Why it pays to be careful when taking on private social care: Tom Page

I set up my at-home care company, West Park Care after I’d gone through the rigmarole that many my age are faced with when I had to look for care for my ageing grandfather.

I was appalled at the standard of service and poor communication that seemed to be widespread across most care providers and decided that I wanted to do it better.

What I’ve discovered about the industry has shocked me.

On the whole, it’s good to see more guidelines like this being issued because we know more people will be looking for care for their nearest and dearest.

Recently the Office for National Statistics reported an increase in the number of over 65s living alone saying since 2020, half of those living alone have been aged 65 years and over.

The advice, questions to ask and checklists provided by the consumer publication are very welcome to see because choosing the right care can be complicated and costly.

When it comes to private carers, you need to be extra vigilant because it is an unregulated industry.

When you take on a private carer, be careful about where you find them because the brokers for private carers are unregulated.

I’ve heard that some employment brokers take advantage of those who are most desperate for work and this may even go as far as creating a modern slavery issue.

You then invite that carer into your home and I’ve heard all sorts of shocking stories ranging from carers working with (unchecked) criminal records to families exploiting carers’ good natures.

So ask to see the DBS check and evidence of proper training from a reputable social care company.

Remember you then become the employer of a private carer so think about what you would do if that person needs a holiday, is off sick and how to make sure they have their legally-entitled two-hour break each day.

When it comes to your loved one, think about who is doing the elderly person’s care plan.

There may be medications that need to be administered properly or doctor’s instructions to follow so make sure you know any private carer is qualified to do this.

I wish more people would ask us the questions listed in the Which? article. The care industry isn’t only driven by price.

There are some really good people doing really good things who look after people really well.

But sadly there are also many charlatans and there is a reason they are doing care so cheap.

The key to all of this is picking the right company to work with.

Do your due diligence, check people out, and go with your gut feeling.

If it doesn’t feel right, don’t do it.

Yes, it’s time-consuming, and yes it’s complicated but at the end of the day, it’s your loved one’s care that’s most important.

Tom Page is Managing Director at West Park Care