Influential Committee Calls For More Help For The Independent Homecare Sector

The United Kingdom Homecare Association (UKHCA) has welcomed the recent publication of the Northern Ireland Assembly Public Accounts Committee report into Older People and Domiciliary Care which has called on the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to put in place measures to encourage better use of the independent homecare sector and raise the status and esteem of homecare workers.


In its report, which cast a critical eye over why more older people are not being enabled to live independently at home, the Committee found that there could be a shortfall in the supply of domiciliary care given the difficulties faced by the independent homecare sector, as highlighted in UKHCA's written evidence to the committee.


UKHCA Board member, Colum Conway, said:


"Our sector is under increasing cost pressures. April 2008 brings with it important new developments - new regulation by the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority, payment for criminal record checks under the new Access Northern Ireland system, and induction of the workforce according to new standards introduced by the Northern Ireland Social Care Council. These carry significant additional costs and come on top of inflation and increases in holiday pay."


He continued:


"While the new quality systems are welcomed by homecare providers, the financial burden they bring must be addressed. It must be understood that the only way in which many homecare providers can continue to deliver quality services focused on the needs of older people is to negotiate increased fees with the Health and Social Care Trusts who are the main purchasers of homecare services. Yet the Trusts persistently fail to pay a fair price for care which reflects statutory and inflationary costs. The Committee's report clearly recognises the knock-on effect this has on recruiting, retaining and rewarding the hardworking homecare workforce."


The Public Accounts Committee also appeared unconvinced that the independent sector is being utilised to its full potential, and criticised a lack of data to justify the reliance or understand the expenditure on in-house services in Northern Ireland. It has recommended that the Department puts measures in place to create a better platform for independent providers.


Lesley Rimmer, UKHCA Chief Executive concluded:


"The Committee have recommended that the independent sector be treated as partners by the statutory sector in the development of domiciliary care in Northern Ireland. We urge the Department to make all five Health and Social Care Trusts aware of the report's recommendations and encourage them to recognise the true of cost of care in a year when there are a phenomenal number of new burdens on the sector."


Notes


1. The United Kingdom Homecare Association (UKHCA) is the professional association for nearly 1,700 domiciliary care providers in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The mission of UKHCA is to represent its members and to promote and support the sustainable provision of high standard homecare.


2. Despite a lack of routine data collection on the sector, UKHCA estimates that its member organisations deliver 1.32 million hours of state-funded care in the UK each week, valued at ??921 million per annum, to 126,000 service users.


3. Homecare is the provision of personal social care services to people in their own homes. For many, homecare is the alternative of choice for people who would otherwise need to move into residential accommodation.


4. The Public Accounts Committee took oral evidence from the Comptroller and Auditor General on his report of November 2007 on Older People and Domiciliary Care. It also took oral evidence from Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety and written evidence from UKHCA. On Thursday 10 April the report will be made available on the Public Accounts Committee website. The report also contains UKHCA's written evidence to the Committee.


5. UKHCA has called on commissioners of social care to reflect the legitimate costs of care when agreeing fee levels with independent sector homecare providers. UKHCA's Position Statement "A Fair Price for Care" is available here.

United Kingdom Homecare Association