17 December.
I leave today to spend Christmas with my family. I want to take this chance to wish you all a very happy and peaceful Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
If you need to contact us over the holiday period please call the office and the answer phone will direct you to the on call number.
National Care Association Logo
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Get Connected and Care First Careers
16 December 2009
Today I have been at a meeting of the Get Connected Reference Group at SCIE. The Get Connected Project is a huge opportunity for care providers to receive grants to help with getting both service users and their families connected to the internet and also to connect staff to e training. For further information please visit the SCIE website:
http://www.scie.org.uk/workforce/getconnected/index.asp
Care First Careers
The Department of Health and Department of Work and Pensions are working together with employers to help them get the talent they need in the adult social care sector.
A new scheme, Care First Careers is launching nationally at the end of January following a pilot programme in four Jobcentre Plus districts; South Tyne and Wear Valley, Cheshire, Halton and Warrington, Coventry and Warwickshire and South West Wales.
Under Care First Careers, employers in the adult social care sector will be encouraged to take on young jobseekers by receiving a £1500 subsidy for every 18-24 year old that they employ who has been receiving Jobseekers Allowance for more than 6 months. This is part of DWP’s Young Person’s Guarantee that promises from early 2010, everyone in between the ages of 18 and 24 who has been looking for work for a year will get an offer of a job, work experience or training lasting at least 6 months.
The scheme is administered by Jobcentre Plus whose front line advisors will be primed to promote adult social care as a key route into work for long-term unemployed 18-24 year olds.
To support the introduction of Care First Careers a series of 11 regional launch events will take place in January and February across England, Scotland, and Wales, where adult social care employers from each region will be invited to learn more about employing young people and encouraged to participate in the scheme.
Care First Careers aims to stimulate wider interest in adult social care and attract a younger and more diverse workforce, with talent being spotted early on and helped to develop. Nurturing the potential core employees of the future from an early point in their careers can lead to more sustainable employment and help grow the workforce of the future.
Employers can visit www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/carefirstcareers to find out more about Care First Careers and how to get the subsidy.
Today I have been at a meeting of the Get Connected Reference Group at SCIE. The Get Connected Project is a huge opportunity for care providers to receive grants to help with getting both service users and their families connected to the internet and also to connect staff to e training. For further information please visit the SCIE website:
http://www.scie.org.uk/workforce/getconnected/index.asp
Care First Careers
The Department of Health and Department of Work and Pensions are working together with employers to help them get the talent they need in the adult social care sector.
A new scheme, Care First Careers is launching nationally at the end of January following a pilot programme in four Jobcentre Plus districts; South Tyne and Wear Valley, Cheshire, Halton and Warrington, Coventry and Warwickshire and South West Wales.
Under Care First Careers, employers in the adult social care sector will be encouraged to take on young jobseekers by receiving a £1500 subsidy for every 18-24 year old that they employ who has been receiving Jobseekers Allowance for more than 6 months. This is part of DWP’s Young Person’s Guarantee that promises from early 2010, everyone in between the ages of 18 and 24 who has been looking for work for a year will get an offer of a job, work experience or training lasting at least 6 months.
The scheme is administered by Jobcentre Plus whose front line advisors will be primed to promote adult social care as a key route into work for long-term unemployed 18-24 year olds.
To support the introduction of Care First Careers a series of 11 regional launch events will take place in January and February across England, Scotland, and Wales, where adult social care employers from each region will be invited to learn more about employing young people and encouraged to participate in the scheme.
Care First Careers aims to stimulate wider interest in adult social care and attract a younger and more diverse workforce, with talent being spotted early on and helped to develop. Nurturing the potential core employees of the future from an early point in their careers can lead to more sustainable employment and help grow the workforce of the future.
Employers can visit www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/carefirstcareers to find out more about Care First Careers and how to get the subsidy.
BBC Documentary: Can Gerry Robinson fix dementia care homes?
11 December
Well this has been another busy week.
On 8 December 2009 the Care Quality Commission published guidance for all health and adult social care providers on meeting new essential standards of quality and safety that will apply across the care sector. (i.e. to replace National Minimum Standards). These documents are going to take us several days to read and comprehend fully. You can access the documents at:
http://www.cqc.org.uk//newsandevents/newsstories.cfm?cit_id=35743&FAArea1=customWidgets.content_view_1&usecache=false
That evening there was a programme on BBC2 called “Can Gerry Robinson Fix Dementia Care Homes?” I am only too aware of how much this programme upset so many of our members. It is not acceptable to have a programme made about some of the most frail and most vulnerable which is light entertainment.
