Companionship that connects.Technology that notices.
NexusCare Connect brings older people together with vetted university companions through thoughtful matching, structured visits and wellbeing-aware technology.
How the service fits together
- 1Older MemberCompanionship at the centre
- 2Trusted CompanionVetted, trained university student
- 3NexusCare PlatformMatching, verification, observations
- 4Family / ReferrerVisibility and reassurance
Technology supports human companionship — it never replaces it.
About NexusCare Connect
Companionship, reimagined for a connected generation.
There is a real gap between informal befriending — often free, but unvetted, unmeasured and capacity-constrained — and CQC-regulated homecare, which is clinical and expensive. NexusCare Connect is deliberately built in between.
Vetted university students are matched with older members using a compatibility engine. Members receive a fixed allocation of companionship visit-hours each month, and companions record structured observations after visits so families can see changes against the member's own wellbeing baseline.
NexusCare Connect is not a homecare provider and does not replace regulated personal care.
Informal befriending
- Less structured
- Often limited capacity
- Limited measurement
- Varying levels of vetting
NexusCare Connect
- Vetted companions
- Compatibility matching
- Structured visits
- Personal wellbeing baseline
- Safeguarding telemetry
- Family / referrer visibility
Regulated homecare
- Clinical / personal-care focus
- Higher regulatory requirements
- Not primarily designed around companionship
Built by complementary expertise
Rachit Patel
Chief Technology Officer
Technology, data, machine learning, platform architecture and product development.
MSc Computer Science. Operations Lead at Amazon in London and previously Junior Data Scientist at Smallcap.ai. Leads the matching engine, Wellbeing Sentinel, safeguarding telemetry, security and hosting.
Dhaval Patel
Chief Operating Officer
Care experience, safeguarding, operations, companion management and service delivery.
Care Assistant experience with safeguarding, dementia-care, infection-control and manual handling training. MSc Management and MSc IT. Leads recruitment, vetting, certification, onboarding and incident response.
The platform
Six elements that make companionship dependable
An interactive prototype demonstrates all six elements with demonstration data. Production software is planned, not yet built.
Compatibility Matching
Interests, availability, location, language, pet tolerance, structured profile data, free-text biography and conversational characteristics feed a trust-affinity score from 0–100 that ranks potential pairings.
- Two or three proposals per family, in plain English
- A Coordinator or founder reviews every proposal
- The family makes the final choice — no automatic assignment
- The score is an aid, not a guarantee
Wellbeing Sentinel
After each visit companions complete a short structured note: mood indicators, conversation length, activities accepted or declined, digital-task progress and free-text observations.
- Track wellbeing patterns against a personal baseline
- Help notice meaningful changes earlier
- Human review, not diagnosis
- Not a medical or diagnostic system
Safeguarding Telemetry
Safeguarding is built into the visit itself, so one-to-one companionship is supported by verification and clear escalation.
- GPS arrival and check-in verification
- One-tap SOS
- Timed escalation
- Safeguarding records and incident escalation procedures
Digital Inclusion
Companions help members build everyday digital confidence using teaching techniques suited to older learners.
- NHS App, video calling and online shopping
- Online activities and scam awareness
- Online banking awareness (no banking services or financial advice)
- Optional Digital Inclusion Specialist Level 1 and Level 2 tracks
Family & Referrer Visibility
Families see what happened and what is changing; institutional customers get the reporting they need.
- Visit logs and structured visit information
- Wellbeing trend information where applicable
- Referrer dashboard and audit reporting
- Later-stage Agency / ICB functionality
Vetting, Certification & Operations
Companions are university students recruited through university partnerships, Enhanced DBS checked, trained and certified through the platform.
- Vetting and certification workflows
- Visit records and payment records
- Auditability across the service
- Seven core training modules plus optional tracks
The product loop
Every visit feeds the next match, the next observation and the next review.
- 01Match
- 02Verify
- 03Visit
- 04Observe
- 05Review
- 06Learn
Companion training & certification
Companions are self-employed university students — not employees and not carers. Year 1 companion pay is £13.00/hour, rising to £14.00/hour by Year 3.
The Rulebook
Permitted and prohibited activities, scenarios, emergencies are not care.
Safeguarding Adults
Care Act categories. Recognise, record, report. Escalation ladder.
