New immigration rules threaten care homes with closure
A social care leader has warned that care homes and home care agencies in Wales will be put out of business as a result of the new immigration rules announced by the Government. Mario Kreft MBE, the chair of Care Forum Wales, has called on Home Secretary Priti Patel not to “close the door” on overseas workers at a time when the sector was already suffering because of a major recruitment crisis. The new system – set to come into force in January 2021 – will aim to end visas for low-skilled workers and cut the overall number of migrants coming to the UK. It will award points to applicants based on specific skills, qualifications, salaries, English speaking ability and professions, with overseas workers – including those from the EU – required to have the offer of a skilled job with an “approved sponsor” to come here. The Government is also backing a recommendation from the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to lower the salary threshold for skilled workers wanting to come to the UK from £30,000 to £25,600.But Priti Patel is facing calls to grant special exemptions for those working in the social care sector in a bid to stave off staff shortages. According to Mr Kreft, care homes, nursing homes and home care agencies in North Wales are facing a massive crisis with an estimated shortfall of 7,000 staff by the year 2026. The new immigration rules would, he said, exacerbate the severe shortage of nurses and carers. It would lead to loss of nursing home beds and the closure of care homes at a time when the number of over-85s in Wales is expected to more than double in the next 20 years. Mr Kreft said: “This is something we have been warning about for a long time because it is clear that these proposals will have dire consequences for the social care sector and, more importantly, for the vulnerable people we look after. “In recent years we have seen homes closing across Wales because their fragile finances just did not stack up because social care remains chronically underfunded despite it being such an important service. “On top of that we are having to contend with a debilitating recruitment crisis which will be even worse unless the Government have a change of heart in relation to social care.“The way fees are calculated means that it is possible to earn more stacking shelves in a supermarket than it is to provide social care for our loved ones. “We need to explode the myth that social care staff are low skilled – that’s not true. They are just lower paid and that’s not fair. “The new rules just do not make sense when you apply them to social care.“One unintended consequence will be that it will place even more pressure on an already creaking NHS.“Our social care providers currently underpin the provision in our hospitals but if more care homes, nursing homes and home care companies are forced out of business, alternative provision will have to be made for them. “In that case it’s s highly likely that these vulnerable people will end up in hospital when that is probably the worst possible place for them to be, leading to even more bed blocking. “This change in immigration policy means that the social care sector will have to improve pay levels significantly to attract the home-grown staff needed. “That would require more money to be injected into social care as a matter of urgency. Nobody has said where that extra money would come from. “Putting responsibility on the providers to sort out a mess of the Government’s making is irresponsible. This is a disaster waiting to happen.”
Flexible Caring: The Need for Change
Christian Brøndum is the CEO of Planday, a start-up that provides workforce management software to businesses working across all sectors including both hospitality and care homes. Here, he tells Care & Nursing Essentials about how software can aid flexible caring and help deal with the challenges of retaining staff… Recently, Carers UK announced the results of a report which found that over 600 people quit their job every day to prioritise caring for older and disabled relatives. Anyone working in the care sector will be familiar with the unique stresses of caring for an elderly or disabled person. Perhaps even more stressful is the fact that often, employers fail to provide the flexibility necessary for workers to keep their jobs whilst caring for their loved ones. Whether you work in the care sector or find yourself struggling to care for relatives whilst working, the need for flexibility is a pressing issue. Care work was found to be the most stressful profession in a recent survey; respondents cited the workload in the industry, having to cope with tight deadlines and the potential impact of making a mistake as their reasons for feeling stressed. Alongside this, 47.4% of respondents mentioned that work-related stress impacts their lives outside of work, highlighting the need for a refreshed look at work-life balance in the industry. A new perspective is needed to revitalise the motivation and culture of the sector. New resources brought about by technological advances can help care homes deal with these particular challenges. The arrival of the cloud, for example, has encouraged businesses across all industries to provide online and mobile platforms which redirect more control over scheduling back to employees. The sophisticated technology helps with increasing contact with employers, speeding processes to ensure deadlines are more achievable, and helping teams to communicate more easily to avoid mistakes. A ‘personal’ management style is not always enough when dealing with teams with varied skills across multiple sites. Digitalizing your management approach reduces the amount of time spent on traditionally manual processes and lowers frustration amongst employees, meaning that retaining those employees becomes much easier. With a 2018 Skills for Care report finding that employee turnover rate in adult social care is 30.7% (equivalent to around 390,000 leavers in the past 12 months), there’s a considerable need for an improved focus on retention. An online platform for workforce management means that problems are flagged and dealt with before they cause any complications. Mistakes are fewer and both patients and employees benefit from a more open and efficient process. The trend for flexible working is increasingly being adopted in other sectors and has the potential to go beyond being merely a trend and become the norm. All workplaces can make small changes to put welfare at the core of their management style, and help to have happier, more effective employees. For more information on flexible caring, see the Planday website.
