registered nurse

care assistant

senior care assistant

deputy manager

unit manager

HC One

I currently work here. I started in August technically but due to my old employment was unable to attend the first induction session. Induction was fantastic, wonderful ex-nurse who told us all about her experiences and her views and what she wanted to see out of us. So as a previously experienced Carer I sought out to live by these company values. First shift - worked off my feet. 

I’ve had zero shadow shifts and all the while I’ve been working there only 2 people have let me “shadow” what they’re doing. Luckily I’ve been a Carer since I was 18 so I know exactly what to do in most care environments but I was horrified. I didn’t know the residents well enough to know their care needs let alone their personal preferences. People are put in the living room and left there alone. People are forced out of their rooms to sit in silence with little entertainment but the odd bit of tv or radio one... activities staff only come when they want to and they bring children’s toys for adults (who mostly have mental capacity) to play with and dance around to stupid music that I’ve noticed very few enjoy. I get looked at like an idiot by other staff members when I ask residents what they’d like to do - clearly not person centred enough! Also, staff come in when they’re sick, now all of our residents have chest infections and sickness and I’m left wondering if this is healthcare or capitalised medicine  supplying care. If care is even in it. And if I have to go to the toilet I have to use the staff toilet (fair enough!) but it’s upstairs and all the way down the corridor so you don’t have time to go there, do what you need to do, then come back anyway - I’ve already got symptoms of cystitis and I’ve worked there 2 weeks!!

Also, the paper work is a mess! New staff aren’t trained up to do the paperwork properly, unless we just keep begging and begging. Each person has about 2-10 charts each, and most aren’t filled in properly. Management claim to be all about the care but just yell at you and demean you in front of other staff, residents and their families. I had to sign a supervision form for something I a) didn’t do and b) had no clue about because I’ve not had chance to read anyone’s care plans or get to know the residents well enough. I contested the paperwork and the senior said all staff were to blame... so you blame new starters for things out of their control? Now I know why they can’t keep good staff long enough.

Finally, I will just put some advice to new people starting at this company. They may let you shadow, but if they don’t and you’re just thrown in at the deep end like me, you have 2 weeks of people yelling at you and telling you to be faster, be quiet, moaning about other staff and management, telling you to eat the food they give you (even if you’re vegan like me and there’s no option but over cooked sprouts) unless you want to eat your food in 15 mins on one of your cigarette breaks (but the staff facilities aren’t great), and learn that life isn’t all about getting what you want when you want it (actual quote from the unit manager when I asked about if I could do my nurse associate course there as I’ve just graduated uni). But don’t worry, the residents are lovely, some staff are nice... but watch out for the online training and the brainwashing. Keep your standards of care and your head high and you’ll be fine, just don’t set all your hopes and dreams on HC-One.

This company is appalling, I only gave them a one star rating because a zero or minus figure isn't available.   

They promise you anything and everything to get you to work for them then you get a delay in getting your offer letter confirming what they have said, so that you start without it, then when you ask for the offer letter they say it's coming.  When you ask for what you have been offered they tell you that they don't know anything about it and if you complain they ask for the proof of what you've been offered, so if yo do decide to work for them GET YOUR OFFER LETTER IN WRITING BEFORE YOU START.  I'M STILL WAITING FOR MINE.

The residents and the carers and most of the seniors were wonderful, and the reason why many of the staff stay with this horrible company.  The fact is that they are usually transferred with TUPE to HC-One and have worked for that particular home for many years.  They work really really hard because of their loyalty and respect for the residents, some of who are so lovely that you can't help liking them.

The residents pay a great deal of money to stay in these homes but I would never ever put one of my relatives in an HC One home.  In the short time I was with this company we had 5 new people start and 9 people leave.

The management and deputy management are at best inept at worst greedy, callous, indifferent bullies.  They don't know the first thing about having a kind and caring nature as the company byline suggests.  They are incapable and have no man management skills and care only about the money aspects of running this kind of home.  The whole culture is one of bullying and intimidation, and there is no support what-so-ever for any of the staff, especially if your face doesn't fit.  

The workload you are expected to shoulder is totally impossible to achieve and for really really bad wages, it is extremely stressful and if you want to book holidays they find a reason why you can't have the days you want.  

If your face fits you can be off sick but be allowed to book it as holiday.  For others though, if you have a family emergency you have to take it unpaid because as I was told "absence that isn't sick absence must be taken unpaid" I asked if I could take it as holiday as there was no way I could use up all the holiday I had left before the end of the year, I was told NO in no uncertain terms.

