Country Cousins est 1959

Kind, caring and compassionate support to my dementia-ridden Father these past weeks has provided him with much needed 24/7 reassurance when needed and the Family complete peace of mind. Dad had lost a lot of weight however this has been reversed with the nutritious meals and marvellous smoothies provided throughout the day. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts. More...

Reviewed on TrustPilot

I found Country Cousins to be really supportive and caring. I would highly recommend them.

Reviewed on TrustPilot

Amazing service at a very difficult time of life for the elderly. The staff have been compassionate, caring, trustworthy and extremely helpful. The staff are very well matched to their clients and they have looked after my parents wonderfully. Lauren White has been exceptionally helpful, she is always efficient and helpful, quick to respond and a fantastic relationship executive. More...

Reviewed on TrustPilot

Louise (based in the office) was so understanding of a very tricky situation and showed huge empathy and took time to listen and understand the issues.

Reviewed on TrustPilot

The Live-in Carer who looks after my aunt is wonderful. Very kind, helpful and understanding. She uses her own initiative and treats my aunt with respect.

Reviewed on TrustPilot

We were initially not confident about whether live-in care would work for our relative, but it has been very successful. Our Country Cousins carers have been very reliable, easy to contact, flexible and very cheerful & positive. They understood our concerns about our relative’s medical conditions & worked with us to try to ensure she accepted them into her home. They have put the family’s minds at ease & given us the ability to enjoy more quality time with our relative when we see her. Long may it continue! More...

Reviewed on TrustPilot

Very happy with the assistance Samantha Phillips has given us - always helpful and deals with any issues very quickly and efficiently. Would definitely recommend. Generally very good placements for my mother - keeping her at home has been so important and Country Cousins have made it possible More...

Reviewed on TrustPilot

We've been using Country Cousins two years. The carers are self employed and Country Cousins are an agency, so there is much more of a personal touch and alot less red tape. The carers are alot more switched on to adapting and focussing on my father's personal requirements than other Care Providers I've used. CC spend time finding the right carer for the family and vice versa, and everyone is much happier that way. Currently we have a really lovely lady who has been caring for my Dad for about six months, who has formed a lovely relationship with him and who is also very knowledgeable and capable on the advanced care that he now requires. Importantly Country Cousins also understand the need for reliability - when one carer had to leave suddenly as she had unfortunately fallen ill, CC made sure and found another carer for us straight away. Our coordinator is Teresa , she's very understanding in finding the right carer for us, very responsive and has never let us down, we feel safe in their hands. More...

Reviewed on TrustPilot

Really rapid response to our request for 24/7 live-in help. Our requirements were assessed in detail within 24 hours and an excellent attentive carer in place within a further 48 hours. All terms and conditions, costs, commissions etc, were clearly explained and reasonable. We have dealt with various care providers in recent years but non have come close to the professionalism and attention to detail received from Country Cousins More...

Reviewed on TrustPilot

Excellent service. Fast response to queries. Very friendly.

Reviewed on TrustPilot

Excellent communication with Country Cousins with quick responses to emails and queries. Very good supply and standard of carers.

Reviewed on TrustPilot

Portia is very easy to work with, she is very fast to reply to emails and even emailed me that she is on the meeting and will reply as soon as possible. Then contacted me to discuss the dates and the conditions of the assignment and the deal was done. My previous experience working with Portia has been positive as well. More...

Reviewed on TrustPilot

We found the staff in the office extremely helpful and caring. On the whole the carers they supplied were good, however some did not work out so well.

Reviewed on TrustPilot

The Lauren was very helpful and considerate.

Reviewed on TrustPilot

I have been dealing with Country Cousins for over 6 months now for my mothers dementia care at home. My case worker Lauren Lawrence has been fantastic. Lauren has helped work through a number of carers over the past 6 months and i'm glad to say we have found some lovely ladies who are very caring and work on a rota to help support my mother now. Having the same carers come in that my mother gets on with is a real blessing. They know what's best and have helped put a nice routine in place. Thank you to Lauren for over seeing everything & to the carers for their due care and attention. More...

Reviewed on TrustPilot

As a carer I have found Country Cousins Care Agency very helpful and professional. They try to match a Carer with the Client's particular needs. They always give us all the necessary information on each particular client. More...