The next morning I was stunned to find on the Care Quality Commission’s website a press release entitled BBC documentary: Can Gerry Robinson fix dementia care homes? and with the opening line:
The Care Quality Commission helped the BBC in the preparation of this evening’s programme on BBC2 (9pm), Can Gerry Robinson Fix Dementia Care Homes? We provided statistics and background information:
http://www.cqc.org.uk//newsandevents/newsstories.cfm?cit_id=35745&FAArea1=customWidgets.content_view_1&usecache=false
I cannot believe this press release. What were they thinking about?
It is just another concern about their practice that is chipping away at our confidence in them as the regulator.
Nadra has written to the Minister about this and I have written to senior Civil Servants.
Well this has been another busy week.
On 8 December 2009 the Care Quality Commission published guidance for all health and adult social care providers on meeting new essential standards of quality and safety that will apply across the care sector. (i.e. to replace National Minimum Standards). These documents are going to take us several days to read and comprehend fully. You can access the documents at:
http://www.cqc.org.uk//newsandevents/newsstories.cfm?cit_id=35743&FAArea1=customWidgets.content_view_1&usecache=false
That evening there was a programme on BBC2 called “Can Gerry Robinson Fix Dementia Care Homes?” I am only too aware of how much this programme upset so many of our members. It is not acceptable to have a programme made about some of the most frail and most vulnerable which is light entertainment.
The next morning I was stunned to find on the Care Quality Commission’s website a press release entitled BBC documentary: Can Gerry Robinson fix dementia care homes? and with the opening line:
The Care Quality Commission helped the BBC in the preparation of this evening’s programme on BBC2 (9pm), Can Gerry Robinson Fix Dementia Care Homes? We provided statistics and background information:
http://www.cqc.org.uk//newsandevents/newsstories.cfm?cit_id=35745&FAArea1=customWidgets.content_view_1&usecache=false
I cannot believe this press release. What were they thinking about?
It is just another concern about their practice that is chipping away at our confidence in them as the regulator.
Nadra has written to the Minister about this and I have written to senior Civil Servants.
Strategy Days and CQC
4 December 2009
This has been another very busy week for us all but nothing I suspect compared to all of you as you prepare for Christmas in your businesses.
We held a two day Board meeting on Wednesday and Thursday where the Board planned the direction of the organisation for the coming year. There are obvious areas that we will be concentrating on particularly around the implementation of the re-registration of all care provision with the Care Quality Commission and the implementation of the new regulations and the accompanying compliance guidance also to be implemented next year.
We also intend to do a significant amount of work in the Learning Disability field (more about that in the first week of January).
On the Wednesday evening Barclays Bank very kindly hosted a reception for us at their head office in Docklands. This was a very happy evening with guests from National Care Association, some of our members and some distinguished guests from legal circles, SCIE, Skills for Care etc.
On Thursday evening I attended the Skills for Care Accolades event in central London. This was another very happy event with care providers from across the sectors rewarded for their commitment to training and the workforce. I was very pleased to see several of our members represented at the event.
There was a great deal of talk at the event about what was going on with the Care Quality Commission and what impact the criticism that they were receiving would have on the morale of the sector.
I went off to Leeds the next morning to deliver a speech about the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. On the train on the way back I met a very senior official from the Department of Health and was able to have a bit of a moan to him about the uncertainty in the sector about the Care Quality Commission.
By Saturday morning it was announced by the Care Quality Commission that Baroness Young was to step down as Chairman of CQC (nothing to do with me!)
I hope that this will give the Care Quality Commission some breathing space.
This has been another very busy week for us all but nothing I suspect compared to all of you as you prepare for Christmas in your businesses.
We held a two day Board meeting on Wednesday and Thursday where the Board planned the direction of the organisation for the coming year. There are obvious areas that we will be concentrating on particularly around the implementation of the re-registration of all care provision with the Care Quality Commission and the implementation of the new regulations and the accompanying compliance guidance also to be implemented next year.
We also intend to do a significant amount of work in the Learning Disability field (more about that in the first week of January).
On the Wednesday evening Barclays Bank very kindly hosted a reception for us at their head office in Docklands. This was a very happy evening with guests from National Care Association, some of our members and some distinguished guests from legal circles, SCIE, Skills for Care etc.