If you go above your managers head to the area director you get ostracised and ignored by your managers.  Then the area Manager doesn't do anything about your report and it's swept under the carpet, (that is if you can get your area manager to talk to you in the first place) so you go to her superior and the same thing happens. You will never win so you get lower and lower and then you get ill, then they step over you and hire another poor gullible person who only wants to work in a caring environment caring for the lovely people in these homes.

If I was the "upper management" i.e.the CEO I would put a spy into a few of these homes to find out what is really happening, that is if the CEO is actually ignorant of what is going on and how staff and sometimes residents are being treated.

If I was to give a prospective member of staff who wants to work in the care industry any advice I would say go to another care company, DON'T UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES GO TO WORK FOR HC-One - you will regret it if you do.

The only positive area of working for this company are the fabulous resident's and their families. 
Carers work long hours and often miss their break entitlements because of heavy work load. When we are short-staffed, agency carers are drafted in but many haven't worked at the home before which is difficult because you feel like you are training a new carer up which puts us even further behind.
Management are lacking in social skills and often disrespect their staff. A bit of respect and the odd 'thank you' here and there wouldn't go amiss, so maybe the company could devise an e learning course for them so that they can practice good supportive management skills. 
The staff are great, but the turnover is shocking and people tend to move on to alternative employment fairly soon after joining this company. The company are fully aware of this and haven't put anything in place to rectify the situation. It is in the resident's benefit that they see the same friendly faces each day, not faces that come and go every week.
The hardest part of the job is working short staffed. This company claims to pride itself on delivering the kindest of care yet allow their staff to work under pressure struggling to provide the kindest in care because the home is short staffed. If there aren't enough staff on duty, the residents suffer and it really is as simple as that! 
The e learning courses are insulting. The recent modules are aimed at 5-8 years. The 'preparing for inspection' module is childish beyond comprehension which proves that this company obviously think that their minimum wage workers have learning difficulties! Most of the e learning modules are not age appropriate and staff think they are an insult to our intelligence. Just because we have no choice working for the minimum wage doesn't mean that we are uneducated individuals. My ten year old daughter was even laughing at the cartoon modules which was slightly embarrassing. 
I think this company is a depressing one to work for as there are limited opportunities to move forward and no incentives to progress due to management attitudes towards staff. 
Jobs are indeed hard to come by in the current economic climate but what this company fails to understand is that whilst they can recruit and replace staff easily due to high unemployment rates, the resident's and their families object to seeing different care workers coming and going. This issue is commented on a lot, therefore the 'you can easily be replaced' attitude is unsatisfactory and the company are denying their patients the kindest in care! 
I enjoyed working with the residents and patients and meeting their families but wouldn't even think about working for this poor company again.

Where can I start...

Hc-One says it represents being the ‘kind care company’ This could not be more far from the truth. Hc-One is all about the profits, as long as the big wigs get their pockets filled with money they don’t care. Corners are cut ALL the time, care in the homes are well below fundamental standards and residents needs are NOT met on a daily basis, even down to having a bath and receiving basic dietary needs. The staff are run ragged and asked to juggle too much work and pressure at once due to staff shortage and the company not being prepared to re look at budgets to increase staffing levels due to residents care needs. On a daily basis staff use incorrect moving and handling (people requiring the use of a hoist due to unsafe mobility and non weight bearing are drag lifted) and this is due to lack of training, corner cutting due to not having the time to give basic care needs and lack of staffing. Food is of poor produce, the homes use so much agency that the agency are more regular than Hc-One staff. 

Management are very very poor. They DONT operate an open door policy and DO NOT, I REPEAT do not offer/give colleagues support. DO NOT have a day off sick with this company even if your on deaths door as it is held against you. Shifts are changed at the last minute and your expected to work 60 hours a week with no break even though you DONT get paid for your breaks. So really you are working a 12 hour shift and only getting paid for 11 hours. 

Wages are wrong. Hours missed off, some weeks wages missed and when it comes to pay day and your wage is wrong you are told you have to wait till next month to receive your money...even if this leaves you in a difficult financial situation. This is due to lack of knowledge on how to work the payroll system. Sometimes the care staff have been known to do the wages as managers and admin absent in the home. 

Job security is next to none. With Hc-One you are 100000% replaceable, your just ‘another number on the shop floor’. Managers sit in the office together talking about ‘which staff members need to go’. Managers often say well that’s what probation periods are for, just get rid! 

If you value your mental health, please DO NOT go and work for this company. If you don’t see any sense in my review then by all means go and have a go at working with this company then read this review again.

THE ONLY PEOPLE SUFFERING IN THIS COMPANY ARE THE RESIDENTS THEY APPEAR TO CARE FOR!

