Carer agencies

JamieJ1980Swaynes19

I am a 38 year old very active wheelchair user living in London. I currently use an agency to employ my 24/7 carer. The agency has recently been pretty chaotic and wonder if anyone has had positive experiences using any particular agency. It would need to be an agency that covers the Southeast.I am not interested in employing PAs myself.
Thanks for any help you can give.

janer1967

Hi @JamieJ1980Swaynes19 Hello and welcome to the community, I am a community champion. Sorry I don't have any experience of carer agencies but hope there are members out there that can assist with your enquiry. Maybe a google search could help see if there are any reviews.

thespiceman

Hello @JamieJ1980Swaynes19   Pleased to meet you.

Thank you for joining.

I also one of the team of Community Champions.

Please have a look at this link.

https://www.carenearme.co.uk.

Offers care services near to you.

Please if I can help with anything.  Please ask.

Please take care.

@thespiceman

Ails

Hi @JamieJ1980Swaynes19 and welcome to the Community.  It is nice to meet you.  I hope you get a carer sorted out.  Please keep in touch and let us know how things are going.  If we can be of any help/support to you then please just let us know.   All the best. 

Chloe_Alumni

Welcome to the community @JamieJ1980Swaynes19! I will move your post into the main section of the forum and I hope this helps to get responses.

JamieJ1980Swaynes19

I am looking for live in care agencies  covering the South East of England that users/visitors to this forum use and recommend. I am an extremely 38 yr old wheelchair user living in London so I need names of agencies that work with younger active people and are used to meeting their needs. Thank you in advance for your help.

JamieJ1980Swaynes19

I am an extremely active 38 year old... missed out the word ‘active’ v important!

Topkitten

I have had part-time care in the past and have had some very poor experiences with almost all of the agencies. It is far better, and also cheaper, to have a PA rather than using agencies. I know that Social Services will help with administering having a PA (can't remember the department, sorry) and dealing with the financial side so maybe that would be a consideration? Unfortunately my experiences are from 2-3 years ago, now I just manage on my own as best I can and I do not live in your area so couldn't help even if I did know more.

I hope you sort things out.

TK

JamieJ1980Swaynes19

Thank you but I want to be clear that I am NOT looking to employ PAs, I want to continue to using a live in care agency. Are there agencies that have experience of supporting active, younger people?
Any agencies that you would recommend or avoid. 
Please let me know.
 Thanks.

pollyanna1052

Hi Jamie, my carers are mixed, in that 1 is a PA...been with me for going on 9 years. I also have an agency. So I have experience of using both.

I`ve not needed live in, but do surf for agencies and care in general to see what`s about.

I can`t recommend any as I`ve not used them.

But there are plenty about.

Have you had any input from Social Services? They will know who`s who in your area.

Hope you get sorted.

JamieJ1980Swaynes19

I know there are plenty of agencies around but I need one that covers the South East of England, I know none of them are perfect but there must be people here  who use live in care agencies, are there agencies that you would recommend as good/better than most! Please let me know. Thanks.

thespiceman

Hello @JamieJ1980Swaynes19 Please can I ask did you check the link I provided for you.

Another one is to speak to this organisation, might be helpful.

Carers UK .

https://www.carersuk.org.

Helpline 0808 808 7777

Please if I can suggest there are associations, societies, charities connected with your disability.  Do often have a lot of support, advice and information.

If you have a specific condition, be happy to find out for you.

Contact me.

Hope that helps.

Please take care.

@thespiceman

JamieJ1980Swaynes19

I have Cerebral Palsy, wheelchair user, severe disability. Hope that info helps. Thanks.

thespiceman

Hello @JamieJ1980Swaynes19   Thank you glad to help.

Lots of the charities have own support network, own in house advisors. On benefits, housing and employment, health problems.

https://www.cerebralpalsy.org.uk.

I am also to tag my friend @Richard_Scope he is one of the team from SCOPE. Who is our CP officer dedicated and helpful.

He may be able to advise you more offer a lot of support.

Please can I also one other is the checkatrade website deals with all sorts of services.

https://www.checkatrade.com

Please just insert your postcode.

Please if I can help further please contact me anytime.

Please take care.

@thespiceman

Pinkpoppy

Could someone tell me what the difference is between a PA and a live-in carer is? I haven't come across the term 'personal assistant' in this context before.

newborn

People  use terms interchangeably.  Personal assistants might be secretaries,  or might give assistance to someone with various  personal  needs, from simple housekeeping,  or merely being present in the house, asleep or waking, through to help with feeding,  dressing,  bathing.

Just as the job title can mean a lot of things,  so can the terms of employment. 

The range starts at old fashioned  paid companions,  or the cheaper  option of minimal barter exchanges, often under church or other charitable schemes, where  a disabled,  lonely or elderly person  may offer reduced rent in return  for a few hours of company, shared meal, possibly a joint weekly shopping trip. 

The people who help you may be employed directly by you. Their payroll and contracts could be mutually agreed,  or , ideally,  they will have  formed themselves into their own care provider  cooperative group. That way, you, and they,  get maximum  security and flexibility and, above all,  value  for money.

You could ask an agency or your S.S.  either just to manage the admin, or to go the whole way and decide everything on your behalf,  sending whatever workers they have on their books.   In rare cases that might result in both the service  users and the workers being perfectly happy.....

Chloe_Alumni

Hi @JamieJ1980Swaynes19, how are you doing?