Careworkers not fulfilling requested care package

longforgotten

I'm in quandary what to do ............


A family member lives several miles away from me and has careworkers for half an hour call in the morning and evening , and it's a 'double hander'. They are not turning up on time, maybe only one will turn up and then the other will turn up five minutes before they're due to leave. They lie in the book about the time they've been there....see the pattern


The spouse does not want to cause a fuss, 'they're such nice girls ' ! It's maddening me that they have to pay in full to this care company who is diddling them out of time , care and money ! And it's not just going to be my family, how many other people are they doing it too.


What steps does a care company take to ensure their staff are fulfilling the care package paid for. I can't ring the care company so is there anywhere I should ring to dob this care company in so they can be assessed say by some official care 'body'! It's bad enough it happening to my family, but I don't want this to happen to anyone else either.

Lorian

Who organised the care, who pays, is it arranged by their local social services?

longforgotten

Social Services made the family choose a private care company and the family pays for the care with their own private funds.

elsien

You can report it to CQC but their response is likely to be that the first port of call should be a complaint to the company involved. Although they will log the call and action it if other people have also raised a concern.
Is it particular staff who are swinging it, or is it a pattern with the workers as a whole?
If they are paying for the care, then they do have the option to find another care agency. If social services or health are funding it, then they can complain to them. Again though, if the funder goes to the spouse and asks if there's a problem and he says no, there's not a lot they're going to be able to do.
Can you talk to the spouse and re-iterate that they are paying for a service that they're not receiving? He can raise it informally with the company in the first instance if he doesn't want to make a fuss.
What are the reasons he needs 2 staff? What jobs are getting missed? If it's for moving and handling of the person being cared for then the carers are putting them at risk of injury if they're not doing it properly. Maybe pointing out that risk may be the prompt he needs?

longforgotten

Yes it's a double hander because of mobility.


They are doing the physical stuff that is needed in quick time and legging it, but it's not only about that, interaction and chat is also what is needed. If it was me, if I paid for half an hour then half an hour is what I would expect to get. There have been times when only one has turned up the spouse ends up helping but the bill still stays the same.


You are correct that I think it will come that a new care provider will be found and we have the ability to do that ( hopefully soon after a bit of coaxing ) but what of all those vulnerable people out there that have no family.........

elsien

CQC. It's a bit of a long game but they're the regulatory body.

longforgotten

I think I should add that I have every sympathy with hard working carers who are not allowed enough time to get from one house to another, who are expected to work miracles by getting from a to b on the bus etc. This maybe the case for these care workers so it's the Care Company that may well be to blame.

pol-zeath

It will be most certainly the care company who is at fault. It appears the carers are rostered for single calls and then meeting up for the doubles, hence the difficulty for both meeting at your relatives at the same time.

Pity these poor carers who are proably not even paid for their travelling time. Which will make their pay less than the national min wage .

Don't blame them, blame the system

kingfisherblue

Perhaps your relative could keep a note for a week, stating times that staff turn up and leave. Then, he should contact the agency and request an explanation (and a reduction on his invoice!)

It may not solve the problem, but it could go a long way to ensuring the correct amount of care is given.

If he contacts the CQC, he will also have times and dates that full care has not been given.

Mojisola

longforgotten wrote: »

A family member lives several miles away from me and has careworkers for half an hour call in the morning and evening , and it's a 'double hander'. They are not turning up on time, maybe only one will turn up and then the other will turn up five minutes before they're due to leave. They lie in the book about the time they've been there....see the pattern

Could you arrange it so that the carers use your relative's phone to phone a family member when they arrive (speak to both of them) and just before they leave - once they know they are being monitored, they will probably turn up when they should - if they don't, you'll have the evidence to show the company.

longforgotten

Thank you for all the replies.


Further investigation has found that this care company has a bad reputation in the area. It would appear not enough checking was done by the family up there before choosing them. In fairness Social Services didn't give them enough time to check properly but that's another story.


Well, it's going to be a change in Care companies and if the current care company should ask my husband why they're leaving then he will have his opportunity to tell them exactly why


And I agree with keeping notes on time keeping and what the carers do and don't do but the family that actually has the care do not have the confidence or ability to do this and don't want to 'make waves'. To confront the care company is just too frightening ( frightening maybe to strong a word but you get the idea ) for them.