The Department of Health began a 12 Week consultation on 29 January 2010 concerning the charging arrangements for residential social care.
Views are sought on proposed amendments to the residential charging arrangements suggested by a stakeholder group. The consultation will close on 23 April 2010.
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Tuesday, 2 March 2010
Relieving the pressure
The Audit Commission has made a series of recommendations to deal with the challenges of caring for a growing ageing population as public spending decreases.
Published in February 2010, recommendations are detailed in the report 'Under Pressure - tackling the financial challenge for councils of an ageing population'. It states all councils should:
• update their sustainable community strategy, medium-term financial plans and service strategies to prepare for the impact of an ageing population
• build older people’s opinions and experiences into plans for services that deliver what older people need and value, and also deliver better value for money
• update commissioning strategies to reflect future roles in preventing, reducing, or delaying, health and social care costs.
Councils with social care responsibilities should also:
• use unit cost data and benchmarks to identify priorities for short-term change; and aim to reduce residential care costs below the Department of Health’s suggested target of 40 per cent of the budget for older people’s care services
• develop an action plan for medium-term change to meet the financial challenge
• work with partners, and older people, to develop an area-wide approach to later life that delivers value for money by integrating prevention, early intervention and care services
• use delivery chain analysis to overcome obstacles to joint working in reducing needs for hospital admissions and high-level residential care support.
The Audit Commission is providing tools to support the report, plus further analysis and guidance to achieve value for money in social care, and for strategic financial management.
Read more
Published in February 2010, recommendations are detailed in the report 'Under Pressure - tackling the financial challenge for councils of an ageing population'. It states all councils should:
• update their sustainable community strategy, medium-term financial plans and service strategies to prepare for the impact of an ageing population
• build older people’s opinions and experiences into plans for services that deliver what older people need and value, and also deliver better value for money
• update commissioning strategies to reflect future roles in preventing, reducing, or delaying, health and social care costs.
Councils with social care responsibilities should also:
• use unit cost data and benchmarks to identify priorities for short-term change; and aim to reduce residential care costs below the Department of Health’s suggested target of 40 per cent of the budget for older people’s care services
• develop an action plan for medium-term change to meet the financial challenge
• work with partners, and older people, to develop an area-wide approach to later life that delivers value for money by integrating prevention, early intervention and care services
• use delivery chain analysis to overcome obstacles to joint working in reducing needs for hospital admissions and high-level residential care support.
The Audit Commission is providing tools to support the report, plus further analysis and guidance to achieve value for money in social care, and for strategic financial management.
Read more
Casebook for efficiency
The Efficiency casebook is a practical guide to support given by RIEPs on efficiency, procurement and transformation.
Available from the IDeA, the casebook illustrates how collaboration unlocks efficiencies for local authorities and their partners by:
• procuring goods and services collaboratively to secure better deals
• transforming services to reduce running costs and improve services for customers
• ensuring innovation is embedded within procurement and transformation programmes.
Read more
Available from the IDeA, the casebook illustrates how collaboration unlocks efficiencies for local authorities and their partners by:
• procuring goods and services collaboratively to secure better deals
• transforming services to reduce running costs and improve services for customers
• ensuring innovation is embedded within procurement and transformation programmes.
Read more
Top tips for improving outcomes
A guide for members on how to make savings through better commissioning of adult social care is available from the Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA).
One of a series on procurement, the 'Members guide: top tips on improving outcomes through better commissioning of adult social care', gives advice on improving results and ensuring services are cost effective.
Local authorities spend approximately £18 billion each year on adult social care including £11.6 billion on external providers.
Download the guide here
One of a series on procurement, the 'Members guide: top tips on improving outcomes through better commissioning of adult social care', gives advice on improving results and ensuring services are cost effective.
Local authorities spend approximately £18 billion each year on adult social care including £11.6 billion on external providers.
Download the guide here
New registration system for adult health and social care
From April 2010, all health and adult social care providers will be required by law to be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
To do so, providers must show they are meeting new essential standards of quality and safety across all of the regulated activities they provide.
The new system will make sure that people can expect services to meet essential standards of quality and safety that respect their dignity and protect their rights. It will focus on outcomes rather than systems and processes, and places the views and experience of people who use services at the core.
Read more
To do so, providers must show they are meeting new essential standards of quality and safety across all of the regulated activities they provide.
The new system will make sure that people can expect services to meet essential standards of quality and safety that respect their dignity and protect their rights. It will focus on outcomes rather than systems and processes, and places the views and experience of people who use services at the core.
Read more
Coventry’s drive for excellence
Coventry’s safeguarding board has prioritised three areas for action in its drive to develop excellent safeguarding practices in the city.
This follows publication last December of the Care Quality Commission’s annual performance ratings in which Coventry’s adult social care services were rated as performing well for safeguarding as part of the ‘maintaining dignity and respect’ outcome.
The priorities are to:
• use personal stories to shift attitudes and drive practice change
• continue to improve multi-agency and partnership work
• continue to ensure users are at the heart of all safeguarding work undertaken.
Director of Community Services, Brian Walsh, said: “the priorities were identified at our recent Safeguarding Adults Board away day. We implemented a programme of significant change and development last year, and this resulted in a positive rating from CQC.
“We will now build on these achievements by focusing on three areas for action to ensure vulnerable people in our city are safeguarded from abuse.”
