direct support professional

caregiver

residential manager

life skills trainer

clinical support staff

North Eastern Services

I accepted a position as a House Manager with the understanding that I would receive approximately a month of training from an experienced House Manager before managing a home independently. Unfortunately, that was not my experience.

Most of my training was provided by direct support staff who had little or no experience performing House Manager duties themselves. From the beginning, I repeatedly asked questions about resident care plans, dietary needs, routines, restrictions, and expectations because I wanted to ensure I was providing proper care and following procedures correctly. Despite asking for clarification multiple times, I was often told I would “figure it out” as I went.

Another frustration was the lack of organization surrounding training. There were multiple occasions when I was instructed to report for training, only to arrive and be told that management was not ready and that I would need to return later or come back on another day. Because I did not live close to the workplace, these last-minute changes created unnecessary travel, wasted time, and added stress. It contributed to my overall impression that training and onboarding were not being properly planned or coordinated.

Within days, I was left to manage the home largely on my own. I worked hard to learn the role, support residents, coordinate appointments, communicate with families, manage staff, complete documentation, and handle household responsibilities. I frequently worked on my days off and spent many hours responding to calls, messages, and requests from management.

One of the biggest challenges I encountered was the lack of communication and training regarding resident care information. I made every effort to understand resident needs and repeatedly sought guidance from those responsible for training me. I specifically asked questions about dietary requirements, restrictions, routines, and care expectations because I wanted to ensure I was providing the best care possible.

Based on the information I was given, I believed I was following expectations appropriately. When concerns later arose regarding a resident’s dietary requirements, I learned that the information I had been given during training was different from the actual requirements. Management initially acknowledged that I had not been properly trained and that incomplete or incorrect information had been passed down by previous staff.

I was later called into what I believed would be a retraining meeting. Instead, I was informed that I was being demoted from House Manager to direct care staff and accused of neglecting a resident. I strongly disagree with that characterization. At no point did I intentionally ignore a resident’s needs or fail to provide care. I consistently asked questions, sought guidance, and followed the information provided to me. I did everything in my power to be successful in the role with the tools, training, and information I had been given.

The first time I was properly informed of the resident’s actual dietary requirements was the same day I was demoted. Had I been given that information from the beginning, I would have followed it immediately. When I explained that I had repeatedly asked for clarification and had not been trained on the updated requirements, I was told that I had “been there long enough to know better” and that I should have done my own research. I found this frustrating because I had no reason to believe the information I had been given was inaccurate and had actively sought guidance throughout my employment. I was unsure how I could have independently discovered information that had never been communicated to me despite my repeated efforts to obtain it.

I also witnessed behavior from upper management that I found deeply concerning. During a discussion about dietary changes, a member of upper management told a resident that she was “killing her roommate” because she was upset about a new diet plan. After the comment was made, the resident began to cry. I found the interaction inappropriate, unprofessional, and lacking compassion.

The overall culture felt unsupportive and inconsistent. Expectations were often unclear, training was inadequate, and employees were expected to sacrifice a significant amount of personal time to keep operations running. I frequently felt pressure to remain available even when I was off the clock and often spent hours handling work-related responsibilities on my days off.

When I first started, I was told the company struggled with employee retention and had a high turnover rate. After experiencing the workplace culture firsthand, I better understood why. Throughout my time there, many employees expressed concerns regarding inadequate training, lack of support, poor communication, and inconsistent leadership. Several employees left during my time there, and others openly discussed doing the same.

I also observed workplace behavior that I felt was unprofessional, including management speaking negatively about employees and residents behind their backs. This created an uncomfortable environment and contributed to a culture that often felt more focused on blame than on support and employee development.

One of the most disappointing things I learned after leaving was that current employees informed me that members of management were continuing to discuss me with new hires and other staff members. I was told that negative comments were being made about me and that a false narrative was being shared regarding my time with the company, including allegations that did not reflect my experience or the effort I put into my role. I found this highly inappropriate and unprofessional. Leadership should focus on supporting current employees and residents rather than discussing former employees after they have left the organization.

The residents and many of my coworkers were the best part of the job. I genuinely cared about the people I supported and wanted to succeed in my role. Unfortunately, the lack of proper training, poor communication, inadequate support, disorganization, and unprofessional management practices made that extremely difficult.

