Comfort Keepers

elisabetta

Hi

I was wondering if any of you might have experience working with comfort keepers.I was successful passing the interview and in doing the introduction course.Now I am just waiting for the garda clearance. Can any one please tell me more how it really is to work for them and about their course thanks

xkariex

elisabetta wrote: »

Hi

I was wondering if any of you might have experience working with comfort keepers.I was successful passing the interview and in doing the introduction course.Now I am just waiting for the garda clearance. Can any one please tell me more how it really is to work for them and about their course thanks

Is it to work as a carer or in there offices as co ordinator?

purplerain1

I too have passed the interview stage.I know all jobs have good & bad points.Would like to hear more before i commit to paying for a training course through them.Any information would be appreciated GOOD OR BAD thanks.

elisabetta

To work as a carer

StillWaters

Flexible work is required, certainly you will get more hours if you are willing to work nights and weekends, as that is where the demand is for home care.

It is not a well paid job, at around €10 ph, and the work is not for everyone, it can be challenging and can involve looking after personal care for clients. If you have no experience in caring for elderly or sick people, it can be a bit of a shock.

However it can be very rewarding job and I know people who love it.

I think the above applies to all the home care agencies, not just comfort keepers.

purplerain1

thank you

MrTsSnickers

purplerain1 wrote: »

I too have passed the interview stage.I know all jobs have good & bad points.Would like to hear more before i commit to paying for a training course through them.Any information would be appreciated GOOD OR BAD thanks.

Are you qualified as a social carer? Or completed the care of the older person course with FETAC?

Why would you have to pay for a training course though them is what I'm asking, I suppose.

Ls87

elisabetta and purplerain1
how long are you both waiting on your garda vetting? i got offered a job with comfort keepers back in OCTOBER, ive been trained, signed contract, just waiting on vetting, been 5 months now

purplerain1

Hi I went for interview and passed that stage at the end of feb told it would take about 8 weeks for garda vetting to be done,i have heard nothing since either by pnone or email very poor and thats before you even begin to work with them so i wouldnt have much faith in them now.Have another job now so its there loss.

purplerain1

Did you train through them?,If so how much did you pay? <snip>

Ls87

no, a kind of orientation day and manual handling. The training that we pay for is the fetac courses, about 100euro each and we do that after we begin working for them im assuming. When did your vetting get sent off?

Ls87

everywhere i look i see them advertising for more carers, facebook, adverts etc...doesnt make me feel like i have a good secure job along with the vetting taking so long. Vetting can take longer with certain companies. ive never ever had to wait this long on it for any other company/college.

purplerain1

Guy took it at the interview.Im not too bothered eitherway.But i remember if you start with them & start the training you must pay for all of course even if you leave them.All the best hope it works out.

Carer

e10 is rate for carer/healthcare assistant in hospitals
Garda vetting takes up to 6 months and is Garda regulated only ....if you had any error it could take much longer
I had vetting problem and I had to resubmit so it took 6 months nearly and my employer could do nothing to fast track it nor could the local Garda as its a special unit to deal with vetting
Manual handeling costs over e100 alone to do so if u get other training on induction that's good
Home care work in nature is rewarding but can be infrequent u usually sign up to 0-39 hours in a contract
Most other recruiters if not all agencys need people to be trained at FETAC 5 with manual handeling vetted infection control challenging behaviour and all vacinations completed before you start a job
I know this from experience of dealing with agencies and healthcare recruitment companies

bri007

e12.57 is the hse rate for new carers working in hositals and agency staff such as nurse on call.

sammihoops

elisabetta wrote: »

Hi

I was wondering if any of you might have experience working with comfort keepers.I was successful passing the interview and in doing the introduction course.Now I am just waiting for the garda clearance. Can any one please tell me more how it really is to work for them and about their course thanks

Hi, just wondering if you ever received your Garda vetting from Comfort Keepers?

Ls87

sammihoops wrote: »

Hi, just wondering if you ever received your Garda vetting from Comfort Keepers?

I've been waiting since mid October, 9 months now and no phone calls or anything from them. An unprofessional organisation if there ever was one. I'm doing a course anyway so I'm not at a loss. Are you waiting on vetting?

sammihoops

Ls87 wrote: »

I've been waiting since mid October, 9 months now and no phone calls or anything from them. An unprofessional organisation if there ever was one. I'm doing a course anyway so I'm not at a loss. Are you waiting on vetting?

