instead of cash'.** The platform helps us to widen access. A recent customer said **"I have been really impressed with your support and the smooth operation of card use. I have experience of another card that I used for our carers, I have to say that Carercard is significantly easier to use".**