Friendly wellbeing calls for your parent.
Clear updates for you.
From £33 per week.
Friendly human contact
Regular calls, up to 7 days per week
Trained, supervised Wellbeing Callers
Fully insured, UK-registered business
We alert you if something seems wrong
Pass on messages and reminders
You're already doing your best
When you’re stretched, it’s hard to give your parent the steady contact that helps keep loneliness at bay.
Sometimes even a good call can leave you wondering what is really happening the rest of the week.
ParentCalls adds a rhythm of human contact, while giving you a clearer picture between your own calls and visits
Meet the team
ParentCalls is based in London, with our Wellbeing Callers operating out of sunny South Africa.
Our Callers are trained professionals and are chosen for their warmth, reliability and experience in elderly care, nursing or family support. Some also have UK care experience.
They love what they do and have a real passion for the difference they make in their clients’ lives.
Emma
Emma is a qualified nurse with extensive experience in dementia and end-of-life care. Since leaving clinical work, she has enjoyed the slower, more personal side of supporting older people – listening, sharing stories and bringing steady reassurance to each call.
Cathy
Cathy has been a carer for eight years, including two years in the UK supporting three private clients. She has a calm, reassuring presence and a deep love of books, making her especially good at gentle conversation and thoughtful companionship.
Lucy
Lucy began her career in nursing before becoming a café owner, where she learned to talk comfortably with people from every walk of life. She has been a carer for 3 years and particularly enjoys getting to know people properly and brightening their day.
Susan
Susan was an executive assistant for a multinational company, where she says she “basically herded cats”. She has spent the last five years as a carer, including two years in the UK supporting terminally ill clients. She brings warmth, patience and quiet competence.
Chris
Chris has a background in rugby and fitness, and brings a calm, steady presence to his calls. He first got involved in caring while supporting his late father, and now describes it as a calling. He recently spent two years in the UK with a domiciliary care agency in Wiltshire.
Claire
Claire taught primary-level English across three continents before settling back in South Africa, where she has been a carer for 4 years. She is thoughtful, articulate and endlessly curious – with an encyclopaedic knowledge of films and a talent for easy conversation.
Team FAQs
How do you select your Wellbeing Callers?
Experience supporting older people is a prerequisite for our Wellbeing Callers. That usually means a background in care or nursing, so they can relate quickly and understand the kinds of changes families may be concerned about.
Before someone becomes a Wellbeing Caller, we assess how they speak, listen and respond. Our callers are English-speaking, have good judgement, patience, reliability and a calm manner in sensitive situations.
We also carry out identity checks, reference checks and appropriate background checks.
They complete the ParentCalls training program before making calls. This covers boundaries, safeguarding, privacy, call notes, family updates, escalation, and how to provide a quality service to both the older person and the family. Callers are trained to notice and report meaningful changes, but not to diagnose, give medical advice, provide counselling, or make decisions for the family.
They are part of a caring team and not working alone. ParentCalls supervises the service, and callers follow our operating procedures, including our escalation process. That way, your parent speaks with someone warm and capable, with a service that is properly managed to support them.
Why are they based in South Africa?
ParentCalls is a UK-registered company, operating from London. Our Wellbeing Caller team is based in South Africa because it gives us access to warm, capable, English-speaking people with experience in elderly care, nursing or family support. They are chosen for the patience, judgement and phone manner needed for regular conversations with older adults.
Basing our caller team in South Africa also helps us keep regular human contact affordable for families who want more than occasional check-ins.
We select, train and supervise our callers from the UK, instilling clear standards for service quality, safeguarding, privacy and escalation.
Weekly plan
£33/week
- Choose any 3 days
- Same friendly caller
- Consistent weekly rhythm
- Family updates included
Stop Anytime
If you feel it isn’t right for your parent, let us know at any time and we will refund you for the unused calls.
Additional days
£10/week per added day
Pricing
& plans
We start with three calls per week because it creates a familiar weekly rhythm without feeling too much. If more contact would help, you can add extra days at any time.
Pricing FAQs
Are there any hidden fees?
No. The monthly price shown is the price you pay. There are no onboarding fees, setup charges or hidden extras.
What if my parent doesn't take to it?
We can help you to explain and introduce the service, then start gently at your parent’s pace. If it doesn’t feel right, you can stop at any time and we will refund any unused calls.
Pricing FAQs
Are there any hidden fees?
No. The monthly price shown is the price you pay. There are no onboarding fees, setup charges or hidden extras.
What if my parent doesn't take to it?
We can help you to explain and introduce the service, then start gently at your parent’s pace. If it doesn’t feel right, you can stop at any time and we will refund any unused calls.
Start the conversation
Get in touch
Leave your details and we’ll talk you through how ParentCalls can help.
Prefer to choose a time?
Getting started
1
Book call
- We discuss your parent’s situation and needs.
- We give you tips on how to introduce the service to your parent.
- Agree a start date
2
Kick-off
- We start calls and begin to build rapport.
- We also set you up on our Family-circle app so that we can share updates and messages securely.