Reviewed on TrustPilot

Seriously the worst telephone service ever, you call everyday, no one picks calls and voicemail is always on. Jobs are always allocated to those they favour while others wait. Management needs to look at staff telephone services and how jobs are allocated. More...

Reviewed on TrustPilot

I have been working with Country Cousins since 2018 and they are a great Company. Easy to reach and comunicate I have worked along with Portia, and she is very nice,calm and supportive. I'm very happy she is back

Reviewed on TrustPilot

CC were wonderfully supportive at a time I was feeling totally vulnerable. Friendly, cheerful and thorough service.

Reviewed on TrustPilot

My colleagues are helpful and understanding. I feel encouraged and I also get meaningful work and assignments. Challenges have been handled well and resolved quickly

Reviewed on TrustPilot

We have been using Country Cousins for over a year now. They are great. Our client relations lady (Lauren Lawrence) is excellent. She has takes the time to understand our specific requirements and matches us with carers that she thinks will work best. She is responsive and has made the world of difference to my parents' care. Thank you for all your help with organising their care. More...

Reviewed on TrustPilot

It’s an absolute pleasure to work for this company. The girls are an absolute delight. Always there when you need a friendly “ear” to support you or just to have a friendly chat. I have never been without work, they always ensure they are in regular contact and I am matched perfectly with my client in order that all needs are met. I really cannot praise or recommend them enough!!! More...

Reviewed on TrustPilot

We contacted Country Cousins to assist with care for our Mother. Initial sales call was positive. Lots promised including choice of carers. We paid an initial consultation fee. Then no communication or answers to further questions. No carer was offered. Still waiting for a refund of the consultation fee. When we needed care, Country Cousins were clearly not able to support this. More...

Reviewed on TrustPilot

One star is because it is not possible to give less. The quality of care provided during our 3 month use was extremely mixed. A couple of the Carers were great but most of the others were absolutely terrible. On that basis it is not possible to rely on this company. Some of the carers were rude, some of them had poor English and some were not able to perform very basic domestic tasks. Some of the major issues were: - some carers could not prepare basic meals - one carer switched the heating thermostat up to over 30 degrees costing us thousands in oil - some carers couldn't follow simple instructions to put the recycling bins out so the council refused to take them and my mother had to clean the bins out (yes please note this was not something they were prepared to do!) - some carers had poor domestic hygiene (did not wash up properly or keep the kitchen clean/out of date food found) - no carer took control of making basic appointments for my mother (eg eye appointments/GP appointments) which is clearly stated as something they would do - most of the carers provided no companionship whatsoever - they spent most of their time in separate rooms It genuinely felt like my mother ended up taking care of a couple of the carers as they could not perform these tasks and we wondered what we were paying for. In terms of the agency there is absolutely NO personal service. - Requests for carers that could drive were completely ignored. - Requests for carers not to be interviewed at 6pm every two weeks (which is when I was always in the car) were completely ignored - my mother is a smoker (clearly stated at the outset) yet a carer who could not be placed with a smoker was sent. - complaints were ignored until I followed up on them It is extremely obvious that this is a case of the agency sending out an email, whoever replies (suitable or not) is just placed with the person - absolutely NO vetting is done by country cousins to try and match suitable people. This was a company recommended to us but that is on the basis of someone who used them a number of years ago - they have clearly dropped their standards/expanded beyond what they are able to deal with - my advice is look elsewhere....they may be slight cheaper but there is a reason! Response to CC note below - thank you for taking the time to respond. Someone was in touch about the non smoking Carer (we obviously had to get in touch about that as we were left without a carer but I had to fight to prove that CC were responsible for the incorrect placement of a carer). Please note that no one has asked for, or received the other feedback in my note above. More...

Reviewed on TrustPilot

Competent, helpful administration staff, clear designations of help supplied with appropriate costs. Helpers rotated on 2-3 weekly basis, contracted and paid directly, which we found flexible. All 4 of the helpers we had were really excellent in ability, compassion, understanding, made a great difference in improving my wife's mental and physical health, becoming valued members of the family. More...

