July 2023 by K W
Although, assistants' preferences as to what type of clients we were able to support were recorded during training, I was once sent to a client who also had mental illness, which I specifically stated I was not able to support. This client also had another carer from a different company, the carer was a male carer who was harassing me during my shift, and did not want to let me leave after my last shift when there were only two trains out of this town per day. I was determined to get on a train after the traumatic experience, and ended up having to run away after my last shift when the male carer was not holding me back physically. NEVER AGAIN. I was working till my hands were swollen and hurt like nothing else, I was harassed, I was sent to a mentally paranoid patient who scared me, and still I was the one questioned by a coordinator why did I leave after the last shift. Assistants do not matter, we were not human beings. I immediately quit after the harrowing experience. It was disgusting how they thought that employing people from Eastern Europe meant they could do whatever they want with them.
June 2023 by M Baker
Better when it was jane Lewis, they can?t get staff in my area,? the area manager came out for an assessment and was over 1 hour late, there is no communication between there own admin staff, ring them then there is no record of it next time. Very poorly run
March 2023 by Tracey Nicholson
I worked for active for a year I had some really nice clients but two really nasty one and worked with really nasty p a she thought she was better than me
February 2023 by Nicola Linnen
I Worked with this company for 4 years. I had lovely helpful managersHowever i was only paid correctly a handful of times in that 4 years and was always chasing my money each month.Payroll are as helpful as a chocolate tea pot. No one ever answers the phone at hr. You cant speak to anyone you can only email.I only stayed so long because i genuinely liked the job and family.I would steer clear of this extremely unprofessional company.There are no perks or benefits to working for this company.
January 2023 by Lisa Booth
My partner was a client of active for nearly 10 years, the last 3 years have been an horrendous experience.If you are working in social care or simply looking for a care company to offer support, please do not choose this company.My partner had a ?live in? package due to complexity of needs. The quality of carers sent to him over the last couple of years changed drastically, it?s like they now employ anyone who comes to interview.We have had carers intoxicated on shift, some leave my partner without care, he has had to go into ?service failure? because they do not have enough carers to cover, which means he has been left without care for a number of days with no back up plan. The only reason that service failure occurred was because they left it too late to find carers, usually the day before he needs cover. If clients do not have a regular PA, then most of the time they end up organising their own care or having to prompt the office to book in between regulars.Sometimes it felt that carers treated your house like a hostel, somewhere to stay for free to earn money before they travel, whilst doing the bare minimum to support.Most carers had no understanding that they were in someone?s home, that my partner is a human being, no understanding of how difficult living with an SCI is, & had no initiative, motivation or passion to want to help.We have also had PAs in tears due to how they have been treated by this company which maybe why they struggle to retain staff, especially the good ones.Not all PAs were bad, but our experience over the last 2 years meant that the bad out weighed the good. Having live in care is supposed to make life easier when in fact having this through active made it harder and life more stressful.Please look elsewhere, there are better companies out there that put a lot of effort in to matching PAs and clients. We have now left this company, this was the best decision we have made!
December 2022 by Lucija Kuster
I worked for Active for a year and a half. I changed my agency just because my client changed too. I will say there are pros and cons like at every job and you can have different clients because we are all different.. Some needs more help some less... And agency can't know what's happening if you don't say anything about it. But after all I've learnt a lot of new things,I had a good training, they paid me quarantine accommodation and food, all documents which they needed, I had even a driving lesson. And my manager Daniel was always there for me and asked me how am I so I am grateful for his support. It's hard job, not for everyone.. I wasn't completely satisfied but after all I will remember good things. It could be better paid and some of employees saying something and do nothing about it, some are rude. I had a bad experience even with support centre (the guy told me I need to learn English and then I'll understand even I knew I was right about problem). I will say it was bittersweet experience.
December 2022 by lameto Resources
I worked with this company for five months this year 2022 and I must say I am very grateful for the opportunity they gave me.They will give you the support you need in order to do your job.Just like most organisations out there,they're working towards perfection and I pray they get there ?
November 2022 by Prince Belial
Live in PA for 5 years now. Found a regular client and so happy with the job which is so rewarding. Wouldn't change it for anything different.