On Thursday evening I attended the Skills for Care Accolades event in central London. This was another very happy event with care providers from across the sectors rewarded for their commitment to training and the workforce. I was very pleased to see several of our members represented at the event.
There was a great deal of talk at the event about what was going on with the Care Quality Commission and what impact the criticism that they were receiving would have on the morale of the sector.
I went off to Leeds the next morning to deliver a speech about the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. On the train on the way back I met a very senior official from the Department of Health and was able to have a bit of a moan to him about the uncertainty in the sector about the Care Quality Commission.
By Saturday morning it was announced by the Care Quality Commission that Baroness Young was to step down as Chairman of CQC (nothing to do with me!)
I hope that this will give the Care Quality Commission some breathing space.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Care Quality Commission
1 December 2009
Well we have just witnessed a significant few days when the Care Quality Commission has been the subject of unprecedented criticism following their announcement that “Healthcare regulators are taking action to address concerns around leadership and quality of care at Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.” This was followed of course by criticism by other agencies of other hospitals.
The media has been questioning exactly what the Care Quality Commission’s role is in all of this. I think I agree with the media, the Care Quality Commission has a responsibility to ensure the health, safety and well being of people receiving care within regulated premises.
National Care Association has always maintained that the regulator should not be using their reports to take the headlines but should be working in partnership with providers to ensure a consistency of services throughout the Country.
I went to a breakfast meeting this morning organised by the regulator to announce that the latest State of Social Care report will be published sometime this week. From the few statistics that we heard I am not expecting that the headlines from the Care Quality Commission to the press and media about both social services record and about care homes will be positive.
Our experience of these reports has always been negative and in view of what has happened this last week I don’t expect this one will be much different.
The other bit of news that was announced at the breakfast was that the new standards will also be published sometime this week.
Well we have just witnessed a significant few days when the Care Quality Commission has been the subject of unprecedented criticism following their announcement that “Healthcare regulators are taking action to address concerns around leadership and quality of care at Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.” This was followed of course by criticism by other agencies of other hospitals.
The media has been questioning exactly what the Care Quality Commission’s role is in all of this. I think I agree with the media, the Care Quality Commission has a responsibility to ensure the health, safety and well being of people receiving care within regulated premises.
National Care Association has always maintained that the regulator should not be using their reports to take the headlines but should be working in partnership with providers to ensure a consistency of services throughout the Country.
I went to a breakfast meeting this morning organised by the regulator to announce that the latest State of Social Care report will be published sometime this week. From the few statistics that we heard I am not expecting that the headlines from the Care Quality Commission to the press and media about both social services record and about care homes will be positive.
Our experience of these reports has always been negative and in view of what has happened this last week I don’t expect this one will be much different.
The other bit of news that was announced at the breakfast was that the new standards will also be published sometime this week.
Care First Careers
24 November
I have become very heavily involved within the Department of Health with workforce related issues in the last few months, so involved in fact that I was recently invited to be the Co Chairman of the Recruitment, Retention & Career Pathways Working Group which I was pleased to accept.
Yesterday I attended a meeting of the Adult Social Care Strategy Board Meeting and there are some key projects underway being led by the Department of Health to help all care providers to recruit and retain staff:
Care First Careers
Care First Careers is a new government initiative to support employers to recruit young people into jobs in adult social care.
Attracting a younger and more diverse workforce will enable the identification of talent early on, nurturing potential core employees of the future from an early point in their careers.
Focus is on sustainable employment with recruitment activity promoting adult social care as a sector of choice and generating more interest in this sector.
Promoting sustainable employment will lead to reduced staff turnover, generating savings and reducing waste.
£1500 is available to the employer if the jobseeker stays for 6+ months and works for an average of 16 hours per week.
Young people bring into the workplace potential new ideas, energy and enthusiasm.
Lots of young people are eager to get into the workplace and demonstrate their high quality skills and attributes. By recruiting from this age group and taking advantage of the ongoing training and support available for young people, you can realise their potential and build your future workforce.
The initiative will be rolled out in all areas from January 2010.
National Recruitment Campaign
· National Care Association has agreed to support the National Recruitment Campaign which will be carried out on TV, radio and other media opportunities in the Spring next year. We hope that it will increase the number of applicants to work in social care either through the campaign or directly to your business.
· We will keep you posted with latest developments as they emerge.
The two projects above involve large financial investment into the social care sector and I hope that you will be able to take advantage of both schemes during 2010.