Nine months??!! I thought I was bad at 6 months! I rang the Garda Vetting in tipperary and she told me firstly that Comfort Keepers are not registered with them and that they would be using a different agency, they also told me me that they are up to April with the vetting clearance. I don't know why Comfort Keepers are doing this?

Ls87

The Garda vetting unit are up to April?? So what had happened our vetting? Did comfort keepers not send them or lose them or something... I rang ck twice at the start the year and they couldn't tell me anything except that I will hear from them as soon as my vetting came through. Soon after i Rang the guards in Tipperary as you did and thy couldn't tell me anything.
I've had vetting done twice for college and 3 times for other organisations, all down within 3 months and the organisations kept in touch with me in that time but in 9 months ck can't find the time to ring me once!
We can't be the only ones to hae received this treatment!?

sammihoops

Ls87 wrote: »

The Garda vetting unit are up to April?? So what had happened our vetting? Did comfort keepers not send them or lose them or something... I rang ck twice at the start the year and they couldn't tell me anything except that I will hear from them as soon as my vetting came through. Soon after i Rang the guards in Tipperary as you did and thy couldn't tell me anything.
I've had vetting done twice for college and 3 times for other organisations, all down within 3 months and the organisations kept in touch with me in that time but in 9 months ck can't find the time to ring me once!
We can't be the only ones to hae received this treatment!?

I too am waiting for my Garda vetting...the lady from Tipperary told me that Comfort Keepers are not registered with them!

I have been waiting since early January. If any one would like to tell me there story about this as I am taking this further. Any names you give me will be kept private.

sammihoops

Comfort Keepers

I am looking for people that have applied for employment with Comfort Keepers and are waiting for Garda vetting to come through.

I am interested in hearing about how long people are waiting for garda vetting and if any one has payed up front for the training (FETAC)

Any information welcome

Ls87

You can use my story as an example if you want
i was going to write on their facebook page, publically for everyone to see but dont know if theres much point, would it do any good!? i commented on a post that somebody else waiting on vetting had put up, months ago, and somebody from ck wrote back apologizing for the delay and said that somebody would be in touch with me (never heard from them of course)

JustAThought

You should put that up too .

Their business model seems to come from two channels -payment by nursing clients & selling courses to people aspiring to work in lowly paid roles.

What oh ease have they used for Garda Vetting? Vetting? Background checks? Garda vetting? If they are promising Garda Vetting to their clients on their website but are in fact Not doing this ( as per statements made here) that is misleading for the clients. If they are using a private company who is that, ( you have a right to know) & why is it taking up to. 9 months for them to do their job?

Murky issues here, particularly for a relatively new company who advertises their courses in dole offices & areas of high unemployment : (

Ls87

They advertise for carers EVERYWHERE and their facebook page is constantly looking to recruit new carers, there's no way they need all those carers, that often, they must pull this ****e with the vetting a lot!

'Sammihoops' did you do your training and sign a contract?

We need to do something, you've got me all riled up now
Message me if you have a plan on what we could do, i don't see why we should sit back and take this when we were promised jobs. The only reason i haven't done anything is cause im doing a college course instead and decided months ago with the treatment, or lack of, i was getting from ck, that i would not be working for them even if they ever did call to say the vettings through. Ive heard they aren't very good to work for, no communication between carers and hr/managers.

Gemima123

The same happened to me, I did their training course, got a contract back in November. Still no work, I rung them several times and sent a letter. They rung me back once with work and asked if I drove even though I already told them I didn't, they said it wouldn't be a suitable position then and that was the last Ive heard from the grrrr

sammihoops

Gemima123 wrote: »

The same happened to me, I did their training course, got a contract back in November. Still no work, I rung them several times and sent a letter. They rung me back once with work and asked if I drove even though I already told them I didn't, they said it wouldn't be a suitable position then and that was the last Ive heard from the grrrr

They don't hire staff without a driving license, so unfair not to tell you that!
Did they tell you your garda vetting had come through? Also did you pay any them any money?

Samantha

Gemima123

I told them at my interview that I didn't drive and they said that was fine. And at my training some of the others didn't drive either! Well when they rung me I presumed my garda vetting had gone through?? They were also really fussy with my refferences and asked for a third one as one of them wasn't "suitable", I wouldn't mind cept for d fact I still haven't been offered work and nope haven't paid them anythin thank god!

Ls87

Ive never heard anything about you absolutely needing a car. i was told you work in your own area, dublin 1 or 2 etc, you walk from client to client homes or take the bus if its far.

absolute ****!!!

