Mandy's Experience: "There are times when I feel I can't leave Tim with his carers"

Mandy quickly realised that carers sent by Eleanor Care often didn’t show up on time. Most mornings, carers arrived late, disrupting Tim’s routine and leaving Mandy to manage his personal care alone. 

“We had agreed that we wanted to start his personal care in the morning between nine and nine-thirty, but carers are not getting here until well after 10. That is not good enough. I end up taking care of him as I can’t leave him on his own. When I have done everything, that is when the carers will turn up,” Mandy explains. 

Late arrivals meant that Mandy had already completed Tim's morning routine herself. On arrival, Mandy said the carers would then rush through their tasks, trying to make up time so they could move on to the next client. This hurried approach created a stressful environment for both Tim and Mandy. Even when carers were present, Mandy found it hard to trust them with Tim’s care. She often felt the need to be within earshot, worried about how they were handling Tim.

The lack of continuity of carers makes things worse. New carers often showed up without notice, with no knowledge of Tim’s needs and preferences. This constant change left Mandy regularly having to instruct and supervise the carers, rather than using the time to rest or carry out other tasks.

 “I keep having to tell them what he likes and supervise them, which leaves me very tired and with no time for myself. They are not fulfilling the purpose they were hired for if I have to oversee them all the time,” Mandy adds. 

For Tim, the constant churn of new carers is not just inconvenient; it’s confusing and distressing. Mandy says the carers don’t take the time to get to know him or explain what they were doing, and Tim feels overlooked and disregarded.

"Tim gets agitated because they just tell him what to do. They tell him to go to the bathroom or go have a shower. They don’t explain what they are doing. There is no effort to communicate with him and get to know him. Because of this, Tim lashes out at them,” Mandy explains. 

Frustrated with the lack of support and poor quality of care, Mandy contacted Eleanor Care, outlining her experiences and concerns. She never received a response. 

Feeling ignored, Mandy contacted an officer at the Royal Borough of Greenwich, who helped escalate her case. Weeks later, Mandy finally received a letter from Eleanor Care. However, their response was not reassuring.

“They told me that visit times have been amended to the times on Tim’s task log, but they have never shared his task log with me. I still don’t know what is going on. They also told me that two carers will now be assigned for Tim’s care, but they didn't tell me who they were. They didn’t ask me if these carers are suitable for Tim’s needs. They also shared the company policy around lateness. Carers are meant to call the service when they are running late so that they can send someone else, but I still have not had any calls when they are late,” says Mandy.

Despite the formal acknowledgment of her complaints, there was little improvement in the service provided by Eleanor Care. Carers continued to arrive late, and Mandy felt the care they provided did not meet Tim’s needs, leaving Mandy feeling helpless.

More than 6 weeks after her initial complaint, Mandy started to see improvements, with carers becoming more punctual, supportive, and empathetic. Mandy explained that she continued to escalate her concerns to Eleanor Care, with the support of the council and Healthwatch Greenwich. This persistence led to a meeting with Eleanor Care and Mandy was finally able to share her concerns directly.

While Tim and Mandy’s experience ultimately resulted in positive changes, it highlights the extensive and persistent action required on Mandy’s part. The intervention of Healthwatch Greenwich and the local authority were central in escalating her concerns, resources that many residents may not know how to access or have the support to navigate.