Caring for carers: practical ways to make a difference
Russell Pillar, director of care interiors at Spearhead Healthcare, advises how the right equipment and training makes a huge difference – to staff, residents and families… All of us are aware that the care sector is burgeoning as our elderly population continues to rise. In fact, the Office for National Statistics has predicted a 36% growth in people aged 85+ between 2015 and 2025, up to 2million, and this is expected to lead to even higher demand for care home services. Providing this care is of course reliant on carers, which means attracting and retaining staff is crucial to the sector. However, here there is a growing challenge, with some 110,000 vacancies in England’s adult social care sector at any given time and a 30.7% average annual staff turnover, according to Skills for Care. Outstanding staff care, outstanding resident care It’s unfortunately a common story in CQC inspection reports to see comments about carers being too busy to spend quality time with residents. Also, figures from the Heath and Safety Executive (HSE) show that carers have a higher than average risk of developing issues such as work-related musculoskeletal disorders and stress. While care of residents is always foremost, the sector is becoming more aware of the challenges and risks the workforce encounters when fulfilling their duties – and the clear link between well-supported carers and the delivery of outstanding levels of care. So what can be done on a practical level to support carers and raise overall standards? Choose the right equipment In a highly physical job, having the right equipment in place is vital to free up more of carers’ time to spend engaging meaningfully with residents, and also helps to minimise injury risks. Beds that are adjustable in height for example, such as profiling care beds, help reduce the risk of back injuries. Sometimes a low bed is necessary, of course, but homes can opt for specially designed beds that rise to the same height as a standard profiling bed, such as Spearhead’s Encore Low Bed. Providing the right moving and handling equipment such as hoists and slings in the bathroom, and by beds and chairs, will also help to ensure carers are able to move people safely and securely. Equally, the likes of toilet surrounds and seat aids help everyone by enabling residents to be less reliant on assistance. Don’t neglect staff training We offer a fit-out and room-placement service for care homes, which involves taking the furniture into the building, unwrapping, positioning and fixing it in place as required. While this saves handling by staff and ensures that everything is installed properly, it is not a substitute for training staff in how to lift objects safely. All staff should receive training in lifting and moving people and objects with everyone’s safety in mind. When it comes to the vital matter of cleaning, certain chemicals may be necessary to kill harmful bacteria and viruses, but they can often be dangerous themselves if not used correctly. Training in what products to use, and how to do so safely, is absolutely essential. For precisely this reason we are seeing increasing demand for our Platinum Plan cleaning system that comes with detailed cleaning routines and wall charts, with every item is colour-coded for its purpose. Retaining good staff is central to providing high standards of consistent care, as well as complying with regulations and passing inspections with flying colours. Based on our 30 years’ experience as a supplier to the care sector, we can certainly testify to the inextricable link between the health, safety and quality of life of carers and those they care for. See the Spearhead wesbite for more ideas on caring for your carers.