Mrs OBumble

MOD-NOTE: Superbad50, I've moved your post over to a new thread over in State Benefits. Your question is quite different to the rest on this thread.

lmcs91

elisabetta wrote: »

Hi

I was wondering if any of you might have experience working with comfort keepers.I was successful passing the interview and in doing the introduction course.Now I am just waiting for the garda clearance. Can any one please tell me more how it really is to work for them and about their course thanks

Just got passed from interview too, when do you have to pay the 100e for training by the way it was hardly on the 1st day was it? I vaguely remember reading something about taking money away from your wages but not sure if that covers the training costs?
Thanks! Hope your getting on well with them so far.

Ls87

Do not pay them any money! Don't get your hopes up that you actually even have a job either. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but id advise you to read the others posts on this thread to get an idea of the kind of company you could be working for. My own story in a nutshell, got a job with them last october, trained (didn't pay any money thank god), sent of Garda vetting...10 months later, i'm still unemployed and haven't heard from comfort keepers once!!!

lmcs91

Ls87 wrote: »

Do not pay them any money! Don't get your hopes up that you actually even have a job either. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but id advise you to read the others posts on this thread to get an idea of the kind of company you could be working for. My own story in a nutshell, got a job with them last october, trained (didn't pay any money thank god), sent of Garda vetting...10 months later, i'm still unemployed and haven't heard from comfort keepers once!!!

Ya I saw that alright but given I'm doing a course related to the job this year and I'm pretty serious about it I'm thinking I might actually get work. And also that I'm willing to work nights. We'll see anyways. Thanks for the heads up at least I know not to expect too much! How many are at the training or what's the whole set up like?

Ls87

No problem.
There was about 100 people for the induction training, was there most of the day, had a lunch break. They just talked us through everything via powerpoint presentation and gave us all the booklets we needed. A few days later we did manual and patient handling in groups of about 10, again that was for the whole day with a lunch break. How long have you been waiting on your vetting for so far if you dont mind me asking?

Gemima123

Has anyone actually started work with CC, like have any clients? Myself nd several people i know and people on this post have done d trainin but i dont no anyone whos act workin. Surely this cant be legal givin out contracts wit no work 2 follow?

lsdub

Anyone started with ck since last posting?? I was posting as 'Ls87' I've since closed that account.

Interesting phone call with them the other day.
Rang them to enquire about the cert for the patient/manual handling I did with them (October last year). I wanted the cert as proof for a new job that I have completed that training so I wouldn't have to do it again for them. After been put through to 3or4 different departments/people, i get told I can have it if I pay €100...
Anyway, the best part of the phonecall was when the woman went on to ask me why I never did any shifts with ck, I told her it's been 14 months since I trained and signed off vetting form and haven't heard a thing. She told me they tried ringing me loads a few months back when my vetting came through about starting. We checked she had my correct phone number, she did. She then asked me would I be interested In doing some work for them now... No one ever called me. When I rang several times no one could tell me anything about my vetting and about 6or7 months after the vetting 'supposably' got sent off, I gave up on the idea of working for them and stopped ringing.

Another example of the excellent communication in comfort keepers.

JustAThought

I see this crowd are advertising in unemployment Centers
And FAS Centers - it would seem to appear that their business model focuses on getting a steady income from " applicants" . I've never worked for a
Company that made me pay for my own training.
Shameful stuff really. Exploitation of the
Vulnerable & those desperately trying to get out of poverty.

the_syco

purplerain1 wrote: »

Would like to hear more before i commit to paying for a training course through them.

I acknowledge that this is an old thread, but this would send alarm bells ringing.

angiek12

I would not take a job with comfort keepers I have been working for them for 2 years and most weeks work 6 or 7 days with no thanks. I got a job in a nursing home but comfort keepers refused to give me a reference or release my certs from training I had done. I am now out on injury benefit following a slipped disc <snip>!! And they are not paying me while I am out ! Im sorry I ever took a job with them . The only good thing is the clients

angiek12

I would look somewhere else if I was u. There are lots of homecare companies out there that treat there staff amazing and being a carer is a great job ! Try irish homecare they are hiring and pay 2.50 an hour more than ck ! I am trying to get a job with them myself as I know alot of ppl who work for them and they love it !

angiek12

I have an interview with bluebird tomorrow so I will let you know how it goes

lazeedaisy

CK pay a tenner an hour, Home instead pay 9. CK pay upfront for training - Home Instead need you to be trained. HSE / Alz. Society and carers assoc. pay 12.75 per hour min. but jobs are hard to get.

Garda clearance at the moment is only taking 5 weeks - thats with "problem" candidates where further investigation is needed - since christmas its gotten a lot shorter.

