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Loading page content, please wait...10 accessible vehicles|Serving London and the South East, seven days a week
10 accessible vehicles|Serving London and the South East, seven days a week
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Loading page content, please wait...Companion driving & support
Why it exists
At Ufirst, our services go beyond simply getting people from Point A to B. We are dedicated to helping our clients maintain their independence, stay connected with their communities, and continue enjoying the things that matter most.
Supporting people from all walks of life, our companion driving and support service makes everyday journeys easier and more enjoyable. Whether it is attending important medical appointments, running essential errands, visiting family and friends, or enjoying long-awaited social occasions, we are here every step of the way.
We’re family when family can’t be there.
If you or a loved one needs a little extra support with day-to-day activities, our compassionate, door-through-door service provides reassurance, companionship and peace of mind — helping people live life with confidence while remaining as independent as possible.
What people book us for
Door through door
Most transport is measured kerb to kerb, which is convenient for the operator and no use at all to somebody who is unsteady on a wet path, cannot manage a threshold with a walking frame, or will not find the right department in a hospital that has been extended four times.
Door through door means the journey starts inside the house and finishes where the person actually needs to be. It costs more time per booking, which is exactly why so few operators do it, and it is the single thing companion clients tell us they value most.
This is companionship, practical help and physical assistance with getting about. It is not a regulated care service: our drivers do not provide personal care, and they do not administer or prompt medication.
Where somebody needs that level of support on the journey, a carer or family member is welcome to travel with them — escort seats are always free of charge.
Where we go
Our core operating area, covered by our own vehicles and crews seven days a week, including early mornings and evenings.
A family visit at the other end of the country, a move between hospitals, a funeral in another county. Planned and quoted as one fixed price in advance rather than metered afterwards.
Every journey is quoted before it happens. No meter, no charge for the time it takes to get somebody safely in and out, and no surcharge for the ramp or the lift. If the plan changes on the day we tell you what that means before we act on it, not afterwards on an invoice.
Arranging it
Prefer to talk it through before booking anything? Call the office, or the mobile on 07908 752552.
Questions
A taxi journey ends at the kerb. A companion journey ends when the person is where they actually need to be - through the door, at the right reception, in the right waiting room - and it starts the same way at the other end. The driver stays with them rather than dropping and leaving. For a confident traveller that difference is unnecessary; for somebody anxious, unsteady or living with memory problems, it is the whole point.
For a standing weekly arrangement that is what we aim for, and usually what we manage. We will not promise it absolutely, because holidays, sickness and vehicle availability are real. What we will do is tell you in advance when it has to be somebody else, rather than letting an unfamiliar face turn up unannounced.
For shorter appointments, yes - it is usually cheaper than a second journey and far less stressful than waiting for a vehicle to come back. For a long clinic or a procedure with an unpredictable finish, we normally book a return leg with a generous window instead. We will tell you which of the two is better value when you book, rather than defaulting to whichever earns more.
Yes, and for most companion bookings that is expected. The driver will come to the door, help with coats, shoes, keys, a walking frame or a wheelchair, and see the person back inside at the end. If somebody would rather be met at the door and no further, that is equally fine - tell us and it is noted on the booking.
No, and it is important to be straight about that. Our drivers provide companionship, practical help and physical assistance with getting about - an arm to lean on, help with steps, doors, bags and mobility aids. They do not provide personal care, and they do not administer or prompt medication. Where somebody needs that level of support on a journey, a carer or family member is welcome to travel with them at no extra charge.
Yes, and a good share of our companion bookings are made this way - often by somebody living in another city or another country. You can arrange and pay for the journeys, and we will deal with your parent directly and kindly on the day. Tell us at the outset what you want to hear back afterwards and we will keep to it.
The companion service is available nationwide. Journeys across London and the South East run as standard work from our own fleet; longer trips - a family visit at the other end of the country, a move between hospitals, a funeral in another county - are planned and quoted individually rather than metered after the event.
For a first companion booking, a few days lets us match the right driver properly rather than sending whoever happens to be free. Once an arrangement is established, changes at short notice are usually straightforward. Urgent journeys - a discharge, a family emergency - are always worth calling about on the day, and we will tell you honestly what we can cover.
Not just the pick-up and the destination - the person. How they get about, what worries them, and what they would rather manage themselves. We will build the arrangement around that.
Prefer to talk it through? 020 8058 9879
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