To think there is a reason for this support worker not to be trusted

Put a small camera up

I would go back to social care and make a complaint to the LA that they aren't taking your concerns about adult abuse by one of their contracted carers seriously enough. Can the person being cared for write anything? They must take their views seriously.

If this person is a child or a vulnerable adult, then you should report the carer to your local social care (social services). I have done this in the past and I can't say they were brilliant, but financial exploitation is abuse. You can only report re a vulnerable adult if they have a specific vulnerability, not just because you see them as vulnerable. The other option, if the person receiving the care is on board with it, is to put in writing to the carer and care company something like 'as a number of items have been given away and also gone missing, going forward there will be no gifting of food or any other items and if the young person offers gifts, they should be declined'. Could something like that be helpful?

I would contact the police then OP, the LA if you get funding and the CQC.

I worked in social care, and what EastEndQueen says is spot on.

If the carer is employed by an agency, firm, charity or the local authority, then the management team and the social worker should be informed the worker is helping themselves, accepting gifts regularly and not recording them, etc, because, unfortunately, while most care workers are fabulous human beings, there are some carers who are horrible, exploitative arseholes, and often the people needing support are not able to challenge, refuse, or enforce boundaries.

I’m a care company manager OP. The company (I presume from your updates this is a carer from a CQC Registered care company, not a self employed PA) should have very clear policies on acceptance of gifts and this should have been read and signed by the carer. Breaking this is gross misconduct and financial abuse and you are right to take it seriously.

When you reported it, how detailed was the response? In my company, I would have had a documented 1:1 with the carer, got the wider team to re read the policy and sent a manager to have a chat with the client. If I couldn’t get the bottom of it (‘their word against mine’ type situation) then I would probably swap them out of that client’s care. All of this should have been communicated to you.

If you haven’t got the response you need and you feel your loved one is at risk of financial abuse from their care provider, you can complain to the CQC, the local authorities safeguarding team and finally to the ombudsman. You don’t need to have LPA for any of those complaints and they may decide to remove the care company from your loved one’s care.

You would need LPA to just march into the office and say ‘we are finding another provider’.

Talk of live-in carers is a red herring, they will have a clear plan for food allowance in their contract so everyone knows where they are. Usually about £60 a week or so.

Asking if you can have a cup of tea is fine, taking a biscuit if offered. Carers shouldn’t be accepting anything of any value at all and certainly not taking it home.

There are exceptions but they need to be clearly documented and loved ones informed. We had an elderly client with full mental capacity who wanted to give a small wedding gift to a carer (in the region of £20). The carer informed her she would have to ask the office, we informed the family who gave their blessing and the gift was given. All in the open and fine.

It’s normal for lunch/coffee out not to be paid for a carer when taking a client out.

I work for NHS including some home visits. We're advised to decline all offers of food and drinks in case they've been tampered with.

Who are you to the person receiving care? Do they want you involved?

If the person receiving the care wants someone new then yes push to have them replaced - also agree about cameras. Theft of a toy and tshirt or taking food from the home (unless it would otherwise be thrown out or is gifted) is wrong. I would however not begrudge someone, likely on minimum wage, drinks or snacks consumed in the home unless they were cooking themselves whole meals and leaving the person being cared for without.

Who is reporting this to you @Disney777 ? If they have witnessed this, then they need to report.
how do you/they know the carers child?

I don't think so. If you're out for lunch in work time, work should pay for the lunch.

The person being cared for in the post I responded to might not be working but they're clearly not struggling to make end meet. Which is wonderful to hear, wherever their funds come from, but the carer is out somewhere they wouldn't be if they weren't working. and is likely on close to minimum wage themselves). Costs incurred by being there for work should be covered by the employer.

In your case it sounds like the employer is the LA, not your relative though.

Who is paying for the care? Report to the care company, report theft to the police. If you are paying look for another company. If Social Care has input report to them - talk in terms of safeguarding. Be ready if you mention safeguarding the care company are very likely to pull out. You get 28 days notice.

Someone who needs 24/7 care does not work.

It would be pretty entitled for most people to assume that their lunch should automatically be paid for within the context of their job unless they have a very specific and senior role, which by its nature involves wining and dining people.

Neither is the person in the post I was responding to.

Expenses, lol. Your banking client is probably not existing month to month on state benefits like a person so disabled they need 1:1 care all the time.

Carers are getting paid - it’s their job, they are not volunteering so why are they unable to buy their own drinks and lunch?

I can’t see how it’s reasonable that the person being cared for is expected to pick up the tab for food and drinks every time there is an outing.

Yes, in that situation the carer's tea is "expenses" in the same way that if I take a banking client out for lunch, I'm not expected to pay my own lunch.