IPPR Fair Care report: A workforce strategy for social care

Institute for Public Policy Research, 25 November

The report examines the challenges facing the social care workforce in England, and the evidence of the growing social care workforce crisis. It estimates that by 2028 there will be a shortage of over 400,000 workers in social care. The report identifies the root causes of the crisis, and sets out a workforce strategy to tackle it. This should be based on the establishment of decent pay and terms and conditions through sectoral collective bargaining, and a professionalisation of the social care workforce.

LGA green paper: ‘The lives we want to lead’

Local Government Association, 14 November

The Local Government Association has published a report outlining the findings of the July 2018 consultation on its green paper for adult social care and well-being. It received 540 submissions and makes 14 recommendations.

Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy: Sleep-in payment guidance published

Care Home Management, 9 November

Guidance has been published for care homes paying the national minimum wage and national living wage, including for sleep-ins. VODG (the Voluntary Organisations Disability Group) says the announcement follows a cross-sector letter signed by care, health and education organisations urging the government to clarify how sleep-ins should be remunerated, but still “does not help anyone nor go far enough”.

Noting ongoing legal action by Unison, there is legal uncertainty over sleep-in payments possibly until 2020, says VODG. “Government has the opportunity to use a statutory instrument to legislate once and for so all parties are clear on what the rate of pay should be for sleep in shifts.”

CMA guidance published

Competitions & Markets Authority, 16 November

The CMA has published the final version of advice for care homes about their obligations under consumer law. Documents include:

The Care Provider Alliance said that it will be taking forward for the sector two pieces of further work in response to the guidance:

  • Firstly, it will develop model contract clauses and support materials to help providers respond to the range of information the CMA is recommending providers give to residents and prospective residents. The CPA will seek to ensure that the clauses, which will not be prescriptive, will support care homes to comply with consumer law. The aim is to produce these clauses by March/April 2019.
  • Secondly, the CPA will look at how it can support care homes with some suggestions around a fee increase formula that meets the CMA’s guidance that residents understand how fee increases are determined by homes and that the process is transparent.

Read more: Care industry response(Care Industry News)

New Report from SCIE: Leadership in Integrated Care Systems

Social Care Institute for Excellence, 20 November

Complete understanding of local government and social care is still lacking in integrated care systems. Integration agenda leaders have told SCIE that they need more opportunities to learn from other professions and sectors, and help with scaling innovation and working and influencing across multiple layers of governance. SCIE identifies that leaders in ICSs need to be skilled at identifying and scaling innovation (e.g. from pilots), have outcomes and population health at their centre and support the development of multidisciplinary teams (MDTs).

Care Provider Alliance issues guidance to encourage health and social care engagement

Care Provider Alliance, 20 November

The guidance has been issued to support strategic engagement between local authorities, the NHS and the independent and voluntary adult social care sector. The CPA’s ‘Seven principles for the engagement of individual providers on behalf of the wider independent and voluntary adult social care sector’ are designed to ensure social care providers are fully engaged in strategic decisions by managing any potential conflicts of interest.