Loving Angels Care company speaks out against criticism of its notoriously 'bad parking' in Northampton

A well-known care company in Northampton has defended itself over reports of notoriously “bad driving” and “bad parking” in the town.

Loving Angels Care, based in Abington Street, has responded to reports of alleged below-par car parking and driving standards by its employees.

In the 18 months the company has been using its branded Fiat 500 cars on Northampton’s roads, the company has become well-known for it’s parking on a ‘spotted parking badly in Northamptonshire’ Facebook page.

One person wrote: “They have to be the worst parkers in Northampton.” Another said: “Loving Angels, need I say more.” Another said: “It’s always the Loving Angels.”

We understand the importance of the job they do, and the issue with parking in the town can be a nightmare, but sometimes the Loving Angels parking appears to be dangerous and indefensible. So this newspaper has put the public’s reports to Loving Angels, here’s what they said.

A Loving Angels Care spokeswoman said: “All employees are thoroughly vetted to ensure they have a valid driving licence and meet our fleet insurance policy criteria. Prospective drivers are also required to undergo two internal practical driving assessments with an experienced driving instructor, focusing on basic manoeuvres and vehicle control.

"Should there be reports of subpar driving etiquette, we conduct an investigation and, if deemed necessary, provide one to one consultations and additional training through another practical driving assessment. If a driver continues to demonstrate poor driving or parking behaviour after intervention, we may have to revoke this privilege, which could unfortunately impact their employment status.

"We currently have over 100 vehicles on the road, and since implementing these measures, we've seen a significant decrease in complaints — from nearly two per week at the introduction of our car scheme 18 months ago to just two in the past three months.

“We take driving complaints extremely seriously. Should any member of the public witness one of our vehicles being driven poorly, we encourage them to report it to us at info@lacmail.co.uk, including the vehicle's registration for a swift investigation.

“We aspire to be known for our exceptional care delivery, not for the driving habits of a few. We are committed to working with the local community to resolve any issues and so that complaints become zero.”

The spokeswoman added: “Given the acute shortage of effective caregivers in our hospitals and care sectors, offering a company vehicle helps alleviate the financial burden for those entering the care profession.

"Our package includes a car, insurance, and fuel, all provided at no cost, to encourage more people to work in the care sector, thereby ensuring that our loved ones receive the care they need and deserve.”

A Care Quality Commission (CQC) report said the business ‘requires improvement’.