Ultimately, leaving was the best decision for me. I am much happier in my current position, where employees are properly trained, supported, respected, and given the tools they need to succeed. I encourage anyone considering employment with this company to ask detailed questions about training, management support, workload expectations, communication practices, and employee retention before accepting a position.

i worked at North Eastern Services almost two years the only thing i liked about this job was being able to make an impact on the childrens life, and getting to know different children and adults with all kinds of different disabilities. This was one of the most rewarding jobs i have ever had as far as working with amazing people and amazing co-workers. A particular day at work involved picking up clients, transporting them to the center, ensuring there safety, prepping their meals for them and feeding them, taking them on activities hanging out with them, redirecting them when behaviors arise,  communication with them and socializing, changing there dispense and making sure there personal hygeine is top notch, teaching them new things, watching them learn and grow, and taking them home. I taught myself how to love someone unconditionally, i learned a tremendous amount of patience and the skills to benefit a childs life how to communicate with people who have a hard time speaking and how to redirect clients. hardest part of job is talking to managment you have no support in the managment field whatsoever, also there is no training so you learn on your own. The co-workers are amazing they are all there for the kids and love them dearly they are all supportive and will help you with anything. When it comes to management this is by far the most underappreciated company of their employees i have ever worked for. Also they allow tons of abuse and neglect to go on, they are simply there for the paycheck and they play tons of favoritism. it is almost impossible to keep a job here. The Director of the company does not pay attention to what goes on in the Center Nor does he appreciate his workers. You have to put up a fight for money. you never get your raises or checks on time and there almost always wrong. the turn over rate is ridiculous they hire and fire people so much that the kids have to suffer. unless you feel bad for these children DO NOT WORK HERE. also the new director of the After School Program will do anything and everything she can to fire you. she does not coach you she just writes you up and fires you. the most enjoyable part of the job is that you have co-workers who are like family they are all there for the kids and it feels like a team, also of course getting to know the clients they are all very amazing and entertaining.

It was great at first, I enjoyed working with my former coworkers and house managers and the clients there are interesting for sure. 
However, as time went on I started to slowly recognize the things that the management of the company were doing that was not okay. I felt like I was being overworked and underpaid (I felt like they didn’t respect the fact that I had a life outside of work and that there’s this expectation to always be available 24/7 and to solely focus on work life when that was not possible for me physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially), I felt like I was not being respected or heard as an employee and that they would constantly criticize me even when I was working hard as an employee and would try to get me into trouble or in situations that I would not be able to get out of, and I felt like I had no support or alliance from the management or the company (I would consistently be single staff in the homes or be redirected in homes that I did not know well on and would feel uncomfortable in). 
Once I recognized those signs and the wrongdoings of the management and company, I constantly found myself putting my foot down and having to defend myself for multiple reasons. Hence why I left the company because of everything that I had mentioned previously and I wish the management would change their ways and change how they respect and treat their employees. Unfortunately they didn’t and I ended up deciding that I was no longer going to be under the unhealthy influence of the management of the company and left to look for better opportunities that can respect me as an employee. 

Pros: 
- Interesting Clients who can be fun to interact with and work for. 

Cons: 
- Underpaid while being Overworked 
- The management would try to manipulate and trick the staff to do things that would be uncomfortable, try to get the staff in trouble and at risk of being written up or terminated no matter how hard you work, and highly praise “favorites”. 
- The management does not take into consideration that staff has a life outside and do not prioritize your overall wellbeing and health. 
- Staff are often single staff in the homes and would have no support, guidance, or help from anyone, especially if it’s in a home that staff is not familiar with. 


First off, I love my job. NES has been the best employer I have had, but that does not mean they are impervious to issues found in the whole industry. DSP is considered an "entry level position" so the pay and benefits reflect that (ie. Not great). It's a
hard job with not a lot of thanks but very fullfilling. Employment here is a revolving door but that's typical for most service providers. The job in general is physically and mentally challenging. Physical altercations and crisis are common place.
This job is not for the easily squimish either. It's a 24/7 company so the hours are flexible to a point. Working holdays and weekends are to be expected regardless if you work in the homes or day program. The environment can be very stressful and it's easy to get burt out if your not careful. The office is pretty understanding of that.