Reviewed on TrustPilot

Two carers in particular were just terrific - Roseline Katsaumire and Emanuel Magarira. Both really engaged with my father and made him feel special. They made our lives so much easier and we can't thank them enough. Also the office backup was excellent, getting carers arranged and sorting any problems swiftly and efficiently. More...

Reviewed on TrustPilot

Well done Country Cousins. They provided 4 live in carers mostly from London so they had quite a long journey to get to us. They were thoughtful, caring, capable and we simply could not have managed without them. Chrissie, Diane and Trish...you are amazing and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. We kept on my mum's normal daily carers -but a bit reduced - and a WhatsApp support group for all of them meant that they could talk together about any problems that arose or indeed what suited my mum. They have kept the communication going after my she died. Of course every carer was different and had slightly different attributes and skills but after getting to know each one it was always a bit scary to move onto the next...although it worked out fine except on one occasion where there was a bit of unnecessary drama at the end. Country Cousins communicated with me about this and explained that the ball was in my court and I had to make the decision about how to handle it... but that was fine. Make sure you understand when you employ CC that they act as the intermediary and that all the carers are self employed. They are not employed by the agency. What was difficult for us is that we are at the end of the country and therefore a long way from anywhere! CC started at the end of August and stayed on until early January 23. Jo at the office and accounting were all very straightforward and easy to deal with Once again, thank you. More...

Reviewed on TrustPilot

The quality of the carers - we had 2 ladies who were absolutely wonderful and obviously well-trained and completely trustworthy. However I have noticed since Covid that the service from the company is not so attentive as I believe like many companies they are struggling to appoint staff. I recommended CC to a friend, who rang for further information and never had a return phonecall - this is really not acceptable - the friend went elsewhere! More...

Reviewed on TrustPilot

The initial contact is very professional and courteous and they understood that it was daunting moving to live in care from daily care for the first time. However once the contract (and direct debit) was signed - it seemed that we were handed over to ANO and the experience was far less positive and they were slow to respond. Some of the team were more professional (eg: Sylvie) than others. The team doesn't seem to use out of office so you dont know when your email will be responded to and when they are on holiday. Luckily I didnt need to send many emails but those sent required a follow up. The cousin that started came across as quiet and caring but unfortunately she was not organised at all, and was unable to plan ahead, plus she had a lack of patient/client focus. I was a bit shocked at the lack of structure you get from a self employed arrangement - there were no standard records of medication until I drew this up and the cousin unilaterally changed the inherited daily timetable but never consulted with the client (who is completely switched on no dementia at all) as to whether it suited the client to have breakfast 45-60 minutes later than what she was used to with the previous daily carer over the last 6 months. Ultimately the cousin didnt work out due to lack of focus on the client and poor organisation, so overall it was just too stressful for the client to continue with the carer. I asked Country Cousins to find a replacement to start a week later. Their response was dreadful - they took nearly 4 days to send a replacement cousin resumé through to start nearly 2 weeks after the request and a week later than requested. The decision to request a change in carer was not taken lightly but the Country cousins contact did not seem to care. Also interestingly there is no contractual requirement to find a replacement - its not in the contract. I ended up switching to another agency who are smaller and they have been much better organised and reliable which has made my mother's and the family's lives much easier. Country cousins had looked after various elderly family members going back decades so I was positive about using them but something must have changed since those experiences. I could not recommend Country Cousins based on my experience. More...

Reviewed on TrustPilot

So many great things to say about Country Cousins. Professional and friendly service, Kelly was fantastic to work with, always met our requirements. The carers are fantastic people and soon become close friends. So glad I chose CC to help with my care needs. Thank you. More...

Reviewed on TrustPilot

My elderly Aunt used Country Cousins for about 3 months having been in hospital before. Over the 3 months, she had 2 different carers both were lovely and my Aunt got on well with them. It was quite obvious that they enjoyed their work. My Aunt is now well enough to manage with carers coming in regularly rather than having the 24hour care. This is partly down to these carers getting her a bit more mobile and looking after her so well. I would definitely use them and will use again if necessary. More...

Reviewed on TrustPilot

As my sister became too ill to look after herself, Country Cousins organized round-the-clock home care for her. Because her condition was changing all the time, this was a difficult task without perfect solutions. The carers treated my sister with great humanity and did their best to ensure her safety and make her comfortable. I do not think anyone could have done more and I am grateful to them all. More...

