Concerns growing over care agency facing investigation

A disabled man has hit out at a care firm embroiled in a council investigation.

Nick Jones, 58, of Bar Hill, waited several hours in bed at the weekend for a care worker from Appletrees Homecare to help him get into his wheelchair, before being told no-one would be available.

Fears were raised two weeks ago for the well-being of the vulnerable and elderly users of the service after workers said they had not been paid and could not continue to do their work, as the News reported.

This week, some staff at the care firm said they had still not received full pay.
Mr Jones, who has multiple sclerosis, said: “They were supposed to come at 9.30am to help me get out of bed. My wife is here but it is beyond her strength to do it.

“They said they had staff sickness and at about 12.30pm they said they still didn’t know when they could get someone around to me. They should get an agency in to cover. The staff at Appletrees are great – but they are always late. It’s the management that is at fault.”

Mr Jones was eventually told no-one from Appletrees Homecare could attend and he was forced to call in another agency, which helps him in the afternoons.

Funding for Mr Jones’ care is paid by Cambridgeshire County Council, Council, which has a contract with Appletrees Homecare.

Mr Jones is not the only patient to raise concerns about the company, which is based in Bar Hill.

Marie Bull’s mother is  also cared for by the firm. But she claims that, although the care staff are excellent, they have not been caring for her mother in the agreed manner because of shortages.

Mrs Bull said: “I have had to take time off work to care for her as the carers do not have time to treat her properly. There are people going in there but she is definitely not getting the care she should be getting.”

Mrs Bull said when she called the business she often found it impossible to speak to anyone and claimed her messages were not followed up.

She added: “All you get are excuses as to why you cannot speak to a manager – I was told the other day she had lost her voice.

“My mother has dementia and needs someone to sit and make sure she eats, but the staff are too busy to stay with her.”

Mrs Bull added: “I’m really annoyed with social services for not telling anyone there was a massive problem.

“I only knew about it when I read the News’ article.”

Distraught staff have continued to contact the News over the pay issues. One member of staff was in tears as she explained how she now had a bad credit rating as a result of the problems.

Another said she had not been able to drive to work because she did not have enough cash to buy petrol.

Some staff said they had been paid in cash – but not the full amount they were owed.

The Rev Sir Jonathan Sinclair, executive director at Appletrees Group Trading, told the News last week that he had remedied the situation, having previously said the wrong account numbers were used when the firm initially attempted to pay its staff their overdue wages.

This week, the company has refused to comment further.

The county council has suspended new work with the company and an investigation has been  launched with the help of the Care Quality Commission, which regulates health and social care.

In April, Appletrees Homecare was rated as “poor” by the commission.

A spokeswoman for the commission said it had been due to inspect Appletrees early next year but, in light of its serious concerns about staff and service users, was now bringing that date forward to “the near future”.