Carers on holiday

[dannyrav]

Hi everyone.

Need some advise on care agency policies. I have been informed that one of the care agencies staff is going on holiday, and they need to introduce a new person to cover that period. They said that i would have to pay for that member to come and shadow the staff going on holiday. Is this correct, that i have to pay for it? any advise please..
Thanks

 

[Grannie G]

Absolutely not.

You are not responsible for the recruitment and selection of care agency staff, nor are you responsible for staff training.

If the care agency is so financially compromised, they could leave you without a carer for the duration of the holiday which is unfortunate @dannyrav and the sign of a poorly managed care agency

 

[dq79]

absolutely not I'd say! Check any contract and paperwork signed at the start of receiving care and if the contract was arranged via social services would recommend going straight to the council and asking them to intervene. Purchasing care from an agency is usually intended to take the hassle out of organising replacement care - that's their job, and their job to ensure the replacement carer is able to support the person irrespective. If you are purchasing the care via a local authority direct payment or personal budget I would contact the care agency manager and ask for their written policy on how replacement holiday or sick cover staff are trained and paid for - and also go back to the local authority. Would suspect the agency may be in breach of contract here but with a caveat that this is neither informed advice or known...

 

[dannyrav]

Thanks for all your replies. Nothing in the contract I signed, I suspected they were trying it on, I will wait and see if they invoice me for the shadowing of the staff going on holiday. I was a bit stunned myself, but thought i better confirm my suspicion.

 

[canary]

OH has carers from a care agency and he has a small group of carers (about 4 or five) all of whom come regularly so that if there is sickness, or holidays then that persons absence can be covered by others. There is turnover, of course, but when there is a new person I just show them where everything is and they have a care plan which tells them exactly what tasks are necessary. If there is a new person who needs training then they shadow one of the senior carers and I dont get charged for their training.

 

[yoy]

No, as others have said - it is the care agency's responsibility to provide staff, not yours.

 

[Bod]

Hi everyone.

Need some advise on care agency policies. I have been informed that one of the care agencies staff is going on holiday, and they need to introduce a new person to cover that period. They said that i would have to pay for that member to come and shadow the staff going on holiday. Is this correct, that i have to pay for it? any advise please..
Thanks

Does the person requiring the care, have very specific/difficult needs or behaviour?
How will a strange face be accepted?
Will this shadowing be needed for just one session, or or could many sessions be required before acceptance is made?

Bod

 

[dannyrav]

Thanks Canary & Yoy, as I suspected, they were trying it on.

 

[dannyrav]

Does the person requiring the care, have very specific/difficult needs or behaviour?
How will a strange face be accepted?
Will this shadowing be needed for just one session, or or could many sessions be required before acceptance is made?

Bod

Hi Bod, possibly a permanent position, but covering for holiday for the moment, but the carer may not want to do the weekends any more, hence the shadowing

 

[canary]

Hi Bod, possibly a permanent position, but covering for holiday for the moment, but the carer may not want to do the weekends any more, hence the shadowing

Is this one person permanently assigned to your dad that now needs covering? If that is so that is an unusual contract and Id check your contract carefully

 

[dannyrav]

Is this one person permanently assigned to your dad that now needs covering? If that is so that is an unusual contract and Id check your contract carefully

Hi Canary
Sorry I should have said, its for my wife, who has advanced dementia. Yes, they will be, as the existing one is going on holiday, and then it sounds like, she will want to have that day off permanently.

 

[dannyrav]

Hi Canary
Sorry I should have said, its for my wife, who has advanced dementia. Yes, they will be, as the existing one is going on holiday, and then it sounds like, she will want to have that day off permanently.

Nothing in the contract that says we have to pay, and we are self funding at the moment

 

[dq79]

Good luck @dannyrav . Very curious situation, I wonder what the likes of CQC would think of an agency asking care recipients to fund the cost of the new carer shadowing.... Have arranged care via an agency privately and using the same agency via a local authority direct payment scheme, never been asked to fund the cost of anyone shadowing before. If you were asking for this specifically and the care agency didn't think it was required maybe they'd want the cost covering, but even so that sounds dubious.

 

[dannyrav]

Good luck @dannyrav . Very curious situation, I wonder what the likes of CQC would think of an agency asking care recipients to fund the cost of the new carer shadowing.... Have arranged care via an agency privately and using the same agency via a local authority direct payment scheme, never been asked to fund the cost of anyone shadowing before. If you were asking for this specifically and the care agency didn't think it was required maybe they'd want the cost covering, but even so that sounds dubious.

Hi dq79
No, i never asked for anything. I was informed that i would have to pay for the cost of the shadowing, because their staff is going on holiday, and they need to replace her, and also as the staff is looking to have that day off permanently.