About Us

This short preface introducing Rest Assured Home and Pet Care is designed to be helpful in aiding you to feel confident and comfortable inviting us, strangers, in to your home. We fully appreciate that you do not know us, or our representatives, and that if you employ Rest Assured you are welcoming us into your home as guests to care for your property and pets.

Rest Assured Home and Pet Care commenced trading in April 1999 by us, Jim and Elaine Horton. Being homeowners and pet lovers we know how difficult it can be to leave your home unattended and pets in kennels.

Our business was to be an enjoyable part time occupation for Jim in his approaching retirement, where he could take pleasure in caring for pets but not have the long-term commitment of owning them. By the year 2000 the demand for our services reached a point that Elaine stopped working independently of Rest Assured. We both now work full time homesitting, the majority of the time in different counties and frequently declining work due to a full diary.

After much careful consideration, in 2005, we made the decision to expand by employing representatives to enable us to meet the additional demands of our growing business and also for us to have a better quality of personal life. You can rest assured that each of our representatives has been meticulously chosen in order to maintain our reputation. All are police checked, insured, personally interviewed in their own home, have references verified and are mature and fit enough to cope with customer's needs. If we wouldn't feel comfortable with a prospective representative in our home, we do not employ them. All representatives are resident in the UK.

We always take care to match the needs of our customers with the abilities and skills of the designated representative. It is usual to meet your housesitter before the assignment and if either you or the representative is not comfortable, the situation can be reviewed.

It is possible for you to speak to other customers, many long standing, to further reassure yourself of our professionalism and standards. We are more than happy to supply you with contact details on your request.

Police Checks, Insurance & References

Nothing is left to chance. Rest Assured does everything possible to put your mind at rest and give you the peace of mind to leave your most treasured possessions in our care. You can ask for copies of references and insurance at any time, the originals are held in Rest Assured's office.

Rest Assured's representatives have been Police Checked and have no convictions or prosecutions recorded against them on the Person Record category of the Police National Computer. Each Representative has a certificate to verify this.

Our comprehensive insurance is to cover you, and Rest Assured, in case of mishaps. It does not cover problems that occur with your property or pets that would have happened regardless of our actions. If you have reason to claim on our insurance you will need to provide the appropriate original receipts and quotes.

Rest Assured and its representatives are fully insured as follows:-

Public Liability/Housesitting - £2,000,000.00
Employees Liability - £10,000,000.00
Care & Custody of Animals - £5,000.00

Rest Assured holds personal and occupational references for all representatives. You can ask for copies of references and insurance etc at any time, the originals are held in Rest Assured's office.

Customers are asked to complete a short questionnaire regarding Rest Assured and the standard of care you felt you received from the representative. Constructive criticism is always welcome, as this allows us to validate and improve the quality of service we provide.

You should inform your household insurance company that you are employing housesitters during your absence.