Reviewed on TrustPilot

What's not to like about Country Cousins. So far my mum has had had 3 carers since August; Chrissie, Diane and Trish and they have all been wonderful. Caring, thoughtful and really good communicators not only with myself in another county but my mum of course and all the other folk who help out with her care locally. They have got to know her and her life experiences, have worked out what to do to persuade her that their suggestions are the best - not always easy when my mum is quite stubborn - and they give great feedback on a daily basis. I would go as far as to say we have become a family. Each of them has been proactive about what might make my mum's life a little easier and they have promoted contact with the community nurses and the GP. I cannot speak too highly of them all. Jo in the office has been thoughtful and lets me know when the next carer is being put in place in order to keep the continuity going. The billing is all straightforward. If anyone is considering a Country Cousin I would highly recommend it. More...

Reviewed on TrustPilot

The carers are fantastic. They became part of the family and it is so lovely to have them return. They are flexible and apart to mum's mood and reality. Our carer manager is always there to listen to any concerns and provide a seemless care provision. More...

Reviewed on TrustPilot

If I could give this company a "zero" rating I would but theres no option for that. We tried this company for family but did not realise they were not CQC registered. Our mistake-one we will not make again! They dont employ the "carers" and I use that word "carers" very loosely-their training can be done online and they have little or no experience that is evident. Some of their english is appalling. Their attitudes are disgusting. The office staff are useless and have no communication skills-you get the feeling from them all thats its just a job. You get whoever you are given-they never have a choice available as they keep taking packages on without being able to cover safely and adequately. You are told different when you sign up. They make you believe that have SUITABLE carers and you can have one suited to the package of care thats actually needed. If you complain you get the well rehearsed answer "the carers are all self employed-we do not employ them!" And one even stole from the house and we still got the same ignorant response. How SAGA can have anything to do with this is beyond me-it really is. Even if they arent employed by you directly-you take a big fee from every client so you DO have a DUTY OF CARE. CQC should not allow this to go on. Please choose wisely- find a registered agency that actually trains its staff members itself and employs them. More...

Reviewed on TrustPilot

Fabulous service from Kelly, she was extremely understanding,kind and could not have been more helpful.first class service

Reviewed on TrustPilot

We have worked with Country Cousins for two years in their providing care for an elederly relative. CC staff are prompt, caring, courteous, efficient - and pleasant when communicating. The carers they provide [ten or more over the time] have nearly all been impressively caring and able, going the extra mile and coping with at times really challenging situations and behaviours. The one exceptioon was personally unhappy but still did her job well enough. We recommend Country Cousins in the UK to anyone. Plus, we have a relative in Zimbabwe, also a CC client, who has a similarly positive evaluation. More...

Reviewed on TrustPilot

As ever, good and polite service. Excellent choice of food at reasonable prices. Will come again

Reviewed on TrustPilot

I have liaised with Sylvie Kalandrikova regularly in setting up and managing my 90 year old aunt's care arrangements. Unfailingly helpful,considerate and effective, Sylvie has made my task as light as possible. Her ready grasp of my aunt's requirements and character have resulted in 2 excellent carers now in post back to back. It's been a pleasure to have Sylvie as my ready point of contact. I shall turn to her when my turn for care transpires down the line! Douglas Rolland More...

Reviewed on TrustPilot

The experience with Country Cousins has been fantastic and the quality of carers provided superb. A huge thank you to Sylvie for sorting everything out and keeping me informed throughout the process. I would definitely recommend for anyone sorting out live in care for their loved ones. More...

Reviewed on TrustPilot

I can honestly say, having paid the assignment fee and assigned a direct debit mandate I had absolutely no contact from Country Cousins whatsoever. I resorted to phoning the new client line and spoke to four different people giving Me four different stories I wasn’t given any contact details. Staff allocating a carer, supposedly, ignored four messages just asking what they did next ..,., My Mother is frail and 96 and has an irreplaceable South African carer who is returning home, in two weeks, for two months. If I had not made the call yesterday I’m unsure what would have happened, if anything. I was sent the ‘profile’ of a carer - five lines of trite sentences not giving any information about her experience, personality, care interest at all. As I didn’t have a service at all I asked for a refund and was warned that as they’d emailed one profile they may deduct funds. I WAS FURIOUS AND TOLD THRM THAT SHOULD NOT OCCUR. More...

