Tougher checks may be introduced to help clamp down on rushed home care visits in England and Wales, the UK Government has announced.
Care and Support Minister Norman Lamb said that from next April the Care Quality Commission is proposing to look at whether home care visits are long enough to respond to people’s needs.
They will also consider looking at how staff working conditions might be impacting on care.
To assess this, the CQC are considering looking at:
- whether the service is able to respond to people’s needs in the allocated time,
- whether the care is delivered with compassion, dignity and respect,
- how many staff have zero hour contracts, and
- the levels of staff turnover.
Recent media coverage has highlighted the lack of time allotted to care for people who are older or who have a disability in their homes. It means many are left waiting to get into or out of bed, waiting to eat or drink or left wanting basic human contact. This doesn’t just have an effect on those receiving care but places huge pressure on staff, who often have to work over their hours for below the minimum wage to make sure people get basic levels of support they need.
The CQC would use this information to drive its regulatory activity, so it knows when, where and what to inspect and is alerted quickly to the risk of poor quality care in home care settings.
Contact our Family Lawyers
Contact our family law solicitors based in Edinburgh, Scotland, to find out how we can help you with legal services for the elderly – click here to contact us or telephone 0131 202 7516.
