I was in the process of joining Cascade…
I was in the process of joining Cascade Cars as a Passenger Assistant and completed the required onboarding and training, but ultimately decided not to proceed because of concerns I had about the professionalism of the company.
During the recruitment process, I completed both Passenger Assistant and Emergency First Aid training. While some of the training content itself was useful, I was concerned by how the assessments were managed. On multiple occasions it appeared that some participants were receiving answers from other people, yet this did not seem to be properly addressed. This left me questioning how seriously the assessments were being taken.
I was also charged separately for my first aid certificate. When I requested a copy, I was initially sent a screenshot via WhatsApp before later receiving a file version. The certificate itself raised a number of concerns for me. It lacked details I would normally expect to see on a professional training certificate, such as a certificate number, clear accreditation information, or an obvious verification process. The overall appearance looked unprofessional and gave the impression that it may have been created internally rather than issued through a recognised awarding body. I also struggled to find much information online about the organisation named on the certificate, including details about its accreditation, verification procedures, or wider reputation within the training industry. This made it difficult for me to have confidence that the qualification would be recognised or accepted by future employers, and left me questioning its legitimacy.
Another concern was the inconsistency in communication. During training, it was explained that Passenger Assistants and drivers would usually have the opportunity to meet the child and their family before transport began. However, I was later contacted about starting work before my DBS check had been completed. I declined because I was not comfortable working with children before receiving DBS clearance. I was then told that meeting the child and family beforehand was not always required, which differed from what had been explained during training.
As someone with experience working with children and SEN pupils, safeguarding is extremely important to me. The combination of inconsistent information, concerns about the training process, questions surrounding the certificate provided, and a lack of professionalism during onboarding ultimately led me to withdraw my application before starting work.
This is only my personal experience, but I felt it was important to share it so others can make an informed decision before joining the company.