Cephas Care (Support to live at home provider)

Disorganised and communication is poor, they don't fulfil their obligations. Lack of trust, they make changes to everything without asking. Management have accused me of being rude and been sharp themselves. The carers use their personal mobile phones in my care time and they are not looking after me properly which leaves me feeling insecure. New carers don't read my care plan before they start working with me. The pool cars are disgustingly dirty and not maintained properly, they shouldn't be in the state they are. I've even bought air fresheners for the cars as they are more like dustbins. I don't look forward to going on a trip when the cars are like dustbins.

The carers themselves were offhand-they rushed in and rushed out. They were very unreliable in terms of turning up on time or indeed at all. When I called the office they always said they would sort things out and 'phone me back and then didn't.

Support workers treated appallingly, yet they're the ones who provide a great service to the people they care for. We have reported to SCC and CQC. HR support staff worse than poor support staff.

The carers are different for every visit, Times are changed each day without being informed, there is no structure and consistency. The carers however are all lovely girls but treated very badly. They are made to work full days 7am-10pm without even a break for food and when the managers are confronted about this they are told they have to work it, they are put on the rota to work over 10 days straight without a break and get hardly any choice. When they ask for days off or say they cannot work this many days they are bullied and then spoken about throughout the company. The managers are all awful and treat the staff with little respect. They only seem to care about themselves and if they are happy that's all that matters. As far as the care that is given the girls are amazing and the care that is received is amazing the girls go out of their way to make everyone happy. Unfortunately most of the girls leave due to the treatment that receive from the company and managers.

Carers are nearly all very nice, only one or two not good. However, rota is never followed, i.e. named carer is not always the one to turn up. A carer will arrive 1 hour + late for am visit, 3/4 hour late, never early for am visit. lunch visit can be by midday when early was 10 am or even later or not till 14.00 hours for incontinence care despite being changed very early.

Carers supposed to get client up early as they may have been in bed for 12 hours and will be very wet. This never happened, earliest visit after 9.15 am. Consequently client washed and dressed before carer arrives. Lunch visits cancelled due to above mentioned time problems. Next visit for 21.00 but carer will arrive as early as 19.15, 19.45 on, etc. So client ready in PJs and wife putting client to bed! Management never ring to explain continuous change of times or carers despite requesting team leader to inform client.

My Mother has carers 3 times daily. She does not have men first thing in the morning or last thing at night. Cephas has repeatedly ignored numerous phone calls to this effect and has continuously put men on the rota for these times. Only at the intervention of customer rights and the involvement of a social worker did they pay attention. They have finally placed something on the computer to flag this up. They took over the care for my Mother a month ago. They should have done this from day 1. They also continue to inform either myself or the social worker of any changes to the rota but not my mother. They should be calling my mother directly to inform her of any changes to her rota.