Annoyed With Care Cover!

[pixie373]

You may know, my sister and i do our own homecare business. We take off 2 weeks a year to take the children away in the summer. Because we obviously can't leave people in the lurch, we ask them if they want to arrange their own, or we cover it, charge as usual and pay the cover, so clients don't have extra bills and people to deal with.
We asked Carer friends as much as possible, but of course, they have their own jobs, so we covered the rest with a very big, well-known Agency.
They have missed loads of calls, refused to change a bed ("I've only been booked for 15 mins". And the longest they have stayed at a house, is 15 minutes. We booked them for an hour. Now the invoices are coming through and they are trying to charge for an hour care, when they have sent someone for 15 minutes.
Sorry, bit of a rant, but taking the p!

[pixie373]

Why don't all questions go in Latest Posts? Is it just one from each Topic, or something?

[Mamyalynne]

It did go into latest and I agree they are taking the proverbial, challenge them.

[Rosetta]

It must be most distressing for your service users and annoying for you.
If they had written copies of the care plans, the tasks stated, the duration and frequency of visits stated which they agreed to, and they fail to comply then surely they are in breach of contract. I suspect it may be difficult to prove after only a two week period. Could you take legal advice about the payments. Alternatively could any of your service users or carers write to the local paper saying what a rubbish service this big company provided

[Psybbo]

Pixie, can't help, but getting you back into latest posts and I sympathise with your feelings of disappointment and frustration x

[grasscarp]

You are in latest topics pixie. Sorry to hear that you have been so let down.

[SlackAlice]

Return each incorrect invoice and say that you have been told that 15 minutes was the time taken.

[Rosetta]

Another thing you could do Pixie, is to make a detailed list of their failures and send this with a complaint to their HQ. It might make them a bit more careful in future, though you would need to think it through

[pixie373]

Oh sorry! Thanks, all. I pressed top left of screen and couldn't see it. Oops.
I suppose it's not really a question as such, but it is frustrating. I have emailed the company and apparently "hoovering, cleaning, laundry" is "confusing". Some of the clients were fine with it, but said they were very quick (they don't know they are being charged an hour). Makes me wonder how many people can't or don't want to make a fuss and get taken advantage of.

[Svejk]

On the plus side,Pixie, at least your clients will know how lucky they are to have you.

[EcclesCake]

Have you checked their Ts&Cs? They may be factoring in travelling time.......not that that would be passed on to the carer in all probability.......

[pixie373]

You are such a lovely lot on here.

You are right in that they don't give travel time. I know myself, from when I've worked for agencies, you have a call, say 9-10 and next one is 10-10:30, but twenty minutes away! But they have agreed to an hour's care, not suggested travel time on top. 15 min call and 45 mins travel couldn't be very worthwhile.
We got lots of big hugs, svejk. But i feel guilty :-(

[Rosetta]

Not your fault Pixie. Some of these big care agency offer a very sloppy service

[pixie373]

Thanks, rosetta. We'll have to think again for next year and arrange something else.

[EcclesCake]

Agencies of all types are a bugger for glossing over the travel element!

[bednobs]

did you ever get the moany woman sorted?

[pixie373]

Yes. We work by teleporting ;-)

[naomi24]

I don't know if I'm understanding this correctly, but I presume the client signs some sort of time sheet, a copy of which comes to you?

[pixie373]

Hi Naomi. Most agencies have a system where the carer rings a free number at the beginning and end of call, which will record how long they are there for. I don't know whether we would be entitled to see those logs. I have e-mailed to query the time on invoice. They haven't yet disputed that, so I'll see what they reply.

[naomi24]

Pixie, You must insist on being given some sort of proper confirmation that the charges made accurately reflect the service given. Phone calls don’t do that. I’m really surprised that ‘time sheets’ aren’t signed and copies given to you. That can’t be right.

[pixie373]

The problem is that most clients would sign anything if asked by the carer. The phone system produces a computer log which states which carer was in which house, time of arriving and time of leaving. They can't "fiddle" that, because you have to actually be in the house (use client's phones). But yes, i might ask them for a printout for our clients. That would certainly tell us how long they were in the house, at least. Thank you.