I have become very heavily involved within the Department of Health with workforce related issues in the last few months, so involved in fact that I was recently invited to be the Co Chairman of the Recruitment, Retention & Career Pathways Working Group which I was pleased to accept.
Yesterday I attended a meeting of the Adult Social Care Strategy Board Meeting and there are some key projects underway being led by the Department of Health to help all care providers to recruit and retain staff:
Care First Careers
Care First Careers is a new government initiative to support employers to recruit young people into jobs in adult social care.
Attracting a younger and more diverse workforce will enable the identification of talent early on, nurturing potential core employees of the future from an early point in their careers.
Focus is on sustainable employment with recruitment activity promoting adult social care as a sector of choice and generating more interest in this sector.
Promoting sustainable employment will lead to reduced staff turnover, generating savings and reducing waste.
£1500 is available to the employer if the jobseeker stays for 6+ months and works for an average of 16 hours per week.
Young people bring into the workplace potential new ideas, energy and enthusiasm.
Lots of young people are eager to get into the workplace and demonstrate their high quality skills and attributes. By recruiting from this age group and taking advantage of the ongoing training and support available for young people, you can realise their potential and build your future workforce.
The initiative will be rolled out in all areas from January 2010.
National Recruitment Campaign
· National Care Association has agreed to support the National Recruitment Campaign which will be carried out on TV, radio and other media opportunities in the Spring next year. We hope that it will increase the number of applicants to work in social care either through the campaign or directly to your business.
· We will keep you posted with latest developments as they emerge.
The two projects above involve large financial investment into the social care sector and I hope that you will be able to take advantage of both schemes during 2010.
19 November
This morning I went to the House of Commons along with Nadra to give evidence to the House of Commons Health Committee. In August we had received an invitation to submit evidence on the following points:
future funding of long-term residential and domiciliary care for older people and people with physical or learning disabilities;
personalisation of social care services;
more effective, consistent and user-friendly social care services.
The evidence that we submitted can be accessed via this link:
http://www.nationalcareassociation.org.uk/story_detail.asp?story=news&id=253
The Chief Officers of two other officers also gave evidence to the Health Committee at the same time.
The session clearly went well because it lasted for more than an hour and a quarter. I was certainly pressed on some of the points we had made in our evidence but all in all the committee was extremely interested in all we had to say.
As soon as the Committee’s report is published I will let you know.
I was surprised a few days later to hear from several people that the session had been extensively reported on the Parliament Channel late one night.
This morning I went to the House of Commons along with Nadra to give evidence to the House of Commons Health Committee. In August we had received an invitation to submit evidence on the following points:
future funding of long-term residential and domiciliary care for older people and people with physical or learning disabilities;
personalisation of social care services;
more effective, consistent and user-friendly social care services.
The evidence that we submitted can be accessed via this link:
http://www.nationalcareassociation.org.uk/story_detail.asp?story=news&id=253
The Chief Officers of two other officers also gave evidence to the Health Committee at the same time.
The session clearly went well because it lasted for more than an hour and a quarter. I was certainly pressed on some of the points we had made in our evidence but all in all the committee was extremely interested in all we had to say.
As soon as the Committee’s report is published I will let you know.
I was surprised a few days later to hear from several people that the session had been extensively reported on the Parliament Channel late one night.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Annual Conference 2009
16 November
We are just back from a highly successful conference and exhibition in Swindon.
The conference bought together some of the most significant decision makers in social care today, most notably Cynthia Bower, Chief Executive of the Care Standards Commission and David Behan, Director General of Social Care in the Department of Health.
All the presentations delivered at Conference are on our website.
We are just back from a highly successful conference and exhibition in Swindon.
The conference bought together some of the most significant decision makers in social care today, most notably Cynthia Bower, Chief Executive of the Care Standards Commission and David Behan, Director General of Social Care in the Department of Health.
All the presentations delivered at Conference are on our website.
The exhibition was magnificent with both old and new companies taking part.
Equally important for many of the delegates are the social events and the networking opportunities.
I’m pleased to include a few photos from the 2 days.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Responses
Yesterday I went to the outskirts of Coventry to meet with Debbie Le Quesne the Chief Executive of the West Midlands Care Association and we were able to finalise arrangements for a closer working relationship between our two Associations. I think it is quite clear that the active working between a local or regional Association and a national Association benefits all parties and I know that the Board of National Care Association is delighted to have reached a formal but flexible working arrangement with the West Midlands Care Association.
