Reading through this thread saddens me greatly.
Some of the things mentioned here are totally unacceptable, they are in breach of contract with the Local Authority and in breach of the Social Care Act 2008.
Visits should be the required length, at the expected time and recorded accurately. Staff should be able to support a client to make choices by framing questions appropriately rather than accepting yes/no. They should be trained to properly deal with the needs of their clients.
If you look on the CQC website for the agency you are using you can find out the name of the Registered Manager. Make contact with them and ask for a copy of their complaints procedure. Armed with this you can set out your expectations and ensure the agency is absolutely clear you expect the service to be of a good standard.
Your primary focus should be on working with the agency to get things sorted. The Local Authority will also have a complaints procedure which you could follow. They may be inclined to simply suggest a change of agency which is an option to consider. You can also let CQC know about concerns (they won't pursue a complaint directly but will appreciate the feedback).
It's not acceptable to give poor care. Please take action to stop this happening as the poor practice is not only affecting your loved ones but also may be affecting others who don't have someone to speak up for them.
Really appreciate the reply as it accurately reflects the frustrations I am experiencing. I have complained several times in a short space of time, but doing this doesn't concern me in the slightest. You've almost set-out the complaints I have been making, in particular about the appropriate way they should be phrasing questions so as to get a desired response from somebody suffering with dementia.
I have the local field managers' name of the company as it is they whom I have been complaining to. Unfortunately, well not really, I have no faith whatsoever in Social Services as I believe they are one of the worst local Government bodies who like nothing more than sticking their oar when they think there are 'juicy' issues to investigate so that they can take the holier than thou approach, but when they need to get their house in order to deliver social care, their appetite for this is somewhat less appealing!!
I'd like to know a bit more about offering feedback to the CQC as this is something I believe would be taken with more sincerity and seriousness in regard to a perceived poor service, over and above complaining to the Care company and potentially Social Services in parallel.
