Government faces criticism over lack of transparency on care objectives
Speakers at Laing & Buisson's annual long term care (LTC) for older people con- ference demanded greater clarity from the Government on the future of LTC delivery. Demands were made for more defined objectives surrounding staffing guidelines and reg- ulatory definitions.
William Laing, director at Laing & Buisson, said greater transparency was required in order to help move the sector forward and the industry should expect to see greater demands placed on home care and an increased interest in extra care provision.
'Home care provision is declining, but the number of care hours is going up, and in the future there is no reason why this is not going to continue. There is likely to be more extra care too ' we are on the cusp of something really big starting to happen in this area. There will be much more investment in extra care facilities,' he said.
Laing also stressed the need for clearer regulatory targets. 'There is a need for clarity in Government objectives. We are waiting for news on staffing guidelines and there are no regulatory guidelines on what 'extra care' is. We need to know if a voluntary or private sector operator sets up a medical care facility, whether it is safe from being registered as a care home. There is not clarity in regulation and guidelines as to when extra care is extra care,' he said.
Hamilton Anstead, chief executive of Four Seasons Health Care, agreed greater focus on staffing levels is required and called for an upheaval of the system. 'Staffing levels are a huge area of focus for providers, we are worried about how we are going to staff our homes. In having a regulatory body, the industry is looking for uniform guidance on staffing levels across the country.'
Commenting on the developing role of local authorities, David Behan, director of social services for the London Borough of Greenwich and president of the Association of Directors of Social Services (ADSS), stressed the need to develop and build relationships at a local level with the voluntary and private sectors.
'We are constantly building capacity and partnerships in care. The focus is on commissioning, strategic plan- ning and building capacity at a local level and the only way we can do this is through working with the independent sector,' he said.