Ageing, Dementia & Communication
Sensory change, pace, reminiscence, responding to confusion and repetition.
Loneliness & Conversation
Building rapport, conversation that isn't an interview, managing endings, continuity.
Observation & Visit Note
What to notice, factual recording, observation versus diagnosis.
Lone Working & Personal Safety
Arrival, exit, SOS, boundaries, escalation, self-care.
Data Protection & Confidentiality
UK GDPR basics, what may and may not be shared, social-media rules.
Digital Inclusion Specialist
Level 1 and Level 2 tracks.
How it works
From first enquiry to regular, well-observed visits
- 01
Enquire
Target: response within 1 working day
Enquiries arrive through the website, by phone or by referral, and Customer Success picks them up.
- 02
Discover
Target: within 3 working days
A discovery call with the family covers needs, routines, expectations and the companionship boundary.
- 03
Onboard
Target: within 7 working days · £330 one-time
Well-being Onboarding: a home visit that captures the member profile, interests, routines, risk notes, family contacts and consent.
- 04
Match
Baseline & compatibility engine
The platform establishes the member's personal baseline and runs the compatibility engine to rank potential pairings.
- 05
Meet
Two or three proposals · human review
The family receives two or three proposed companions with an explanation for each. A Coordinator or founder reviews every proposal and the family chooses.
- 06
Visit
Target: regular visits around Week 3
A supervised introductory visit takes place first, then regular companionship visits begin.
- 07
Observe
Structured visit note
After each visit the companion records structured observations — mood indicators, conversation, activities and digital-task progress.
- 08
Review
Human review · family visibility
Observations are compared with the member's own baseline. Meaningful changes are reviewed by a person and communicated through the appropriate process.
Continuity doesn't disappear when a companion changes.
Rematching is a normal part of the service — triggered when the member or companion asks for a change, a companion leaves, three consecutive visits show low engagement, or the family wants variety. History, preferences and the member's baseline transfer to the new companion.
Companionship with clear boundaries.
Every companion is vetted, trained and certified. NexusCare Connect is designed around a clear boundary: companionship and everyday non-care support, not regulated personal care.
Vetted
DBS-gated onboarding before any companion is matched with a member.
Trained
Companions are trained against the companion rulebook before visits begin.
Certified
Certification and visit verification are recorded on the platform.
Outside the companionship boundary
- —No washing
- —No dressing
- —No toileting
- —No feeding assistance
- —No medication assistance
For regulated personal care, families should use a CQC-regulated homecare provider. NexusCare Connect does not replace regulated personal care.
Market Pricing
Transparent, comparable pricing.
Members receive a fixed allocation of companionship visit-hours each month. All prices are exclusive of VAT.
Essential Companion
£250per month
8 visit-hours per month
Families arranging regular companionship for an older relative.
- Vetted university companion
- Compatibility matching with human review
- Verified, structured companionship visits
- Visit notes shared with the family
Well-being Pro
£300per month
8 visit-hours per month
Families who also want wellbeing observation against a personal baseline.
- Everything in Essential Companion
- Wellbeing Sentinel observations against the member's own baseline
- Richer family visibility and trend summaries
- Priority coordinator support
Agency / ICB Portal
£220per member, per month
6 visit-hours per month
Local authorities, ICBs, social-prescribing services and homecare providers.
- Multi-member referrer portal
- Structured observation reporting
- Safeguarding and verification records
- Planned from Year 2
Well-being Onboarding
One-time£330
Home visit capturing the member profile, interests, routines, risk notes, family contacts and consent.
Well-being Baseline Assessment
From Year 2£450
An extended baseline assessment. It is a behavioural and wellbeing baseline, not a medical diagnosis.
All prices are exclusive of VAT.
FAQ
Questions families and referrers ask.
Request a Pilot
Start a conversation about a pilot.
Two structured pilots are planned during Months 3–6: self-funding households across two London boroughs, and households introduced through a community organisation or social-prescribing relationship. Share your details and we will follow up.
- Pilot targets: ≥70% first-proposed matches accepted
- Pilot targets: ≥90% sessions completing full verification
- Pilot targets: ≥50% reduction in family weekly coordination time
- Pilot targets: ≥60% pilot households still subscribing at Month 9
These are pre-registered targets that the pilots will test — not achieved results.