For details contact: Mark Godfrey, Assistant Director, Adults Social Care on 02476 833402
This follows publication last December of the Care Quality Commission’s annual performance ratings in which Coventry’s adult social care services were rated as performing well for safeguarding as part of the ‘maintaining dignity and respect’ outcome.
The priorities are to:
• use personal stories to shift attitudes and drive practice change
• continue to improve multi-agency and partnership work
• continue to ensure users are at the heart of all safeguarding work undertaken.
Director of Community Services, Brian Walsh, said: “the priorities were identified at our recent Safeguarding Adults Board away day. We implemented a programme of significant change and development last year, and this resulted in a positive rating from CQC.
“We will now build on these achievements by focusing on three areas for action to ensure vulnerable people in our city are safeguarded from abuse.”
For details contact: Mark Godfrey, Assistant Director, Adults Social Care on 02476 833402
Giving care and reassurance in Birmingham
Use of low level, stand alone telecare equipment in Birmingham is helping to keep service users safe and reassure their carers.
The city’s telecare service recently carried out a review of the impact of standalone telecare equipment during 2009/10, and have compiled the following summary of results (Client names have been changed):
Keith, 74 years, Just Checking (electronic sensor monitoring system) – Is proving very helpful to the family. User had assured his daughters he was going to bed and sleeping well, but they were worried because his bed often appeared not to be slept in. Just Checking confirmed that he rarely went upstairs, and cat-napped in his armchair, getting up frequently during the night. The family moved his bed downstairs. His sleep, and general functioning, improved.
Connie, 80 years, Pill Dispenser (automatically dispenses pills at programmed times) -Equipment a brilliant help. Daughter much less stressed when she saw her mother was taking medication regularly. Although use of the dispenser stopped when Connie moved into a nursing home, it helped maintain her independence for longer than envisaged –she was on the verge of being admitted to care when equipment was supplied.
John, 88 years, Pill Dispenser - Equipment proving a “godsend” to son and daughter who care for John. He functions better with a controlled medication regime.
Barbara, 64 years, Bed Exit Monitor - Equipment really helpful to daughter. Instead of leaving her bedroom door open and listening for her mother getting up, she could sleep much better knowing the pager would alert her should her mother get out of bed.
Helen, 88 years, Just Checking - Daughter reported: “while mom was living on her own in the flat, the system gave us all peace of mind, and although circumstances dictated that we could not be with her 24 hours a day, at least we could check that she was OK. Thank you for the excellent service."
Francise, 88 years, Just Checking - Family say it is an absolutely brilliant system. Daughter in Spain monitors the data. It gives her something to talk about when she calls her mother. Any concerns can also be discussed with other family members. The system has considerably improved the family’s quality of life and continues to help Francise be independent.
Peter, 67 years, PIR Sensor & Pager - Peter was terminally ill and confined to a medical bed. He could only be discharged home if equipment was in place to alert his wife should he try to get up. Due to the size of his bed he had to sleep downstairs and his wife slept upstairs. Peter died 5 weeks after returning home. However his wife reported it was marvellous to have use of the equipment which gave her peace of mind, and allowed Peter to pass away at home with dignity
The city’s telecare service recently carried out a review of the impact of standalone telecare equipment during 2009/10, and have compiled the following summary of results (Client names have been changed):
Keith, 74 years, Just Checking (electronic sensor monitoring system) – Is proving very helpful to the family. User had assured his daughters he was going to bed and sleeping well, but they were worried because his bed often appeared not to be slept in. Just Checking confirmed that he rarely went upstairs, and cat-napped in his armchair, getting up frequently during the night. The family moved his bed downstairs. His sleep, and general functioning, improved.
Connie, 80 years, Pill Dispenser (automatically dispenses pills at programmed times) -Equipment a brilliant help. Daughter much less stressed when she saw her mother was taking medication regularly. Although use of the dispenser stopped when Connie moved into a nursing home, it helped maintain her independence for longer than envisaged –she was on the verge of being admitted to care when equipment was supplied.
John, 88 years, Pill Dispenser - Equipment proving a “godsend” to son and daughter who care for John. He functions better with a controlled medication regime.
Barbara, 64 years, Bed Exit Monitor - Equipment really helpful to daughter. Instead of leaving her bedroom door open and listening for her mother getting up, she could sleep much better knowing the pager would alert her should her mother get out of bed.
Helen, 88 years, Just Checking - Daughter reported: “while mom was living on her own in the flat, the system gave us all peace of mind, and although circumstances dictated that we could not be with her 24 hours a day, at least we could check that she was OK. Thank you for the excellent service."
Francise, 88 years, Just Checking - Family say it is an absolutely brilliant system. Daughter in Spain monitors the data. It gives her something to talk about when she calls her mother. Any concerns can also be discussed with other family members. The system has considerably improved the family’s quality of life and continues to help Francise be independent.
Peter, 67 years, PIR Sensor & Pager - Peter was terminally ill and confined to a medical bed. He could only be discharged home if equipment was in place to alert his wife should he try to get up. Due to the size of his bed he had to sleep downstairs and his wife slept upstairs. Peter died 5 weeks after returning home. However his wife reported it was marvellous to have use of the equipment which gave her peace of mind, and allowed Peter to pass away at home with dignity
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