If SS have said care is required & then supply it, then they pass the care onto their preferred care agency, the care agency accept the contract & provide the care
The care agency have a contract with SS, and are paid by SS on submission of time sheets
JM is right, you don't need to have signed a contract, by accepting the first hour of care in this way, the contract is deemed as signed.
The care agency bill SS on time sheets, if the time sheets are wrong, they are erroneous in their billing
You can do two things
1. Argue with the care agency about specific calls
I'd start with the ones they said they could not attend & you would need to cover
Get those refunded.
Then move on to the cancelled with sufficient notice
Get those refunded
Then query being charged for a visit when your mum was left on the floor, but you may well get told, she refused help & there was nothing they could do. Sorry, but that is likely
Then attack the short call visits
This is when you move to SS & raise the query with them
2. Ask SS their definition of a 30 minute call, how long they would expect or accept the call to last
Provide them with a list of the dates & times of calls & length of time they attended
You will need some sort of proof
No matter how cross you are, be polite & factual & be very clear. Either get someone else to proof read your letter ( it will be plural
), or failing that read it aloud the next day
Depending on how many other complaints / queries SS have received about this care agency, will affect the outcome
If you are a lone voice, in amongst thousands of compliments, you won't get far, if there have been many, you
mightget somewhere
As said by JM, it may seem like a lot of money, but don't tie yourself up in knots over it, even if you do feel it's the principle