Today is quite different. I am trying to complete first drafts of a number of responses to Government consultations.The first is a draft paper about the Independent Safeguarding Authority and that response has gone in. I have now completed the first draft of our response to the Green Paper which will go out to the Board for their comments this evening. Any member of National Care Association who would like to be part of this consultation, please email us and I will let you have a copy for comment.
By the end of the day tomorrow I want to have our draft response to the Health and Social Care Act 2008 Code of Practice for health and adult social care on the prevention and control of infections and related guidance and, Prevention and control of infection in care homes out for comment to the Board. This is likely to be a much more robust piece of work as we strive to make sure that requirements to be imposed on our members are pertinent and affordable.
Once our responses have been finalised they will be published on the website.
We have also published on the website today the latest update from the Department of Health about the vaccination programme for front line social care workers whatever sector they work in.
Today is quite different. I am trying to complete first drafts of a number of responses to Government consultations.The first is a draft paper about the Independent Safeguarding Authority and that response has gone in. I have now completed the first draft of our response to the Green Paper which will go out to the Board for their comments this evening. Any member of National Care Association who would like to be part of this consultation, please email us and I will let you have a copy for comment.
By the end of the day tomorrow I want to have our draft response to the Health and Social Care Act 2008 Code of Practice for health and adult social care on the prevention and control of infections and related guidance and, Prevention and control of infection in care homes out for comment to the Board. This is likely to be a much more robust piece of work as we strive to make sure that requirements to be imposed on our members are pertinent and affordable.
Once our responses have been finalised they will be published on the website.
We have also published on the website today the latest update from the Department of Health about the vaccination programme for front line social care workers whatever sector they work in.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Annual Conference 2009
15 October 2009
There are only a few weeks now to go before our annual conference. Tomorrow we are going to spend most of the day working on the details of the conference and making sure that is plenty of information available to make the conference an essential event not to be missed.
We know that there will be some important announcements made at the Conference and hope that this is an event you would not wish to miss.
There are only a few weeks now to go before our annual conference. Tomorrow we are going to spend most of the day working on the details of the conference and making sure that is plenty of information available to make the conference an essential event not to be missed.
We know that there will be some important announcements made at the Conference and hope that this is an event you would not wish to miss.
National Skills Academy for Social Care Launch
13 October 2009
The National Skills Academy for Social Care was launched today in Westminster by two Ministers; Kevin Brennan MP from the Department for Business, innovation and Skills and Phil Hope from the Department of Health who was had done a re recording as he was unable to attend in person.
I have been on the steering group of the Skills Academy and am now a member of the Board of Trustees. I was very pleased to be invited to say a few words at the launch and I will keep you informed of progress in the coming months. What I can tell you is that there will be a number of initiatives in the next few months which will bring added value to small and medium sized registered providers of care in the coming year, so I guess it is a case of watch this space!
The National Skills Academy for Social Care was launched today in Westminster by two Ministers; Kevin Brennan MP from the Department for Business, innovation and Skills and Phil Hope from the Department of Health who was had done a re recording as he was unable to attend in person.
I have been on the steering group of the Skills Academy and am now a member of the Board of Trustees. I was very pleased to be invited to say a few words at the launch and I will keep you informed of progress in the coming months. What I can tell you is that there will be a number of initiatives in the next few months which will bring added value to small and medium sized registered providers of care in the coming year, so I guess it is a case of watch this space!
Board Meeting
Today is a Board meeting day and before that a small group of us held a meeting with Peter Hawkins from ReQuired Systems to discuss and plan what manuals might be needed to meet the new expectations of the Care Quality Commission. Any manuals that we produce will need to reflect the change of emphasis from National Minimum Standards to Conditions of Registration and the Care Quality Commission’s declared intention that they will be monitoring outcomes and not inputs.
We had a good meeting and Peter is going to begin work around the areas we discussed while we wait for the final decisions from both the Government and the Care Quality Commission.
At the Board meeting the Board ratified the guide to negotiating fee levels with Local Authorities co produced by our solicitors Brunswick and ourselves.
This important guide is now available to download as a members benefit. Anyone wanting a copy should email us here and he will email the guide back by return.
The Board also ratified National Care Association’s submission to the House of Commons Health Committee. The Committee had called for evidence on The Future funding of Long Term Residential and Domiciliary Care for Older People and People with Physical or Learning Disabilities.
