When you have come to the stage that a loved one needs a bit of care, you have to start the search for a home care provider. That can be daunting task. Not all health care providers are aware what constitutes good social care. Nor do they know who the good home care companies are. That is why they are not always the best ones to turn for advice. An internet search can be daunting too. Often there are so many that advertise. They all claim to be the best. Who to believe?
Price happens to be not a bad indication. If you go for a very low hourly rate, chances are you will receive inadequate care. Why? Because it usually means that the care company pays there carers badly, even to the point that they pay less than the minimum wage. How else would they keep their business afloat? Those companies cannot pay a decent wage if they charge so little from the client. And the experience is that that creates a lot of job-hopping. Carers constantly looking for better wages. And who can blame them? Nationwide carer turnover is 60-70%, at Visiting Angels Burton & Derby that is less than 10% because we pay well, we are also recognised by the Living Wage Foundation, proving we pay well above the minimum wage. That is why we can provide continuity and consistency in care.
Any good self-respecting carer will not work for such a low hourly fee. What this means is that there are not enough locals who want to work for such a low pay and who can blame them! However, overseas carer workers coming on sponsorship may. Sponsorship means that companies facilitate visas for overseas care workers, promising high wages, accommodation and sometimes use of a “company car”. The UK has such a scheme in place because – as the narrative goes – there are not enough care workers in the UK. This scheme has been widely abused by people smugglers setting up bogus care companies. That is why so many overseas care workers from Africa and Asia are emigrating to the UK via a care worker visa. Some of them work in dire and illegal circumstances. Some care companies who employ overseas workers treat them so badly are accused of modern day slavery, as described in this article by the BBC.
The morale of this story is that you do not really want to hire such care companies. Chances are that the quality of care is compromised. Is that what you want for your loved one? Check us out on https://www.homecare.co.uk/homecare/agency.cfm/id/65432239838 and see our clients reviews and check out other care companies you may be interested in. This will give you a better insight into the experience of our clients.
Below a BBC horror story what sponsorship with bad intentions can lead too, Click on the link
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2803m0kl4no