About Us - Independent Living

Independent Living is a small, respectful and responsive home care service provider delivering quality, person-centred care in the local area. We are extremely proud to support those living in a 15-mile radius from Shardlow, Derbyshire.

Here at Independent Living, we believe every individual should have the option to stay at home in a familiar environment if they so wish, no matter their health condition or lifestyle needs. We will strive to maintain your everyday routines, hobbies and interests essential for good mental health and wellbeing. Sometimes it is hard to accept that a helping hand is needed, but after all, an afternoon browsing local shops for example, could be much more enjoyable when there’s somebody there to share the experience with.

Working with your support circle (including other professionals, such as your GP, District Nurse, Physiotherapist or Occupational Therapist), we will ensure we curate the right package of care for you.

We are fully regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and with this regulation comes compliance (and therefore peace of mind). Founder and Manager, Jay McNicol, is Registered Manager with the CQC, which means he is authorised to arrange and manage home care. For more information on CQC and regulation click here. Rest assured, staff at Independent Living are highly knowledgeable – they have a combined 70+ years of hands-on industry experience delivering first-class home care within a globally recognised charity as well as the NHS across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

When you surround yourself with positive people, anything is possible. We listen and understand. Together we empower each other. We are, and we promote Independent Living.

Our Ethos

At Independent Living, we don’t believe it is possible to provide quality care in 15 minutes and this is why we don’t offer visits of this nature. We prefer all of our visits last for a minimum of 1 hour. Once all care and support is completed – and if time remains – our Care Givers will provide companionship and look to build their relationships with you or your loved ones further. During this time, we enjoy getting to know you properly, engaging and understanding one another more. Tailored support flourishes as a result.

Please contact our friendly team to see how we may be able to support you.

Why choose us?

Quality Assurance

At Independent Living, we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of care. We achieve this by implementing a comprehensive quality assurance framework.

Dedicated Care Team

Our approach to care is characterized by the dedication and professionalism of our Care Givers. We firmly believe in the benefits of having a dedicated team of Care Givers who are direct employees of Independent Living, as opposed to relying on agency staff.

Person-Centered Care

Central to our approach is the principle of person-centered care. We understand that every Service User is unique, and their needs and preferences must be at the core of our care plans.

Why I started Independent Living

I spent more than ten years with the British Red Cross, starting as a casual carer and working my way up to registered manager. Those years taught me what good care feels like from both sides of the front door: unhurried, respectful, and built around the person rather than the rota.

As I moved into management, I saw more and more of the sector treat care as a numbers game — as many visits as possible, as quickly as possible. That isn’t why any of us came into care, so I set up Independent Living to do it differently, bringing a charity’s values into private homecare.

That’s why every visit lasts at least an hour. Once the care plan is done, the rest of that time belongs to you, to spend however feels right on the day. Our carers are directly employed, never agency staff, and they get to know the people they support.

We’re a small team based in Castle Donington, caring for people within 15 miles across Derby and South Derbyshire. We’re rated Good by the Care Quality Commission, score 9.9 out of 10 from families on homecare.co.uk, and were named one of the Top 20 Home Care Providers in the East Midlands in both 2024 and 2025.

Discover Compassionate & Personalised Home Care Today!

Experience tailored home care services with Independent Living, designed around your unique needs. Whether you require personal care, companionship, assistance with daily tasks, or specialised support, our dedicated team is here for you.