Protocol of the House of Commons decrees that we may not publish submitted evidence and that in due course the Health Committee itself will publish. If a member would like to see the evidence please send me an email I will oblige.
We had a good meeting and Peter is going to begin work around the areas we discussed while we wait for the final decisions from both the Government and the Care Quality Commission.
At the Board meeting the Board ratified the guide to negotiating fee levels with Local Authorities co produced by our solicitors Brunswick and ourselves.
This important guide is now available to download as a members benefit. Anyone wanting a copy should email us here and he will email the guide back by return.
The Board also ratified National Care Association’s submission to the House of Commons Health Committee. The Committee had called for evidence on The Future funding of Long Term Residential and Domiciliary Care for Older People and People with Physical or Learning Disabilities.
Protocol of the House of Commons decrees that we may not publish submitted evidence and that in due course the Health Committee itself will publish. If a member would like to see the evidence please send me an email I will oblige.
Health and Social Care Act 2008 Code of Practise for Health and Adult Social Care on prevention and control of infections
6 October 2009
This afternoon I attended a meeting at the Department of Health convened to consider the draft Health and Social Care Act 2008 Code of Practice for health and adult social care on the prevention and control of infections and related guidance and, Prevention and control of infection in care homes.
There were about 15 people there and I had the chance along with others to make some major points about the difference between NHS facilities and social care facilities. As it happened the meeting went well but there is still a great deal to do to get our response to these important documents into the Department of Health by 6 November.
I would welcome comments from members about the consultation documents.
This afternoon I attended a meeting at the Department of Health convened to consider the draft Health and Social Care Act 2008 Code of Practice for health and adult social care on the prevention and control of infections and related guidance and, Prevention and control of infection in care homes.
There were about 15 people there and I had the chance along with others to make some major points about the difference between NHS facilities and social care facilities. As it happened the meeting went well but there is still a great deal to do to get our response to these important documents into the Department of Health by 6 November.
I would welcome comments from members about the consultation documents.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
16 July 2009
I sit on the Steering Group of the Skills Academy for Social Care which hopes to be officially launched in October and I attended a regular meeting of the Steering Group today.
The Skills Academy hopes to be able in the future to be proactive in directing and assisting care providers to deliver the best of training. From time to time the Academy also hopes to be the conduit between Government and the sector for the delivery of funds to be spent around the training agenda.
Watch this space because come the Autumn I hope there will be a great deal of good news around the time of the launch of the Academy.
The Skills Academy hopes to be able in the future to be proactive in directing and assisting care providers to deliver the best of training. From time to time the Academy also hopes to be the conduit between Government and the sector for the delivery of funds to be spent around the training agenda.
Watch this space because come the Autumn I hope there will be a great deal of good news around the time of the launch of the Academy.
14 July 2009
14 July
I went with Nadra this afternoon to the launch of the Green Paper by Andy Burnham, Phil Hope and David Behan so we finally managed to get our hands on a copy of the Green Paper.
You can too if you go to:
www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_102338
We will be doing a piece in the next newsletter about the Green Paper but for care home providers the key point is that the proposal is that Government would pay for care and the individual would pay for “board and lodgings”. In principle this sounds acceptable but as always the devil may be in the detail so as we develop our response I will keep you informed via the blog.
I went with Nadra this afternoon to the launch of the Green Paper by Andy Burnham, Phil Hope and David Behan so we finally managed to get our hands on a copy of the Green Paper.
You can too if you go to:
www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_102338
We will be doing a piece in the next newsletter about the Green Paper but for care home providers the key point is that the proposal is that Government would pay for care and the individual would pay for “board and lodgings”. In principle this sounds acceptable but as always the devil may be in the detail so as we develop our response I will keep you informed via the blog.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
The Green Paper
The Green Paper on the future funding of Long Term Care will be launched this afternoon in the House of Commons.
I know I am showing off but I have been to a breakfast meeting this morning with the Prime Minister, the Secretary of State for Health and the Minister for Social Care to discuss the Green Paper. I still don’t know what is actually in the Green Paper but the indications are that the Government is looking to create a National Care Service.
The thoughts that are in my mind of course are about:
“Will there be any new money?”
Indications are that there will not but further information will be available later this afternoon.
I said at the meeting that members of National Care Association will enter into the debate. The consultation will last until late in November.
I am going to a launch event at 2pm along with National Care Association Chairman Nadra Ahmed and I will post another note before 10 am tomorrow and hopefully tonight.