October 2022 by Antonio Costa
I have been working with active since 2013. No, this is not a holiday camp! You have to commit! I worked with some very challenging gentlemen and survived. How? I didn?t take things personally!I have listened to some stories. Some carers want to work according to their agendas forgetting their role. For example, they question directions of the client when the client knows very well what he needs and how the care should be delivered.Support from the office, managers and supervisors: you have to be pragmatic, realistic and empathetic. The schedulers, for example, have a very hard job.Pay: yes, we deserve more. However, in may case, as I don?t need to pay for utility bills and taxes, I can?t moan too much. I usually plan my working days way ahead. It has worked quite well for me and the company this far.Have a nice day
July 2022 by Abbie Robins
YOU WONT BE PAYED!!! Do not work here, the role I was in was great and rewarding but the agency itself is shambolic and poorly ran. Your rota will also be changed at a moments notice. The service users won?t know who?s coming and when. No communication. I was due to be payed May 2022, I finally got payed on the 1st of July- for the training only! Not paying me for a single shift!! I?m lucky I live with my boyfriends parents because this could have left me starving or without a home. Disgusted. The clinical side was good eg my clinical manager and the service user
June 2022 by Sarah Wright
No care safe or staff welbring. Only have 4 staff 2 main people rrest angrecy that bad. Dont care safe till you want dide . I miss few staff not many. Glad dont have worry woodlandcourt. I advices not go there. 6 month be look way out. Not suite for people ld,mental health or austim. I glad no live any more. I living inpaunte hopstail due break down take way support. We hopstail get 1 2 1 all day and night
May 2022 by M L
Worked with Active Assistants for 1 year.Training was really good. Learning new skills was really exciting. Recruitment and interview made me feel confident.They delivered hospitality which was amazing.THEN..... Work started, rota was made, contracts signed.......... Absolutely messed up.Had the worse experience, I faced abuse from a client's husband, in secret behind everyone's back.I spoke to management and NO ONE supported me. I begged to get this sorted out but no one wanted to listen to me.They started ignoring my calls (direct numbers and office numbers)Spoke to colleagues they told me this has happened before.Husband tried to get close to me when no one was looking.I won't make this long but all i can say if you're desperate for a job please don't come here as they are all selfish and only look for their income.Your health and well-being is not there concern, even if it is caused by there clients or clients family members.There are many agencies out there that does this so please keep an open mind.
May 2022 by Zeo
Stay away from this company. Ended up walking out today after just 5 days of working with them. Emded up working up to 15 hours per day instead of 10 and had hardly any breaks. My client was very rude and verbally abusive, swearing at me all the time and calling me stupid. Any time I called the office they wouldn't answer, even when it was to report an incident. If you need to go home from a client because of an emergency they will not care and you have to stay there for the days you said you would work. They will also find any reason NOT to pay you the correct amount.
May 2022 by Tom Shaw
AVOID AT ALL COSTSI was a customer of Active Assistance for 8 years. I don't exaggerate when I say that living with their care and service was one of the most difficult and stressful things about becoming quadriplegic, and that leaving the company was one of the best decisions of my life.If you are newly injured or a Care Case Manager speak to other customers with SCI and take the negative experiences shared in these reviews very seriously. Despite being such a large company, they have currently ran out of staff and emailing customers to find emergency care themselves. A lot of their PAs are scruffy backpackers who will use your house like a hostel. It's not surprising most are unmotivated and morale is low given how they are treated by the company. They even pay Active for the privilege of living in Your house (£8 a day, the accommodation offset rate) ? accommodation which active obviously doesn't even provide or pay for.If you have a good coordinator and a regular PA things go all right, because you basically do the scheduling between yourselves and inform the company. The least you have to do with them the better, as with most agencies. If not, assignments are a string of last-minute, short stints by brand-new PAs, and the coordinator responsible for your care changes regularly giving you no consistency. The only positive was their training, which used to be quite good, but now is probably remote, meaning your PAs will lack hands-on experience in very basic competencies.I was patient. I complained. I hoped things will get better and they never did for long. They have their ups and downs like any busiiness but now Customers are leaving in droves and they are putting people at risk through care failure. Get out while you still can.
May 2022 by Paul Marsh
ABSOLUTELY DIABOLICALAt the weekend I finally left Active Assistance, now known as Active Care Group - Care in the Home division, after 11 years of using their service. They don?t even pretend to provide personal assistance anymore; the very thing that used to make them progressive.I?ve just read Tom Shaw?s review and it gave me the encouragement to write my own to back him. Everything he has said is completely accurate.If you?re an existing service user please be brave and make the change.If you?re newly injured, a case manager, resettlement officer or a funder, please stay away from this company. You?re setting yourself or patient up for a lifetime of suffering.If you?re thinking about coming to work for this company please don?t. They won?t treat you well and you?re unlikely to stay very long.All of the positive reviews have either been left by:a) user, family member or employee of rehabilitation or residential service; not care in the home.b) somebody from the recruitment teamc) somebody that has just been interviewed or completed training; but not been on assignment.d) somebody from the leadership team.It is safe to say that these can all be ignored with regards to care in the home.The one nice thing I would like to say is that my care co-ordinator and CSM were both great. My understanding though is most of them are not.