Team work is required here. The job is hard enough as is so long as your not adding onto the load you will be appreciated by at least your immediate coworkers.  There are plenty of opportunities to become a house manager but people usualy don't move up further then that. Almost everyone in the office have started out as DSP and worked their way up. They are also the ones that have been at the company the longest. I havent had much interaction with anyone past the Ogden admin team. Sometimes members of the top admin team stop by, including the CEO. 

As for the individuals we serve, they are easily the best part. It's a genuine joy to get to know them. The most difficult ones tend to be the most rewarding. A sense of humor will get you far. The hijinx they get up to is like no other. What other job pays you to take people to the movies, play games, do arts and craft, or just have fun? On the flip side we are often supporting these people through some of the most turbulent times of their life. The "support" in DSP is no joke. It's a fulfilling and incredibly important job. You will be needed.

If you read this review and still think you got what it takes, welcome. I look forward to working with you. 


A typical day at work consisted of preparing meals, administering medications, making sure all the individuals goals are met and completed in the most safest and peaceful route.  Every meal is prepared according to a nutritional but enjoyable standard.  Each consumer has their own individual behavior plans and goals. These behavior plans are constructed and placed for their own safety and the safety of others.  All staffs must follow these behavior plans accordingly and to the best of their abilities. At the end of every shift, all documentations have to be filled out properly. If an incident happened while staff was on duty, staff must fill out incident report and have it turned in within the time frame provided by support coordinator and Director and based on company policies.  As a staff, confidentiality is a very important factor.  We are not to disclose any information about any if our consumers. When documentations are completed and filed, staff's shift may then end. 
 The hardest part of the job is not knowing the individual or going into a situation unprepared. When going into a behavior, most of the individuals are much more prone to talking to staff without any physical contact if you as the staff know how to handle the individual and have read their behavior plan.  The most enjoyable part is knowing how rewarding I feel at the end of the day when they innocently proclaim their love for you as the best staff in the world.  As like every work environment, every person (staff) is different.  We each have our own ways of handling certain situations and circumstances.  For the most part, it was very welcoming to work with others.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The best part of working at NES is the clients. I worked with some really good guys. The second best was that the grave shift was a sleep shift after the clients went to bed, unless they needed something in the night.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
They have random strange rules/ways of doing things. No direct deposit and we had to go in to the office to pick up our checks. They would not release the checks until after 11:00 am, even for those whose shift ended at 9 am (and the checks were processed the night before 

They had zero COVID policies past taking a temp when starting shifts, with employees working at multiple houses. The house I worked at had bed bugs and they took a really lax attitude toward it. "We've sprayed; they should be gone," shrug. 

I only lasted a couple of months and it was sad to leave the residents.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Very dismissive and weird. Random, rigid policies about some minor things, but very minimal COVID policies at the beginning of the pandemic. I took leave because I had a vulnerable child at home. They called two weeks later and asked if I was ready to come back. I asked if they had developed any COVID policies and they had not. Seriously, I was getting COVID emails from previous employers, banks I no longer used, etc., But never got one from NES. They had employees going to different houses after having worked at a house with known infections. Also bed bugs.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
I worked the grave shift. I arrived at 9 pm and visited with the residents, and helped them with their meds. They went to bed by 10:30. I spent some time studying and some time sleeping. Helped the residents get up, made their breakfast, and got them on the bus for day activities. Tidied up and left by 9 am.

I loved getting to know our clients and working with them, but the staff/management needs a lot of work. There was so much abuse from staff that was reported, and a lot of the higher ups didn’t seem to care about the clients or the staff members. Both staff and clients felt unheard.  I quit because they never fixed problems that I reported, they kept telling me they’d give me a raise at three months, and never did after 6 months. As well as management would also make staff come in when they had COVID, pink eye, and various other ailments- endangering both staff and the individuals we served. 

A typical day at work depended on what house you worked in, but it mostly consisted of cleaning and helping clients emotionally regulate or helping them complete tasks. 