3
Ongoing calls
- A familiar voice at agreed times.
- You can send us messages and reminders through the App to pass onto your parent.
4
Updates & escalation
- You receive a written update after each call.
- If we have reason for concern about your parent, you will be alerted.
Getting started FAQs
Can we speak to the Wellbeing Caller first?
Yes. You can get to know them and align on preferences and boundaries before calls with your parent begin.
What helps you get off to a good start with my parent?
It helps to know a little background so the calls feel more natural from the start – for example their personality, routine, hobbies, interests, what they enjoy talking about, and any preferences around call times or communication. This also helps us match them with a suitable Wellbeing Caller. We talk this through when you book an enquiry.
How is your parent, really?
After each call, we send a summary call-note through our Family-circle app so you have a clearer sense of how your parent seemed, and whether anything needs a follow-up.
Benefits
Whether your parent is still living independently or already has some care, ParentCalls adds what families often struggle to provide: regular, human contact and a clearer sense of how things are.
- Regular calls that can start in days, not weeks.
- A consistent person your parent gets to know and look forward to.
- Check-ins that help you understand how your parent is coping.
- Short updates you can scan in under a minute.
- Early warning when something seems off, so you can act sooner.
- Help filling the gaps between your own calls and visits.
- More informed conversations when you call or visit.
- A clearer sense of when your parent may need more support.
Where it began
I’m Richard Phillips, founder of ParentCalls.
When life, distance and responsibilities mean you cannot always be there, it can be surprisingly difficult to know how an older parent is really doing between visits and phone calls.
I experienced that uncertainty with my own parents. It can start before any care is needed and remain even once some support is in place.
That uncertainty was the starting point for ParentCalls.
Learn more about Richard and the story behind ParentCalls here.
Common questions
Getting started
Is any special equipment required?
No. It’s a normal phone call that your parent can receive on a landline or mobile.
How soon can we begin?
Usually within a few days once onboarding is complete and your parent is happy to proceed.
Can you tailor it for my parent?
Yes. We adapt the conversation topics, pace, tone and call structure to your parent’s interests, personality, routines, and preferences. We also adapt the wellbeing questions so that we can keep an eye on what matters most to you. We agree the approach in onboarding and refine it as we learn what works best.
What happens in the first week?
Once a Wellbeing Caller has been assigned, we’ll agree the call schedule and times and then hold the first call. We soon learn what your parent enjoys. You will get early feedback and we can adjust quickly if required.
Call times - fixed or flexible?
We agree a regular time window so calls feel dependable, but there is flexibility when needed. The service works best when there is consistency.
Call length - what is typical?
Most calls are around 20 minutes. In practice, the right length depends on how your parent is on the day and how the conversation is flowing. The priority is a good check-in, rather than watching the clock.
Phone calls only? What about video calls?
Phone calls are the default because they are the easiest and least demanding option for most older parents. It allows them to relax and be themselves.
What if my parent does not answer?
We retry after 3 minutes and again a few minutes after that. If there is still no answer we message you via the Family-circle app.
Family updates - what do you send?
A short note on how the call went. While privacy-respecting, if there is anything you should know or if there are actions or decisions needed, we make them explicit.
The updates are sent using our secure Family-circle app, so it’s all in one place.
Can you update multiple family members?
Yes. Outside of emergencies, we use our Family-circle app to communicate and you can add other family members to receive the updates on the app.
Plans, payments & refunds
How do you take payment?
We use Stripe for secure online card or direct debit payments. Your plan is set up as a recurring subscription, so payments continue automatically until you change or cancel it.
Cancellation - how do I stop?
You can cancel at any time by emailing us. Cancellation stops future billing. Refunds for the unused part of the current billing period are refunded.
Privacy, safety & boundaries
Is ParentCalls a care company?
No. It’s a phone-based wellbeing check-in service for older adults, with short updates to family, designed to help you stay informed and flag concerns early between visits or family calls. Companionship is a natural benefit of the service, which helps to reduce loneliness.
Consent - who needs to agree?
Your parent needs to be happy to receive the calls. We do not want ParentCalls to feel imposed, and we will not continue if the calls are unwelcome.
Your parent also needs to understand that calls are recorded, and that short updates will be shared with the Lead Contact after calls. We explain this clearly before calls begin, so everyone knows how information is used.
We use recordings for training, quality review, safeguarding review, complaint handling, and to keep a clear record if there is ever a concern about what was said or agreed.
How do you keep information secure?
Information is stored securely, access is limited, and we only share what is necessary and appropriate for the service. You can view our Privacy Policy here.
Safeguarding - what is your process?
If something concerns us, we act on it. We follow a clear safeguarding process and agreed escalation plan, so concerns are picked up and passed on appropriately. You can read a summary of our Safeguarding approach here.
What topics do you always avoid?
We avoid any topics you flag to us during onboarding or at any other time. We work within clear, respectful boundaries. That means conversations remain friendly and appropriate, and never stray into areas such as medical advice, legal or financial matters, or family affairs.