Home care procurement ‘unsustainable’, equality watchdog warns

8 Oct 13
The way councils commission home care is ‘unsustainable’, contributing to inadequate pay and conditions for care workers and threatening older people’s human rights, the equality watchdog has warned.

By Vivienne Russell | 8 October 2013

The way councils commission home care is ‘unsustainable’, contributing to inadequate pay and conditions for care workers and threatening older people’s human rights, the equality watchdog has warned.

A report published by the Equality and Human Rights Commission found that the rates some local authorities pay for home care do not appear to cover costs of providing the service. Providers also do not always pay care worker for travel time or the time between visits, meaning many could be working for less than the minimum wage, the commission added.

EHRC commissioner Sarah Veale said: ‘The current system of commissioning and funding home care is increasingly unsustainable as the number of people requiring care grows every year.

‘Low status, low pay and poor working conditions are leading to high turnover of staff and putting older people’s human rights at risk.’

She added that the watchdog recognised the financial pressures local authorities were under, but noted some councils had taken action in partnership with providers to improve how home care is delivered without ramping up costs.

‘For example, closing the curtains when people are getting undressed or not talking over them does not cost anything and it makes a difference,’ said Veale.

Today’s report, Close to home, reviews the recommendations the EHRC made in a 2011 inquiry. The commission is now calling for all contracts commissioning home care to include a requirement that care workers are paid at least the National Minimum Wage, including payment for travel time and costs.

Councils should also be open and transparent about how they set the rates they pay to cover the costs, and publish costing models on their websites.

Veale said: ‘The transparent use of carefully considered costing models that take account of all elements of the actual costs of care will make it clear to providers that local authorities expect care workers to be properly paid, trained and supported.’

Responding to the report, Katie Hall, chair of the Local Government Association’s community wellbeing board, said it offered some ‘constructive feedback’ on the work councils were already doing to improve home care.

She added: ‘Care providers do a vitally important job and deserve fair pay, which is why local authorities do not contract services at rates costed below minimum wage. Sustainable solutions around all aspects of pay and reward cannot be delivered in isolation from the other competing pressures on local government.’

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