I know I am showing off but I have been to a breakfast meeting this morning with the Prime Minister, the Secretary of State for Health and the Minister for Social Care to discuss the Green Paper. I still don’t know what is actually in the Green Paper but the indications are that the Government is looking to create a National Care Service.
The thoughts that are in my mind of course are about:
“Will there be any new money?”
Indications are that there will not but further information will be available later this afternoon.
I said at the meeting that members of National Care Association will enter into the debate. The consultation will last until late in November.
I am going to a launch event at 2pm along with National Care Association Chairman Nadra Ahmed and I will post another note before 10 am tomorrow and hopefully tonight.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Back to work....
Back to work this morning after a happy week's holiday visiting my daughter in Qatar. Straight into a meeting at 9am with a small sub committee of members of the Care Providers Alliance (CPA). A significant grant has been made to the CPA through ECCA by the Department of Health to raise awareness around the personalisation agenda.
At the meeting this morning the project plan was agreed and by the end of the year a report should be well under way to inform you about personalisation.
It is hoped that further funding will be available next year to continue with this work and to help independent sector providers to concentrate on the person centred approach to care.
Care Quality Commission
When I got to the office very early this morning I found on my desk a copy of the Care Quality Commission's Consultation Document 'Guidance about compliance with the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Registration Requirements) Regulations 2009'. It was lucky I went into the office to check my post because by 11am I was in the Care Quality Commission's office in the City for a scheduled introductory meeting with Roxy Boyce who is Head of National Provider Relationships. We had a useful discussion for almost an hour and agreed to stay in touch.
The consultation document can be found at:
http://www.cqc.org.uk/getinvolved/consultations/consultationonnewregistrationstandards.cfm
National Care Association will of course be responding but I hope you will want to as well.
At the meeting this morning the project plan was agreed and by the end of the year a report should be well under way to inform you about personalisation.
It is hoped that further funding will be available next year to continue with this work and to help independent sector providers to concentrate on the person centred approach to care.
Care Quality Commission
When I got to the office very early this morning I found on my desk a copy of the Care Quality Commission's Consultation Document 'Guidance about compliance with the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Registration Requirements) Regulations 2009'. It was lucky I went into the office to check my post because by 11am I was in the Care Quality Commission's office in the City for a scheduled introductory meeting with Roxy Boyce who is Head of National Provider Relationships. We had a useful discussion for almost an hour and agreed to stay in touch.
The consultation document can be found at:
http://www.cqc.org.uk/getinvolved/consultations/consultationonnewregistrationstandards.cfm
National Care Association will of course be responding but I hope you will want to as well.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
National Skills Academy Steering Group
On 20 January I went to the latest meeting of the National Skills Academy Steering Group. The National Skills Academy will formally come into being in April this year ( i think) and I am keeping a very close eye on developments because I think that there will be some early projects that will bring real benefits to small and medium sized care providers.
On 21 January I went to a hotel in Gatwick to a meeting arranged by David Waters of Care Homes Insurance Services. There was a wide ranging group of people there including a banker, a training provider, 2 or 3 medium sized care providers and the Chief Executive of a local Association. David was keen to hear everyone's views of likely developments during 2009.
I think all of us were of a similar view point. Trading is not going to be easy this year because of the world wide financial situation and there will be pressure on fees both in Local Government contracting and also for people who are unable to sell their homes. Having said that everyone who was there was optimistic about the future.
On 22 January I went to Swindon to meet with Richard Harris one of our Board member and to visit two hotels for potential use for Conference 2009. An announcement will be made shortly!
On 21 January I went to a hotel in Gatwick to a meeting arranged by David Waters of Care Homes Insurance Services. There was a wide ranging group of people there including a banker, a training provider, 2 or 3 medium sized care providers and the Chief Executive of a local Association. David was keen to hear everyone's views of likely developments during 2009.
I think all of us were of a similar view point. Trading is not going to be easy this year because of the world wide financial situation and there will be pressure on fees both in Local Government contracting and also for people who are unable to sell their homes. Having said that everyone who was there was optimistic about the future.
On 22 January I went to Swindon to meet with Richard Harris one of our Board member and to visit two hotels for potential use for Conference 2009. An announcement will be made shortly!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year! I hope that you, your staff and the people you care for had a peaceful Christmas and that you are able to look to the New Year with confidence.
