Pros
I can't really think of anything to praise them for - training is ok but definitely not the best as other agencies generally do not accept their certifications and prefer carers to do training with them - which tells you something.
Cons
They have ZERO interest in the welfare of their carers or clients. This is a company out to make money by any means possible and they do not care how they go about it. This apparently has become the norm since the previous owner died and her son took over. They do not assess client homes to make sure they are fit for purpose. Carers arrive at assignments where the homes are filthy, bedbug ridden (not Consultus' problem apparently and they wont warn the in going carer even if they are aware of the problem), no privacy (carers being forced to sleep in the dining room open plan into the lounge, no cupboard space, nowhere to put toiletries etc. Clients are abusive towards carers in many respects e.g. poor food allowances, inadequate accommodation, repeated night calls which should necessitate the appointment of a 2nd carer but rarely does. When carers complain to the agency the only thing that happens is they are likely to sit without work for a while - action is never taken. Even when reports are made of negligence or misconduct on the part of another carer or a carer who leaves a home filthy dirty when leaving, clear signs of neglect of the client etc - the person making the complaint will be penalised for speaking honestly. The clients needs are not adequately assessed and carers are sent into situations that are unsafe for them from a physical point of view - plus very often carers are verbally (and even physically) abused by clients, but they never intervene or cancel the contract - they just send in a new carer - some clients NEVER get the same carer twice - and in a space of a year will go through 25 - 30 carers because no-one will return - do Consultus deal with them? No. The CEO went on radio at the beginning of the year to defend an article in a major newspaper regarding their practice of sending unqualified and hardly trained carers to look after vulnerable people (all true) - all he did was praise himself and his office staff for the great job they do - not once did he even mention the carers who make the money for them, the people who actually make the reputation of the company - why? because he does not care. It is one thing to recruit a mature person for this job - someone with life experience and the ability to think on their feet. They now employ people as young as 23 - never left home before, have no life experience, no medical knowledge, ability to cook a nutritious meal etc - that is because they refuse to turn away a single client and will make sure they have a carer - age 23 or 80 it doesn't matter to them.