Alex – TCC Client (Spinal Cord Injury, T8)

“I spent a period of time in Oswestry Spinal Unit for rehabilitation prior to my stay in a nursing home. I am now in my own home with a 24-hour care package managed by Total Community Care (TCC).

“I have had no problems so far, anything I have asked for I have been given. The four girls, well I call them my ladies on my care team, they are all perfect I couldn’t give them a higher testimonial honestly. They even bring in lunch for me and everything.  I keep on telling them not to, but they insist on bringing it in which is so kind.  So, I let them get on with it that’s the best way, ha-ha!

“The support I receive from my care team and care manager is great, absolutely great. Anything I ask for they do. As a matter of fact they do it without my asking.  I don’t ask them to dust, I don’t ask them to polish or do any washing or anything, but they go ahead and just do it. They really are top class.

“The girls are completely competent with all my care needs. There is nothing they can’t do. The training up to now has been 100%. I would recommend Total Community Care anytime.v

“During COVID, Total Community Care have dealt with it with absolutely no problem.  The girls take complete protection all the time with the right PPE. I am looking forward to being able to go out with my care team but at the moment, due to the pandemic, we just can’t. It will be lovely when the better weather comes and we can be out and about.

“My care team are very good at organising any PPE they need, and I can leave them to it. I knew one of my team members from before because she worked in the care home I was in. She applied for a job with TCC to move from the care home to work on my team.

“I found the recruitment process for my other team members, no bother, no bother at all. It was lovely and all straightforward, and I felt in control of the people being recruited to work on my care team. Now, I am not sure if I control them or they control me because they keep telling me off ha-ha, but only in a good way though, only in a good way .

“Beth my care manager is great; she communicates regularly with my care team to support us all.  I can only say that Total Community Care’s service is top class, after that there is not much else you can say is there?”

/by

Phil and Robert’s story – as told by Robert

I met Phil in 1984 and over a number of months we developed a relationship which resulted in us living together in the South West.  Both of us had full time jobs and busy lives for many years before I started to notice changes in Phil’s behaviour which at first I just put down to us being different personality types.   Eventually, through his GP we received a referral to the neurologist who thought that it might be Hungtinton’s – it was not a surprise to have this awful illness confirmed once we were informed of the standard symptoms.
Over the next few years Phil’s abilities to work and look after himself gradually deteriorated whilst his behaviour got worse and worse.  Increasingly I was becoming a full time carer in every area of Phil’s life.  Walking, personal hygiene along with eating and drinking all became too much for Phil  Even with limited support it became too much and then had a negative impact upon my own health.  Things continued to get worse and worse until ultimately Phil was admitted to a specialist unit for Huntington’s.  It was the worst day of my life and Phil hated it.  Phil had been abandoned  before being fostered as a child which has impacted upon him hugely throughout his life.  We were now apart after the best part of three decades of being together.
A long time passed before it was agreed that Phil was entitled to try and come home with the support of a 24/7 double care package and considerable adaptations to our home.   Many people said it would not work.
Ultimately we found TCC and I met the directors who reassured me that they were there to support me as well.  A weight was lifted off my shoulders.  They spent two weeks shadowing Phil and providing specialist training for the team of staff.
The team were patient with Phil when he came home and with a separate vehicle he is able to go on outings and it is this stimulation combined with excellent care that keeps him going.
The care provided by TCC for my partner Phil has made a significant contribution to not only the wellbeing of Phil but also to the quality of my life and my personal wellbeing. I now no longer have the burden of the practical aspects of his care. This means I can now focus on being actively involved in various aspects of Phil’s life. This ranges from going away on holidays and short breaks, regular outings and often having a meal and an evening watching TV or a film together.  We have even been away on several trips to Centre Parcs and Longleat.  These holidays always give Phil a boost.“It hasn’t been easy, it’s a difficult journey, but now I know that I have done the best for him, the team are amazing and give him a life; and also I have my life back as well and can carry on living, but still be involved with Phil when I want.”

/by

Colin Tansey’s story – as told by Sally his daughter and his son Robert Spinal Cord Injury (C2/3 incomplete) & Hypoxic brain injury

My name is Sally, 3 years ago my dad was involved in a road traffic accident at no fault of his own caused by a careless driver. The impact of my Dad’s injuries were life-changing not just for my Dad but his whole family. Our case worker came across Total Community Care (TCC), Chris one of the Directors came to meet us as a family and the ball started rolling to find a 24-hour care team ready for when my Dad came home. The recruitment process ran smoothly and we picked our team. Some are still with us from day one along with new members joining the team. TCC staff are always there at the end of the phone for support if we need them.