Reviewed on TrustPilot

We've not used Country Cousins before but signed up a carer well before we needed to go away. The carer arrived this morning, with her husband in tow, and lasted about half an hour before complaining that our dogs had slept on her bed (this is not the case, as they are not allowed in the bedroom, but this was someone who rhapsodised in her CV about how she looked after clients' dogs - something she would not have to have done in this case as we're kennelling them). She then left. I understand from Country Cousins that carers aren't allowed to bring partners with them, or leave without arranging a handover. I have informed the 'carer' that she is clearly in the wrong job.

To do them justice, CC did take this very seriously and have tried to find a replacement (we are leaving first thing tomorrow morning). Fortunately a friend has stepped in but I would suggest that if you are to use this agency, to avoid being let down at the last moment, you arrange a home visit beforehand and check the person's experience and expectations.

We have never had an issue with a live-in carer before, and the woman's attitude was more akin to someone who has found herself in a substandard AirBnB for a holiday, not a job for which she is being paid. When I spoke to her on the phone, she seemed more interested in the Wifi access than in my mother's details.

Update: Country Cousins have now issued a full apology and have made it clear that this is not the approach they welcome from their staff. They are issuing me with a full refund. More...

Reviewed on TrustPilot

Hello, I am disappointed with the care I got with country cousins. I have used many care agencies and I am used to the ups and downs that comes with working with people from all walks of life and used to caring for people with more severe needs than I have.

I feel obliged about the positives as there were a few, my cousin got that i was independent straight away and that I did not need prompting, I could meet up with my friends independently and go to work on my own accord.

However, the rudeness and the persistent unprofessional way in which my personal and social care was delivered is not what I expected. I got told on several occasions that my underwear was too small, that I would benefit from an electric tooth brush every time I brushed my teeth. I would not accept this from a friend let alone someone I have just met. Also a Carer is meant to maintain dignity and respect at all times, does this seem to be the case.

Sadly the placement came to an early ending because the carer refused to help me join in on my weekly game of sports saying that it was not on that I was expecting a cousin to engage in a sport (which I was not) i was hoping as with all my PA's that they would be on hand to support me to do the things that I would struggle with.

as the pandemic is still around, I cannot guarantee I will use this service again, as with all disabled people, shortages of care staff is a given. But I hope that next time, my cousins will actually support me to engage in activities appropriately.
All cousins/ carers need to be professional and understanding it is a big deal having strangers in your house.
If you are not prepared for yourself as a young adult, stay away from this service. More...

Reviewed on TrustPilot

Very disappointing.
There are some great “cousins” & some who really should not be doing the job. My dad had dementia & we used Country Cousins until late November 2020. He has now sadly died.
We used CC for about 2 years. One terrible experience was with a woman who came to look after him & really was a bully & worse mocked him & laughed at him whilst he was naked on a contraption to assist with moving a patient from one place another called a “Sarah Steady”.
Patient dignity obviously must have escaped her.
My elderly mum who is also 94 & who has full mental capacity has been left traumatised by that particular “cousin” being in the home.
Another “cousin” accused my mum of being “lazy” for not doing any ironing! (Age 94)
As pointed out when these incidents were reported to country cousins... they are only an introductory agency & all “cousins” are self employed.
I would have expected more scrutiny however particularly since Country Cousins is affiliated to Saga.
After all the people who need help are in the main a vulnerable group of people. More...

Reviewed on TrustPilot

We were cautioned about them by our hospital as they do not participate in the Care inspection process and are not regulated. They introduce carers for 2 weeks for substantial fees to very vulnerable adults who may be physically helpless and mentally confused. Because it’s claiming introduction status only, maybe CC can dodge out. I don’t think that’s safe. There was no effort to match carers to my relative, some were lovely, just right, but it’s it’s hit and miss. I don’t think it’s fair the care package fee is not all-inclusive carers can add on a lot of extras so you don’t know what the final bill is going to be. There should be an inclusive package or there can be carers motivated by money mainly, as a few obviously were. The organisations CC belong to are advertising, promotion and resource agencies, not inspectors. More...

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