To really dislike working as agency staff- anyone else

[Fakerecords]

In care home settings. It pays around £2 an hour more than permanent staff get, I'm earning more than seniors do but for a care assistant role.
All the usual advantages of agency, choose your hours, flexibility etc. However no holiday pay as such as it's included in the hourly rate.

However what's been very hard is going in and having to join the table of (usually 3 or 4 women) who all work together regularly. Some of them can be lovely, but some will treat you rudely simply for being 'agency'.
Sometimes they talk about you right in front of you like you aren't there.

You end up bossed about the other care assistants, and some of them can be very cliquey.
Again many are lovely and supportive, but it's ruined by the small few.
It can be tough when you don't know the residents either or their needs. You use your own initiative which is important, either that or you have to ask for everything, and end up with a lot of "What are you doing? Mrs Smith doesn't sit there." "no, the napkins don't go like that " "no, that's the wrong hoist." etc. All day long.
I've had a couple of times where some staff have ordered takeaways but not included me in their order. I get they've had agency who don't always pay them back, but it's still awkward for me.

I've had care assistants who 'tell it like it is' as they say, slag me off behind my back in 2 homes.

It's a shame because a few of the homes have been fantastic, staff are so helpful and supportive, and it's always made sure that you get breaks. I find the one to one shifts better as you don't have to work directly in the team as such.
Some places do thank you for your help at the end.
Maybe I'm just not tough enough, but I don't feel like I can keep doing these shifts (i still do the one to ones)
Has anyone else had these experiences, and did things improve?

Also staff (not everywhere) who don't bother with conversation because they assume you'll only be there that day.

Also the agency are strict on cancelling, if you cancel 3 shifts over a certain period you can't work for them anymore (which I think is fair enough, except for prolonged illness etc)
However homes can cancel your shift with them at the very last minute if they want (happened to me 3 times) and even if it's late notice, we aren't paid a penny as they say they 'can't charge the care homes for cancellations'

It is awful staff get on like that, when you're actually there to make their workload a little easier! Would you not just get a permanent contract somewhere?- you will feel more part of the team then? Everywhere is crying out, I'm sure one of the homes you liked would snap you up!
I do agency work but absolutely love it. I have got more confident over the years in calling people out who are rude to me- they soon change their tune then!

Also the agency are strict on cancelling, if you cancel 3 shifts over a certain period you can't work for them anymore (which I think is fair enough, except for prolonged illness etc)
However homes can cancel your shift with them at the very last minute if they want (happened to me 3 times) and even if it's late notice, we aren't paid a penny as they say they 'can't charge the care homes for cancellations'

So what you want is agency pay with all the benefits, stability and relationships of a permanent role? Get real.

Erm, no? But just because you're agency , why should you be treated rudely? It's not a given.

Maybe I should consider permanent, would just need to decide if the pay drop is worth it.
That's great, I should be more like that! I bet you've seen a massive difference in how you're treated

go for a permanent role. Less pay but evens out with holiday pay and other benefits.

I like working agency, no politics and I don't have to go back. Plus I get paid more for doing less work. The patients in the hospitals I work at are less sick than the ones in my hospital so I go for a rest!

Do any of the nicer homes you have worked in have a bank you could join? Does your agency have work at settings other than care homes- rehab centre, elderly wards in hospital etc? Don't you have the option of say which homes you wont go to? Are you just with 1 agency? I'd join another.

I did agency work for many years- but never in a nursing home as work in a different field. It might be the same with care homes, but they generally have a preferred agency supplier. 1st choice is XYZ agency, 2nd choice is ABC etc. Find out from the nicer homes which is their preferred agency supplier- and join that one.

I had encountered rude staff and dumping the agency person with the most difficult patients, but the vast majority of places I worked were fine. Most were longer contacts for several weeks/months at a time too. I did refuse to return to a few places though. You have my sympathies, but there are always option.

Sounds like you should consider a different agency. If an area cancels me at the last minute- as on, they book you and then say they don't need you when you arrive, I get 4 hours pay as compensation- the agency also takes a fee, but not sure if it's the full amount. There are loads of agencies, find one near you that values it's staff. You have so much choice for work right now, you don't need to put up with shit.

I’m debating joining an agency too, I know there is so many pro’s and cons though so it’s weighing that up. I am with a registered charity at the moment who are recently treating me soo bad I just want out!

I do a job where I move around so work with numerous teams. I'm friendly and try to go out of my way to help but the nature of the job is that I do spend a lot of time asking questions as each team works slightly differently. It probably helps that I have seniority over the teams I work with so am effectively the boss. I think you have to be strong in this kind of job and vote with your feet. I once worked in a branch where they barely spoke to me all day, I chose not to go there again. Also I go in not expectations to make any friends, if I enjoy it great but as long as they are polite that's good enough. If they are rude I will feed that back to their manager and coordinator and usually raise it with them too.

So after all that I would say develop a thick skin, don't go into it looking for friends, be firm and make sure they are aware you don't stand for nonsense, choose where you want to go and if the staff are batch absolutely feed that back.

Are you in the UK? Because they aren't allowed to include holiday pay in your hourly rate if so.

worksmart.org.uk/work-rights/atypical-workers/agency-workers/do-agency-workers-get-paid-holiday

You shouldn’t be treated rudely but as you pointed out, you are getting paid more and you are only likely to be there a day or 2. They probably imagine you are earning more than £2 more as well, perception is off about agency pay, partly thanks to the daily mail style media reporting.

They will also have had lots of really awful agency staff who do not work hard and that does breed resentment.

I haven’t done agency work for many years, I hated it. Everything you described but I did understand the reasons behind it. I found if you were able to show your worth things would improve and you get booked for more shifts.

I’m a ward manager now and we rely on agency staff. I welcome them and as a team we are warm and friendly but by god, the standard of staff can be horrific and it is incredibly demoralizing when you know they are getting paid more than the substantive staff and doing very little. I work for an NHS trust so it’s not as easy as just not booking them again either, it’s all centralized booking and I need to write a report providing evidence if someone isn’t up to scratch.

If I were you, I would look for a substantive post in a good care home. Agency work gives you that chance to find the good ones.