22 March 2013

Nuffield Publishes its Report on Ratings

The Nuffield Trust published its report on ratings: 'Ratings providers for quality: a policy worth pursuing?
This report was commissioned by the Secretary of State to consider whether 'Ofsted-style' performance ratings should be provided for hospitals, general practices, care homes and other adult social care providers.
Their report suggested that such a system might be more useful for care homes but needed to be based on a range of indicators. They concluded that: "A rating by itself is unlikely to be useful in spotting lapses in the quality of care, particularly for services within complex providers". Its recommendations were balanced by a number of caveats.

...without a proper trained and supported inspector workforce,
with appropriate expertise and regular, preferably twice yearly, inspections
the reports would continue to lack consistency, credibility and reliability...

Read R&RA's full response here
Further information on Nuffield Trust here

19 March 2013

CQC's Latest Report on Dignity and Nutrition Published

Between April and October last year, a multi-disciplinary CQC team inspected 500 care homes and 50 NHS hospitals. It showed that the vast majority of homes are meeting the standards for privacy and dignity and residents' nutritional needs. 

However, in one in six homes (17%), people were not being supported to eat and drink enough or respecting the dignity or privacy of residents.  The report also revealed that the same percentage of homes, residents were not being spoken to appropriately or given choices. 

...R&RA hears from far too many relatives that they feel the need
to help their partners/parents to eat or drink... 

Read R&RA full response here
See CQC's Dignity and Nutrition Report here

11 February 2013

'An Empty Promise'

The R&RA has issued its response to the Coalition's paying for care announcement today. This is the Government's belated response to the Dilnot Review on the funding of social care which reported in July 2011.
The Coalition is proposing a cap of £75k before the State steps in and a higher limit of £123k for the value of assets to be safeguarded.

...the costs of illness in older age should be treated in the same way
as heart disease and cancer costs...

Read R&RA full response here
Read R&RA's letter to Guardian Newspaper here  

6 February 2013

R&RA Response to Francis Report

The Relatives & Residents Association has issued its response to the Francis Report. This is the report of the full public inquiry into the failings at the Mid Staffordshire Foundation Trust published today. The inquiry, led by Robert Francis QC, has been looking at the role of commissioning, supervisory and regulatory bodies and why serious problems at the trust were not identified and acted on sooner.

...This must be the death knell for 'light touch regulation'...

Read R&RA full response to the Francis Report here

31 January 2013

Groundbreaking new tool for care workers warmly welcomed 

R&RA's Keys to Care

...As a former CEO of a major provider, there is no doubt in my mind that this resource
will be popular with employers and workers alike...

                                                                           Sharon Allen, CEO, Skills for Care

     This week saw the pre-launch of R&RA's latest product for the care industry at our annual conference and AGM.
     Keys to Care, R&RA's resource for carers, was applauded as an innovative and pioneering new tool which will make a huge difference to industry standards. Keynote speaker, Shaun Gallagher, Acting Director General of Social Care at the Department of Health warmly welcomed the keys and Sharon Allen, CEO at Skills for Care described them as ...a brilliant idea and so well executed... 
     Keys to Care is a set of thirteen cards on a keyring giving a durable checklist of key points to remember and actions to take in a range of situations. The resource will be formally launched in the coming months with The Keynotes which will expand on the basic keys. In the meantime you can learn more about the product by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or calling 020 7359 8148

Keys to Care

a groundbreaking new tool for care assistants 

Tuesday, 29 January 2013
Dutch Church, Austin Friars, London, EC2N 2HA

"It's just what we've always wanted and needed for our care workers
- I do wish we'd had it sooner"

Tuesday, 29 January 2013 sees the pre-launch of R&RA's latest product for the care industry at the charity's annual conference. The event will feature broadcaster and older peoples' ambassador, Fiona Phillips, with Jane Worroll (daughter of Maria Worroll who featured in the Panorama exposé in April 2012) speaking out about how care workers impact on the welfare of residents in care. Keynote speaker is Shaun Gallagher, Acting Director General for Social Care at the Department of Health.

Places still available at this free event
 to book your ticket call 020 7359 8148 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  
 

Further details and event programme here

9 January 2013

Care Quality Commission not yet successfully defined its core purpose
or earned public confidence

A report published today by the Health Select Committee (HSC) following last year's accountability hearing with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has indicated that despite sustained criticism over a prolonged period the regulator has not yet successfully defined its core purpose or earned public confidence.

     The report has concluded that ...CQC's primary focus should be on ensuring that the essential standards it enforces can be interpreted by the public as a guarantee of acceptable standards in care...

     Earlier last year R&RA submitted its evidence to the Health Select Committee accountability hearing stating ...R&RA is deeply concerned that CQC as an organisation is viewed as lacking in expertise and capability and is not viewed as an authoritative body on what represents good quality care in care homes...

     The subsequent Health Select Committee report made numerous references to the charity's submission.

     ...We saw it coming and we said it first. The Health Select Committee has vindicated and reinforced our call for urgent and major changes in CQC...
 

Read R&RA's response to today's Health Select Committee Report here
Read R&RA's submission to Health Select Committee Hearing here
Read HSC Report: 2012 Accountability Hearing with the Care Quality Commission here 
 

13 December 2012

DH responds to Winterbourne View

Following Panorama's exposé into the Winterbourne View scandal the Department of Health has today issued its final report Transforming Care: A National Response to Winterbourne View Hospital.

     The BBC programme, which led to the jailing of six care workers and a subsequent Serious Case Review was aired in 2011 and showed the shocking abuse and ill-treatment of people with learning disabilities in a private hospital.

...This final report reinforces what the R&RA has been saying, that CQC must now ensure that they carry out their role effectively and responsively to protect vulnerable people...

Read R&RA's full statement in response to DH report here

View Transforming Care: A National Response to Winterbourne View Hospital here

28 November 2012

What can be done to ensure care home residents get quality healthcare?

Chair of R&RA, Judy Downey, joins Guardian Newspaper and Barchester Healthcare's round table debate to discuss the challenges of delivering high-quality GP services to the UK's 421,000 residents in care homes.

Read full article here

23 November 2012

Increasing Risks to Elderly in Care - Regulator Report

A report released today by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the body which regulates and inspects care homes for older people, has found 'unacceptable' levels of care. Chief Executive of CQC, David Behan, has blamed high levels of staff vacancies and lack of skills.

...staff focussing on task rather than the needs of each individual and ensuring that care was personalized and the risk is that that led to a culture where the unaacceptable became the norm...

Read more on this news item here
Read CQC State of Care report 2011/12 here