The team is always doing training and keeping up to date with Dad’s care needs with regular visits from TCC staff checking if all is well and the package is running smoothly. Since Dad’s been home his spirits have changed being around his family and the team we have.

Without the help and organisation we have been given I don’t know how myself and my family could have got through this without their care and help.

If anyone in the same position is looking for a great company I would definitely recommend TCC.

Robert, Colin’s son also added, ‘the company is genuine from the Directors Chris and Reg at TCC down to the individual care team assistants on the package.

The training the team has received has been excellent and the standard of care he has received has been first class. We have had a few ups and downs along the road with staffing issues but these have been ironed out successfully without further incident. The support and advice I received from Lana our Care Manager and Paula our Trainer has been brilliant. You can tell they genuinely care about my Dad. To sum it up my Mam and I could not have asked for anything better as a Care team when we selected TCC’.

/by

Ben Joyce – Complete Spinal Cord Injury at level C4-5

Increasingly people with a SCI are being given a greater say in choosing the right care provider for them.  It can be a big decision but no one should have to remain with an unsuitable provider.

Here is Ben’s experience

“I was involved in a road traffic accident in 2006, suffering a spinal cord injury at C4/5 level (complete). Upon discharge from hospital in 2007 my care package had been set up to be jointly funded by CHC/local authority and a care provider was selected to cover all my care needs.

Ten years later my life was being ruined by appalling levels of care, with a total lack of empathy shown towards myself and my needs to try to live as normal a life as possible. There was no settled care team and different staff turned up every day, sometimes not at all! These were mainly agency staff who accepted the shift, regardless of whether they were competent. Recruitment only found me one applicant in a year of searching. Billing and payroll messed up every invoice.

My concerned dad contacted SIA. I discussed my situation with an SIA representative and with their encouragement researched online, taking the plunge of contacting TCC. From day one the difference in approach was noticeable. They answered the phone promptly, listened and assured me the company would be able to support my care needs.

The change in attitude made me realise how bad things had become and highlighted that there was a route out. TCC put together a proposal which I shared with my joint funders and we agreed to proceed.

The handover process is much simpler than you could imagine. I worked closely with TCC to set up a care plan and job advertisement. We had a successful response and interviewed eight potential candidates. I selected who I wanted employing on my team and gave notice to my previous care provider. I also said that I wanted to take one of my staff members with me to TCC. This was a very smooth process.

My team of staff completed the mandatory TCC induction training course and I set up the first working rota.

18 months on and I have a care team of three people working to my personalised rota to fit in with my life requirements. I haven’t seen any agency or unfamiliar staff.  My monthly invoices are correct; my staff get paid on time and correctly.  Long may this continue in making my life hassle free and with a much higher level standard of care.”

/by

Steve Paget

“I think you need to know how you will be involved in putting together and addressing your needs, how the staff will be managed and how that will fit in to your life”.

Play the video below to see why Steve Paget thinks TCC is so unique.

/by

Ross Lannon

“My main concern was accepting help from someone else, I’ve always lived with my family and I’ve never had any outside support or anything”.

Watch the video below to see how Total Community Care has helped support Ross to do the things he wants to.

/by

Mark Bowen

“It’s a difficult thing care, when you’re told early on that you’ll need carers for the rest of your life, it’s hard to get your head round that and what it looks like”.

View the video below to see how we helped support Mark through his difficult early days and help support him through the carer recruitment process.

/by

Mark Ward – TCC Client

‘I found TCC professional and attentive from initially making contact, recruiting, interviewing and selecting the carers for my package. Using TCC has allowed me far greater flexibility than previous care providers and I can now attend events I previously couldn’t.’

/by

Patricia – TCC Support Worker

Side view of a happy woman with physical disability working on a laptop in the office.

“I have worked for Total Community Care (TCC) for 11 years. Throughout this time, I have always been happy working for such an excellent

company. TCC’s care for its staff and clients is outstanding.  If you phone a manager, they are always there to help. The company genuinely cares about its clients and everything that it does for them. You just can’t get a better company than TCC; they are a very efficient and supportive organisation.

“In all the years I have worked with TCC I have never had any problems. I have worked with a few different clients over the years and only moved to support another client if someone passed away.

“Unfortunately, I have problems with asthma, and I can’t go to anyone who smokes or has pets. In the past, however, Reg – TCC’s Commercial Director – has always found me another client to go to. The only exception was when a previous client passed away. Although TCC tried their very best to find me another client, at the time no-one was local to me.

“Regrettably, therefore, I had to go to work for another provider for nine months which was very sad for me. The new provider gave me a zero hours contract which I didn’t like.  I never saw a member of the management team and I only saw a clinical lead once in the whole time I was there.