My home was one of the best in the area - until HC-one bought us out. Within a year we had our staffing levels almost halved with the same amount of high dependancy residents as before. Even simple things like turns cannot physically be completed on time, and yet we are given double the paperwork on top of the normal job.
Every single member of a once stunningly co-operative team have either left or are looking for a new job.
My residents have never been so unhappy and neglected - through the fault of the big wigs policies and proceedures, and not through the fault of any single member of my care team. We have had nurses having to work through 48 hours straight, and rarely a day goes by when one of us isn't sat in the staff room in tears because we simply don't have the facilities to do our jobs the way we want to do them - this being the primary reason we're all leaving. We didn't sign up to be 'carers' only to be forced into neglect.

Training is impossible. It is an on-line system, which can be completed at home in your own time and at your own cost, and often has to be, because we are 'not allowed to work' if our training is not up to date, but as mentioned above, we barely have time to use the toilet (in fact many of us are suffering UTIs for this very reason) let alone sit at a computer for 2 hours to watch a video on 'how to be kind'. (Which HC-one are clearly not. Delusional, yes. Kind, no. Most definitely 100% no.)

Never have I been less valued, more taken for granted and had to deal with more relative complaints on issues we can do nothing about.
Our audits fail constantly and we are berated for issues we do not have the money or the staff to fix. 

Every single person has become painfully aware we are now a business in it for the shareholders - and shareholders, if you are reading this, you should probably sell out pretty fast. Because on ground level we're folding and unless someone gets a clue not a single home will be open this time next year. 

I could go on... but please, to anybody thinking of applying, you have got to be truely desperate to even consider this. And if you choose to go ahead, you have my condolences for what is to come...

They promise you  the world to get you through the front door, but once you start to work there you can see everyone is talking about everyone.lack of staff,most are in a clique from management to deputy to care staff.There are a few good carers there which work really hard,however if you are in the clique then all they do is smoke outside all day.Always days against night staff instead of working together.Carers do not stay there long.Training is poor.The home was always clean due to domestic workers which always made sure it smelled nice but got no appreciation for there hard work.Friends always worked together.When i started working there i had to wait 2 months for my pay,i have seen this happen to all new starters.I work days and have notice that night staff are asked by day seniors to make sure that most of the residents are up in the mornings.There is no support from manager or deputy.The residents and families are all very nice.There was to much paperwork all of which just repeated itself.(LESS PAPER WORK MORE TIME SPEND WITH THE RESIDENTS) every week they are  asking for donations but you cant see where it was being spend on.The pay is so poor for how much work you had to do.Newbies thrown in at the deep end even without moving and handling.The old manager was brill she knew her stuff.There are lots of bullies there that are in with the manager so there is no point in complaining.Most staff ask to work on the dementia ward because appparently it  is the easier floor.(less demanding) than the residential floor.Uniforms you get 1 and thats if  you are lucky. Night staff is never recognized. always seemed to get the blame for mistakes day staff  have made.I would not recommend this home, everything there is toxic .the only thing there that is great is getting to know the residents.At the end of the shift i run through the front doors, its so under staffed in the days you rarely get a break. Day seniors dont work the floor but night seniors have to act as a carer as well as a senior which to me is unfair. i am currently still working for this company but i cant wait to leave.Please.Please.Please avoid this company.

I started working for HC One as Team Leader in January 2020, my initial thoughts were really good, the workplace seemed friendly and the residents all seemed pretty satisfied. My opinion was soon altered, after starting my role, it became apparent that I had no job description, therefore my job seemed to be being 'made up' as we went along. This made me feel uneasy as I wasn't 100% sure what my responsibilities were, especially as my role was to 'lead the care team' which included the senior members of staff! There was one Friday I was basically told I was going to be On Call all weekend, keeping in mind I had just done all my contracted hours for the week. I did end up fighting my own corner so therefore didn't have to do it, but this just comes into the scenario that I still didn't have a job description, so anything could be thrown at me. 

My first wage wasn't paid to me as they hadn't put me on the payroll, so I was told I'd get a manual payment, which in fairness was done, but only a small amount, not my full wage. I had to wait until the Friday to get the additional payment through, baring in mind payday was Monday. This also came into my bank without a wage slip. This month I have been paid on time, just not the right amount. I was expecting a full months wage but had been penalised for having the 'additional payment' the month prior, even though this was all money I had earned!! To top this off, I have found out my hourly rate has been wronf since I started as well, meaning I'm being paid less than my contract states. My experience with HC One has been despicable, and I am still currently chasing my wages from this month and have been all week. 
The staff and the residents could not be faulted, they do all they can in the home, but they're under staffed which puts a strain on the whole team. Which is a real shame.
I wouldn't recommend working for HC One to anyone if I'm being honest, I've had nothing but bad experience, I lasted 9 weeks working for them. This could just be a one off bad situation and lack of organisation and communication throughout the company, but that 'one off' has been enough of a reason for me to resign from my position.

