Merseyside training and education venture The Progress Group launches new online platform that allows self-employed care workers to bypass agency fees. Tony McDonough reports

A new online platform aims to empower self-employed workers to have greater control of what they are paid and when they work.

Traditionally those working in the care sector on a self-employed basis are at the mercy of agencies who take a cut of their pay and give them little choice over shifts. But a new digital platform by The Progress Group (TPG) aims to change that.

Bootle-based TPG, a training and education business, has launched Click Shifts under its Flourish brand. Click Shifts connects care clients to local, experienced, and vetted carers who can cover shifts at short notice.

This reduces the need to rely on agencies, avoiding additional fees. Click Shifts does not take a cut from what the carer is paid by the client ensuring care workers receive the full amount for the hours they work.

Carers can set their availability, ranging from a minimum of three hours to a maximum of 12 hours daily. Additionally, both carers and care clients can rate each other, ensuring transparency and accountability on both sides.

TPG chief executive Jayne Worthington said: “The launch of Click Shifts comes at a critical time. With 44% of the UK’s 5m unpaid working-age carers living in poverty and 152,000 care worker vacancies in England, there is an urgent need for change.

“Flourish addresses this by offering Click Shifts – a platform that allows self-employed carers to work on their terms, earning what they need by setting their own pay rates, availability, and preferred locations.

“Unlike other platforms, we ensure that carers receive 100% of their pre-tax earnings with no commission deducted, empowering them to truly take control of their work and financial stability.”

To register with Click Shifts care workers need to have a cleared DBS check, hold up-to-date training certificates, and provide two references. This ensures that only qualified and reliable professionals are part of the network, maintaining high standards of care.

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Flourish brings together more than 15 years of expertise from three established companies, which are now part of The Progress Group: MyWorkMode, Grey Matter Learning, and AC Education.

Three other digital hubs have launched under the Flourish brand: Click Learning, Click Academy, and Click Community. These enable care workers and educators to advance in their careers by accessing high-quality training.