“At TCC during your 6-month probation your clinical lead signs you off on your key competencies.  This was never done with the new company and to me that was totally wrong. They didn’t know who they were employing and didn’t know if they could really do the job.

“There was hardly any training apart from one day, and that was it. You applied for the job and they set you working straight away. The only thing my new provider seemed to care about was money and not the client. With this provider you felt you were ‘pushed’ onto that client, without them being able to state their preferences.

“The difference at TCC is that when you apply for a vacancy you go to the client’s home or, in recent COVID times, undertake the interview via Zoom. It is then down to that client if they want you to be their Support Worker.

“There was also very little support at the other provider. I would leave a message for a manager and no one would get back to me. I would leave a message again and still no one would get back to me. The other Care Team members and I were very unhappy and knew things could be much better for us and our client.

“I discussed how good TCC were with my client and the team. Consequently, my client decided to meet with TCC and transfer his package of care across to them. Needless to say, I was very happy to return to such a caring company as TCC.

“The training with TCC has always been good.  Whenever I started with a new client at TCC the Clinical Nurse would always come in and be there to reassure me, check that I could do the necessary tasks, and sign off my competencies.

“I remember when I had a client with a spinal cord injury who required tracheostomy and ventilator care.  I was with one of TCC’s Clinical Nurses and first we spent four days at the care home with the client to get to know their specific care needs. Then when she was discharged home, two of TCC’s Clinical Nurses, Maureen and Sophia, were both on hand 24/7 for the first two weeks.

“This is typical of the outstanding level of support TCC give to new carers, because they know that in some cases, they have never done the particular work before. To be on hand, more or less 24/7, helping with all the training, including bowel management is going above and beyond. You can’t fault any of TCC’s Clinical Nurses; they are always on hand and always there to support you if you have any difficulties.

“During COVID, I found TCC adapted really well. I never had any issues with PPE.  I was always able to speak to someone and they were very prompt in coming back to me. My Care Manager, Beth, is always very supportive. Also, I know that I can contact Julie Merritt, Operations Manager and Debbie Mason, Operations Director if I ever have any issues with anything.  At TCC, there are lots of people I can turn to if needs be; they are always there on hand to give me the answers that I need.  To me TCC are just faultless, nothing is too much trouble for them.

“TCC are an outstanding company to work for and that’s why, if I know of anybody that needs a care company, I have no hesitation in telling people about them.”

/by

Rachel – TCC Support Worker (client with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy)

“One of my sisters has been a Total Community Care (TCC) support worker for many years. She recommended TCC to me, so I applied for a job and started working for the company in August 2020.  Since joining TCC I have found them to be very helpful and understanding. They appreciate everything you do and can’t do enough to support you, including paying you for all overtime work. The client that I am a carer for is lovely too; it feels as though I am not actually going to work, but rather visiting my second home. I am treated like family!

“Previously, I have always worked in care homes. Doing one-to-one care, however, is so much better because you get to know your client’s personal likes and dislikes. You don’t have to worry about being pulled away to go to support somebody else. And because you have that personal one-on-one relationship, I find this work so much more rewarding.

“Initially, I was worried about the transition from working in a care home to supporting someone with a complex injury in their own home. I thought I might not be able to do it because I had always worked with older people before. When I went to meet my client to do my shadow shifts, however, he was absolutely lovely. My client likes to have a lot of banter and a lot of laughs; we are always teasing each other. It makes my job great fun – I go to work happy and come home happy.

“Since working for TCC, my family has noticed the difference too. They see that I am more like my bubbly, happy self again. In my previous role I was always mentally and physically exhausted, whereas in my new job I am much less stressed.

“The support I receive from TCC is fantastic; I couldn’t wish for anything more from a company. It is the first time that I have actually experienced this level of support at work and I love it. Despite the difficulties COVID and a second lockdown have brought, the training process was good. The pandemic has meant that TCC has had to adapt some of its normal face-to-face training to online provision. Sophia, my allocated Clinical Nurse, and Claudine, my Trainer, are both lovely and have been a great help with my development.

“More importantly, my client is really happy with how much I have learnt and picked up in such a short space of time.  He no longer considers me the ‘new person’; I am now part of his team. My Care Manager, Beth, says to me whenever she phones that it is so lovely because she can always tell I’m smiling and laughing.

“It is my first shift with one of the new support workers tonight. However, because I’ve learnt so much so quickly, my client is more than happy to put me on a shift with a new member of the Care Team.

“I was with my client yesterday and he feels that he has a very good team of carers.  I have always said to my client and Care Manager that I am so glad I came to work for TCC. I am so happy with the way they treat you. They praise you at every opportunity; I couldn’t wish for a better company to work for and that’s the honest truth.”

/by