BackEve Leefe-Griffiths
August 13, 2025
Curam’s digital care platform transforms how Local Authorities (LAs) and Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) deliver home care, by reducing admin, improving financial oversight, while maximising personalisation. The portal supports Direct Payment and DPSS models, offering seamless integration with virtual wards, early discharge pathways, and other care services.
With 10,000+ vetted care professionals and over 6 million hours of care already delivered, Curam enables faster onboarding, lower service user fees, and higher earnings for carers- driving more flexible, cost-effective care delivery across the UK.
What Is Curam’s Local Authority Portal?
Curam’s Local Authority Portal is a dedicated dashboard for Social Workers, Direct Payment Advisors, Care Coordinators, and Finance Officers.
This portal is distinct from the client-facing site and offers:
📊 A real-time overview of care hours, client activity, and spend.
📌 The ability to post care roles at pre-approved LA rates.
🧾 Automated invoicing via third-party payroll providers.
📈 Customisable monthly reports for compliance and audits.
👥 A dedicated account manager and onboarding support.
💷 No platform fees for funded clients accessing care via the portal.
Councils and Centres for Independent Living (CILs) can also request a Case Management version, enabling full management of client care, contracts, and payments, without the client needing to interact with Curam directly. Curam’s portals can be customised to meet the operational needs of each organisation, including Local Authorities, NHS Trusts, Care Homes, and Charities.
Fully Aligned with Direct Payments and Personal Health Budget Models
Curam’s portal has been developed specifically for funding models, including:
🤝 Direct Payments (DP)
🤝 Self-Directed Support (SDS – Scotland)
🤝 Personal Health Budgets (PHBs – England)
🤝 Continuing Healthcare (CHC)
🤝 Managed bank accounts
🤝 Prepaid care cards
🤝 Third-party payroll accounts
PAYE Employment Model
For clients who would like to employ carers under PAYE, Curam now offers a compliant PAYE model including:
📄 Digital employment contracts
🕒 Timesheet management
💼 Payroll support or integration
📑 Insurance, contract templates, and training options
💳 Clients pay a flat monthly subscription for PAYE access, with an optional payroll add-on
Third-Party Payroll Integration
For clients with a managed account setup, Curam offers seamless invoicing. Clients in the portal simply approve invoices. Invoices are auto-submitted to their payroll provider. No downloads or emails needed. If a client is not in the portal, they must manually send invoices to their payroll provider.
Transparent Pricing & 12% Fee Discount
Clients accessing care via the Local Authority Portal receive a 12% discount on Curam’s standard client fee. This is exclusive to verified LA or ICB portal users and helps ensure care remains cost-effective for publicly funded users. With average LA-funded rates at £16/hour and private rates at £19.50/hour, Curam offers a significant cost saving compared to traditional agencies charging over £25/hour, all while carers retain 85% of the fee.
Please note: This discount is discretionary if the LA opts not to use the portal, but funding is still verified.
Benefits for Local Authorities and ICBs
✅ Dedicated account manager for onboarding and support
✅ Real-time financial oversight
✅ Streamlined commissioning: care jobs posted at agreed rates
✅ Automated reporting: monthly care and financial summaries
✅ Third-party payroll integration
✅ No cost to the council or funded clients
✅ PAYE-ready employment support
✅ Custom alerts, HR, tax, and governance tools available
Curam also supports hospital discharge teams by offering real-time sourcing of local carers, helping free up hospital beds and reduce delays in care transitions.
Supporting Local Authorities Across the UK
Councils using the Curam Portal (as of July 2025) include: Leeds City Council, Bristol, North Yorkshire, West Berkshire, Kensington & Chelsea, Cambridgeshire, Cheshire East, Dudley, Sunderland, Leicestershire, Hillingdon, and many more.
Designed for Transparency, Flexibility, and Personalisation
With pressures on adult social care growing, Curam helps Local Authorities:
🛠️ Reduce dependency on brokerage teams
🧑🤝🧑 Support and empower clients’ independence and choice
📊 Maintain financial transparency and compliance
🔄 Adapt to each authority’s preferred processes and pay structures
📈 Track patterns, flag threshold breaches, split client cohorts, and produce care governance reports.
Curam’s technology also supports NHS and LA partners to implement "virtual ward" functionality, enabling care teams to monitor care plans, health notes, vitals, and rostering — all through the platform, in one place.
Safeguarding and Verified Carers You Can Trust
At Curam, client and carer safety is at the heart of everything we do. That’s why every Curam carer goes through one of the UK’s most comprehensive carer vetting processes, giving families, councils, and NHS teams full peace of mind.
All Curam carers are fully vetted ensuring the highest standards of care and professionalism. Before becoming part of the Curam carer team, all carers are vetted by:
🛡️Biometric bank-level ID checks
🛂 Right-to-work ID checks
🔒 DBS or PVG background checks
🎓 Care qualifications verification
Future-Ready Social Care Infrastructure
As self-directed and personalised care becomes the norm, Curam equips councils with the tools to deliver high-quality, compliant care at scale, without compromising on oversight or clients’ care needs.
From one-to-one carer video introductions (via CuramMeet), to fast posting and matching of care needs and carers, Curam enables real-time connection 24/7.
Book a Demo or Learn More
Whether you're part of a commissioning team, direct payment lead, or ICB care coordinator, explore how Curam’s Local Authority Portal can support you. Learn more here, or contact our partnerships team today at partnerships@curam.io.