The first few weeks of January are usually a time for catching up here in the office, and to reflect on our plans for the coming year. As many of you know by now we successfully tendered to Skills for Care for a contract to assist members to complete the National Minimum Data Set (Social Care) The data that is collected is stored confidentially and it is an invaluable source of information for lobbying purposes. I know that many of you have already completed NMDS-SC but anyone that hasn't is welcome to contact us at the office and we will be pleased to assist.
There are advantages to you in completing the NMDS-SC:
1. With your consent CSCI can access the data held for your establishment and that saves you from having to complete the staffing section of the AQAA
2. Accessing some of the TSI funding is dependent on having completed NMDS-SC
I was very disappointed last week to see articles in The Times about care homes. In one of the articles the Minister had been interviewed and he was quoted as saying that he intended to raise standards in care homes but the sector could not expect any "new money"
The following is the letter that we submitted to The Times but it was not published:
Dear Sir,
Your leader and articles yesterday ('Who Cares?')
addresses a crucial problem we raised at our National Care Association annual conference late last year. Time and time again our conference speakers pointed out that Government and care homes regulators must take some of the responsibility in those instances where the provision of care fails.In your articles today the Minister is saying that he will raise standards of care but he cannot offer more money to fund the raised standards. Almost 70 percent of people in receipt of care in care homes are funded by the State. So if there is to be no more money but the standards are to be raised how is that to be paid for within the financial climate businesses are operating at the current time? This is not a new question. For many years the fee increases awarded by local authorities have so often failed to keep up with inflation and in some instances last year there was no increase at all and I know that many of our members fear the same this year. This is a shortfall borne by independent care home owners. Nationally the majority of providers are rated excellent or good by the regulator. There must also be a question around the competence of the regulator who receives millions of pounds a year in fees from care providers to monitor their responsibility to the frail and vulnerable. It is of course extremely disappointing for the responsible providers we represent to hear reports of poor provision when they work so hard within tight financial constraints to provide the best possible care for the frail and vulnerable. We would urge the Government, the Regulator and Commissioners to make sure that they are fulfilling their side of the contract to the old and frail as well as the people they so freely criticise. Until this mismatch is remedied the viability of the Independent Care Sector is under threat.
Nadra Ahmed
Chairman
The first few weeks of January are usually a time for catching up here in the office, and to reflect on our plans for the coming year. As many of you know by now we successfully tendered to Skills for Care for a contract to assist members to complete the National Minimum Data Set (Social Care) The data that is collected is stored confidentially and it is an invaluable source of information for lobbying purposes. I know that many of you have already completed NMDS-SC but anyone that hasn't is welcome to contact us at the office and we will be pleased to assist.
There are advantages to you in completing the NMDS-SC:
1. With your consent CSCI can access the data held for your establishment and that saves you from having to complete the staffing section of the AQAA
2. Accessing some of the TSI funding is dependent on having completed NMDS-SC
I was very disappointed last week to see articles in The Times about care homes. In one of the articles the Minister had been interviewed and he was quoted as saying that he intended to raise standards in care homes but the sector could not expect any "new money"
The following is the letter that we submitted to The Times but it was not published:
Dear Sir,
Your leader and articles yesterday ('Who Cares?')
addresses a crucial problem we raised at our National Care Association annual conference late last year. Time and time again our conference speakers pointed out that Government and care homes regulators must take some of the responsibility in those instances where the provision of care fails.In your articles today the Minister is saying that he will raise standards of care but he cannot offer more money to fund the raised standards. Almost 70 percent of people in receipt of care in care homes are funded by the State. So if there is to be no more money but the standards are to be raised how is that to be paid for within the financial climate businesses are operating at the current time? This is not a new question. For many years the fee increases awarded by local authorities have so often failed to keep up with inflation and in some instances last year there was no increase at all and I know that many of our members fear the same this year. This is a shortfall borne by independent care home owners. Nationally the majority of providers are rated excellent or good by the regulator. There must also be a question around the competence of the regulator who receives millions of pounds a year in fees from care providers to monitor their responsibility to the frail and vulnerable. It is of course extremely disappointing for the responsible providers we represent to hear reports of poor provision when they work so hard within tight financial constraints to provide the best possible care for the frail and vulnerable. We would urge the Government, the Regulator and Commissioners to make sure that they are fulfilling their side of the contract to the old and frail as well as the people they so freely criticise. Until this mismatch is remedied the viability of the Independent Care Sector is under threat.
Nadra Ahmed
Chairman
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