MAY I redress the balance a little regarding the care provided by private care agencies.

Not all agencies are making large profits and neglecting the clients they look after. I am sure you are aware that there is good and bad in every industry and it is unfair to tar everyone with same brush..

Let me state some facts regarding the large profits people think are being made by care agencies. Most of our clients are charged £7.20 per hour for care services. Staff are paid between £5 and £6.50 per hour, depending on experience.

From my £2, or less, per hour I must cover overheads like employers' liability insurance, registration fees with National Care Standards, staff training, rates, mortgage, telephone, heating, lighting, the general associated running costs of running a business.

We also have had a fobbing system installed at a further cost of £4,500 with £200 a year maintenance costs. This records the time a carer enters and leaves a client's house and is down-loaded at the end of the week on to the computer. If staff are not staying their allocated time, I will find out.

Yes, I am being forced to put up the cost to new clients, but this is beyond my control to cover increased overheads, not increased profits.

I have been in business for five years. To the people who think I am making buckets of money, as stated in recent letters, please would they tell me where to find mine, because I have not seen very much of it?

The problem is, people can sometimes be their own worst enemy. If they are not happy with the service they receive from their care provider then they should complain loud and clear straight away. Don't wait until things are so bad you feel resentful of the service. If you are not able to complain yourself, ask someone to complain on your behalf, and keep on complaining, don't just accept bad practice.

I actively encourage my clients and their families to pick up the telephone and tell me straight away if there is a problem then I can deal with it. We also have regular quality assurance checks, staff supervision and I am in daily contact with all staff.

If your complaint is not dealt with to your satisfaction by the agency, then you should take it further, either to Social Services if the agency is contracted through them, or direct to the National Care Standards who are based in Horwich. They are very approachable if contacted. Don't put up with bad care providers or be fobbed off with excuses. We are not all the same.

Finally, if you are still not happy, you can ask your social worker about the Direct Payments scheme and this will enable you to purchase the care yourself. You can then choose who provides your care.

But please don't assume, because you have had a previous bad experience with the private sector, that all private agencies are the same because we are not.

F Varley

Home Care Manager

Choices Home Support Services

Farnworth