Under staffed and over worked, unpaid breaks (that's if you get the pleasure of having one) Bullying in the work place by staff and management. No one likes to work with new people because they're too slow, so throw you in the deep end on your first day tending to residents on your own whilst the more experienced carers work together and bark orders at you. The company is too tight to fund more staff which in turn results in accidents in the workplace on a regular basis. Many carers say they don't have time to bath or shower residents, they're lucky to get a bath once a month (a quick flannel down doesn't suffice if they've soiled the bed). Management like to belittle you in front of everyone for no reason other than to show dominance. In the interview process they offer you the world in terms of progression after 6 months of working for the company, don't believe them, after hounding management to get me on courses for 12 months i've given up. Constantly under a microscope, careplans have no structure which makes it impossible at times to under do tasks in a safe and correct manner. Residents who pass away mostly pass alone due to lack of or lazy staff. Residents rarely see daylight, many are left in bed all day when they could easily partake in activities with others in the lounge (because its easier for staff). Every aspect of the day is regimental, tea at a certain time, pad changes at a certain time ect.... if a resident can no longer communicate and needs extra fluids they have to wait until a set time, if they fall asleep in the meantime tough...how is this fair? Its hard to come home after a 12 hour shift and switch off. If you value your mental health stay away from this company! The only positive about working for HC-one is the residents, over time you get to meet some inspiring people with wonderful stories to tell, these people will teach you lessons in life that you wont gain from any studies, these are life lessons gathered over decades, The only thing I'm grateful for to hc-one is making me realize how not to treat people.

I stayed for a short period with this company.   It was a learning experience.  First of all coming from a nurses perspective the medications were not in blister packs but rather in boxes you have to do a running account every day as you gave out the medication then do a five a day account then also do a medication count with the residents of the day which will also audit care plans etc.  There is far more far too much paperwork to be done at this company especially within the cornerstones.  Personally I think thanks to panorama investigations into care homes et cetera HC-ONE and now going overkill on paperwork and making sure the job is done correctly unfortunately it’s now gone the other way and you simply cannot keep up. Constant short staffed,  nurses are also expected to chip in with personal care therefore the paperwork gets left behind.
 For such a big company you cannot type the care plans they all hand written which is these days is an outdated practice and leads to errors.

 Money wise  in my area.  It is the lowest paid for nurses therefore a lot is relied upon agencies covering the shifts. Quite often at my place of work there will be an agency nurse most of the week covering days or nights.  As a result this must be costing the company even more money which does not make business sense plus there is no continuity of care. 
 The company needs to get more competitive with wages with rival companies paying 2 to 3 pound an hour on average more. A simple search on the Internet will confirm this . 

Unfortunately as in most cases the biggest does not mean the best and you will be better  at another company and be better thought off. In the end I gave up and left. 
 There is a national shortage of nurses therefore if the company want to be competitive they have to come up with better ideas.

As an employee of 5 years I have seen the company (which has existed under several names now) progressively decline in its treatment of employees. Typical salary for a care assistant / domestic / kitchen position is minimum wage or a few pence above, depending on location and qualifications. There is no performance or service length pay scale, climbing the ladder is the only way to receive a raise - which for non nursing staff is not a significant amount.

Care staff will typically work 12 hour shifts. Full time employees do receive 3 days off per week, however due to high turnover of staff and poor planning for absences, having your shifts changed (often without your consent) is common and at times with no more than a few days notice, making it difficult to have a good work / life balance.

The company is suffocated by red tape, far beyond what is required by law. There is a form to be completed for everything, even down to a form that confirms you have completed another form! The poor design of the paperwork means you will find that you repeat yourself, the frustrating effect being less time spent caring and more time box ticking.

Staff ratios are bare minimum, and do not take into accoun dependancy, they focus on numbers alone.

Management is inconsistent and often unsupportive, and they take the attitude that in the present state of the country, you are  expendable and rarely will you feel valued. What you don't do well will be quickly noticed, but don't expect to be thanked for what you do well.

As sad as I am to say all this, given my many years with the company, I now find myself seeking alternative work and cannot recommend this company unless you are truly desperate.

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Registered nurse 1041 salaries reported	£21.68 per hour
Care assistant 3022 salaries reported	£13.14 per hour
Senior care assistant 1893 salaries reported	£14.09 per hour
Deputy manager 296 salaries reported	£21.46 per hour
Unit manager 224 salaries reported	£19.18 per hour

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