What's inside
=INSTAMAP()=TOWN()=TRAVEL_TIME()- →One row per visit: client, address, day, call window, carer, needs. The Town column fills itself from the address, so sort by it to see the patches.
- →The rota map in B1 colours every pin by the Carer column. Filter it by carer, day or town, and share the link with team leaders.
- →The carers block (row 19) holds each carer's home base, whether they drive or walk, and their skills. It is what a sick-day cover search runs against.
- →Windows follow the usual pattern (AM 07:00–10:45, Lunch 11:00–14:30, Tea 15:00–18:30, PM 18:30–22:00). Change them to yours; anything in the cell works.
Set-up (60 seconds)
- Download the CSV above, then in Google Sheets: File → Import → Upload.
- Install the free InstaMaps add-on (100 lookups/day free; 1,000/day with a free email unlock).
- Turn the formulas on: in your sheet, open Extensions → InstaMaps → ⚡ Enable formulas (once per sheet). Any
#NAME?cells recalculate — reload the page if they linger. - Replace the sample rows with your data — every formula stays live.
Questions
Open the rota map, filter to that carer and day, and every visit that needs cover is on screen with its window. The carers block shows who lives near each one and whether they drive or walk. A ranked cover suggestion that checks gender, training and travel norms is in early access; ask us.
Paste the address into a spare row and the Town and Mins-from-office columns fill in. On the map you see which patch it lands in and which carers already have visits in that window nearby. That is the referral-fit check most coordinators do from memory.
The window is a column, so the map filters by it and the rota sorts by it. Travel norms (30 minutes ideal, 50 max for drivers, 20 for walkers) are a check you do on the map today; an automatic Monday travel check is in early access.
Client rows stay in your sheet. A map is private unless you share its link, and the only things we keep about a map are its size and shape as numbers (row count, area, spacing). Nothing at the level of an individual client is stored beyond the map you made.
The template, the formulas and the live map are free for a branch-sized rota (a few hundred visits a week fits the free tier). Team features such as live sync and alert emails are part of InstaMaps Pro.