I learned a lot about seizures, honestly. The difference between what a real seizure looked like and what a pseudo seizure was. Learned about response blocking, restraints, and redirecting. 

Management was a struggle. They would try to Coerce staff into working when they couldn’t, and would never give mandated raises. Very disorganized and dysfunctional and would blame it on the individuals we served or other staff.

Workplace culture was okay. Some people were lovely and supportive and shared similar values, while others would be gossipy, and even directly rude. 

Hardest part of the job was cleaning off literal Defecate from some of the individuals. The person that hired me told me I would not be working with bowel movements, but you do. I did not appreciate the lack of transparency or lack of training for cleaning BM off of someone. 

The most enjoyable part of the job is getting to know the clients. They are all so unique, and wonderful. I formed some very deep and wonderful bonds with some of them and will miss them dearly. 

The typical swing shift at NES started by welcoming the clients back home from Day Center, reviewing the daily T logs, distributing medication, spending quality time with clients whether that meant an activity or one-on-one time for client goals, then came time to prepare dinner which is always planned out ahead of time. Following dinner came clean up, nightly meds, and down time for the clients to do whatever they wanted- what NES allowed them to do. When clients made their way to bed and the shift was close to an end there were 3-4 different logs that needed to be filled out, T logs, summary of the client/day, med log, and also depending on the client; BM/food intake logs. 
The hardest part of the job was seeing the clients struggle under the rigid and ridiculous rules NES required that they follow, some clients had significant others that NES would not allow them to see due to “goals” not having been met, as if these adults were children. Human rights violations were an ongoing issue, NES and the directors seemed to comply with the  bare minimum. Since 2022 the company has been under fire with the law for violating human rights and since have been in accordance with the law. During my employment with the company I saw heavy turnover due to staff feeling overworked, under appreciated and silenced when it came to real violations when attempting to advocate for the clients needs.
The best part of this job was the clients, each and every client made the mundane daily work worth it, very rewarding to see the warm smiles and welcomes.

Show up to shift work with clients which may involved cooking dinner for them, helping them shower, helping them in the bathroom, packing a lunch for them for the next day, passing meds and putting them to bed. The shift also includes cleaning up after the clients and also keeping the house clean. 
Unfortunately the hardest part of the job was dealing with management and scheduling. Favoritism is a big thing in this company if people don't like you: you won't be able to take time off or switch your shift with another staff. Favoritism didn't come from being good at your job it came from who you became friends with.
If you found an issue with how your house was being run or with the staff you were working with make sure to include upper management in the email to your manager. Managers will take it out on you and make sure you're off the schedule and not allow you to work and or make you work overtime because you're making the manager do their job. 
The best part of this job was being able to have alone time for yourself as well as helping out your clients with their daily needs and bonus you did not have to drive a client around in your personal vehicle. Once the clients went to bed you were allowed to work on homework or use your phone as long as the chores got done. It's a very easy job especially if you make friends with the right people if not it's going to be emotionally abusive and mentally abusive.

Mission statement: “NES supports opportunities for people to achieve independence, enhance self-esteem and sustain a full quality of life.” 

Not only does this refer to the clientele, but to the employees as well. Management is supportive to everyone that has a desire to go further in the company and improve themselves. Management has listened to my concerns and has addressed them professionally.  
 I have learned about myself through providing services to others, I have a boss that understands what my weakness and strengths are and talks openly to me about them. This creates opportunity for me to grow as a person and as a professional. 
 Working with a vulnerable population is such a rewarding experience. Staff are a huge part of the clients lives so getting to build those relationships and seeing them meet their goals and achieve even a little more independence makes the hard work pay off. The hardest part about this job, is that we aren’t always able to provided the necessary services to some clientele to help them succeed.  
 Working in the residential side offers flexibility for students/families/busy individuals that are looking for a part time job or full time job. If you want to help others and have a desire for a positive atmosphere, you can find that here!

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Direct support professional 36 salaries reported	$14.57 per hour
Caregiver 3 salaries reported	$14.92 per hour
Residential manager 38 salaries reported	$17.49 per hour
Life skills trainer 9 salaries reported	$12.13 per hour
Clinical support staff 5 salaries reported	$14.65 per hour

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