All jobs with agencies rely on work being available in your area - it can take 11/12 month - unless you are not suitable and they never bother telling you - you just never hear from them. Whilst you tell them your availability - they can call you to check availability.

CK has HSE contract at the moment - HSE are phasing out home helps and carers and HIQA cannot regulate the area whilst HSE staff are in.

It can suit some people - but it can involve intimate personal care - which is why you need training - no one should go in cold to a job.

Agencies are all the same at the end of the day - its not a bad job - but its a pain waiting - as the carers have to be in place before the clients - so you can be waiting a very long time.

It can be rewarding if its what you want to do - but you wot get rich from it.

clare carer

i waited a long time too for clearance, you dont have to start the fetac until your working, even then they dont look for the qualification. ive been with them four months and have done one module with them. Its like 200 euro per module and its taken out of your wages slowly, it makes the pay very litlle, the main problem aswel is they dont give fuel allowance. If you are living in the country like i am where clients are very spread out you will find that you are not making anything after you calculate what you pay for the trip to get to the client.

If you have been on social welfare you are entitled to do courses for free, ask in your local office. If your not on social welfare , look around and get advice from your local adult education service.

i am not sure if you quit are you obligated to pay the full fetac course you havent completed, they shove a contract into your hand at the first training days, make sure and read it even if they hurry you, and ask them details about paying for modules ect.

If you let them know that you know that most home care agencys give employees fuel allowance and if you repeatedly as for it, they might give it to you, I know some employees with them have. Down the line though, the office can be very inconsiderate uncaring and plain dishonest. If they get you to cover shifts temporairly, be aware that it might not be temporary, and the only way to refuse work you dont want is to firmly put your foot down and say no. they tae advantage of weak, uneducated young people, like myself, but I have learnt alot you have to stick up for yourself, now your rights and dont sign anything without reading it. Ask questions all the time, get things in writing (emails ) if it is something that they will take might word back on.

Arthur1987

What's d pay for comfort keepers live in carers in Ireland 7 days. Can anyone tell me. Tks

lazeedaisy

24 hour shift €100. can only do 3 / 4 if you can get them. 75 for overnight 10 hours.

cerastes

lazeedaisy wrote: »

24 hour shift €100. can only do 3 / 4 if you can get them. 75 for overnight 10 hours.

I dont get you
24 hour shift? €100, whats involved in a 24 hour shift, how can you be on 24 hours?
and a ten hour shift is €75?, less than minimum but still more than 24 hour rate?

monflat

cerastes wrote: »

I dont get you
24 hour shift? €100, whats involved in a 24 hour shift, how can you be on 24 hours?
and a ten hour shift is €75?, less than minimum but still more than 24 hour rate?

Arnt you sleeping over ? So u get a sleep over rate.

cerastes

monflat wrote: »

Arnt you sleeping over ? So u get a sleep over rate.

for 24 hours? does sleeping over legitimately cover minimum pay legistlation?

lazeedaisy

For 10 hour shift which is called inactive overnight - you go in at 10pm & sleep. you can be called on 3 times during the night - this is technically time you sleep & not work.with a 24 hour shift - technically you sleep 8 hours so you dont get paid to sleep.
there are ways around all this & they tell you records are audited by NERA but when they are in the phone begging you to do shifts they never care about how many you are doing.

cerastes

lazeedaisy wrote: »

For 10 hour shift which is called inactive overnight - you go in at 10pm & sleep. you can be called on 3 times during the night - this is technically time you sleep & not work.with a 24 hour shift - technically you sleep 8 hours so you dont get paid to sleep.
there are ways around all this & they tell you records are audited by NERA but when they are in the phone begging you to do shifts they never care about how many you are doing.

Ok, I see for the 10 hr shift, but when does a 24 hour shift usually start?
Start at 10pm? and go to the following night? Is this in someones home? or care facility, some people go into a deep sleep, might need to be given a shake to wake up if called, Im not kidding.

lazeedaisy

CK are a private co. so its peoples homes.

start time 10 11 am. you go to bed sometimes in a seperate room with a baby monitor or could sleep in a bed or chair in the room the person is sleeping

you also get a 2 hr lunch break every day.

you never sleep properly though.

monflat

lazeedaisy wrote: »

CK are a private co. so its peoples homes.

start time 10 11 am. you go to bed sometimes in a seperate room with a baby monitor or could sleep in a bed or chair in the room the person is sleeping

you also get a 2 hr lunch break every day.

you never sleep properly though.

Would any of ye who are not getting any joy with ck try bluebird care ?