Agenda item

The Board was asked to consider the following scrutiny proposals:

(a)   Quality Assurance of Care Homes 

(b)   Care work as a Career

Having considered the proposals, the Board was asked to determine whether they would wish to set up scrutiny task groups to look at the Quality Assurance of Care Homes and Care work as a Career and if so to consider, comment on and agree the terms of reference and scrutiny proposals and the timing of the Task Groups. 

(a)       Quality Assurance of Care Homes

Quality Assurance of Care Homes (residential and nursing) and how Worcestershire County Council carried out this role in the County had been identified as a priority for the Adult Care and Well-being Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Adult Panel) through its work planning process.

The suggested terms of reference were to investigate how the Council carried out and monitored quality assurance of care homes in Worcestershire.

It was proposed that Juliet Brunner, Chairman of the Adult Panel be asked to lead this Task Group.

(b)       Care work as a Career

On 14 February 2019, Council agreed the following Notice of Motion:

"Council acknowledges and respects the 15,000 Worcestershire residents who work in the care industry.  Many more residents are dependent upon their care.   Council asks the Cabinet Member Responsible to consider ways in which their work can be celebrated and encouraged and how more people can consider care work as a viable career option."

The Council discussion highlighted that it was important to boost the self-worth of care workers and emphasise the importance of care workers’ role.

The Cabinet Member with Responsibility (CMR) for Adult Social Care suggested a Scrutiny Task Group to look at how to develop the career pathway for care workers, and to promote care work as a career with justifiable rewards. The CMR suggested that the Council needed to find a way to develop a career pathway for carers i.e. into social work or management and not just accepting care work as a role for life.

 The terms of reference were to investigate:

·           How the Council could and develop care work as a career

·           How the existing care workforce can be better supported and celebrated

It was proposed that Juliet Brunner, Chairman of Adult Panel be asked to lead this Task Group.

During the discussion, the following main points were made:

·         the Chairman of the Adult Panel suggested that priority should be given to starting the Quality Assurance of Care Homes Scrutiny first, this approach was supported by the Vice-Chairman of the OSPB

·         Cllr Liz Tucker, Vice-Chairman of the Adult Panel should be asked to lead the Care work as a Career Scrutiny. Members supported this suggestion as the Vice-Chairman of the Children and Families Overview and Scrutiny Panel was currently leading a scrutiny looking at the relationship between schools and the Family Front Door, which was working well

·         the outcome of the national Brexit discussions could have an impact on the number of care workers available, especially if foreign workers returned home

·         It was suggested that for the Care workers as a Career scrutiny, contacting further education colleges to look at how they could work with young people to attract them into a career of care work should be included.

It was agreed to set up two scrutiny task groups (i) Quality Assurance of Care Homes lead by Cllr Juliet Brunner, Chairman of the Adult Panel and (ii) Care work as a Career lead by Cllr Liz Tucker, Vice-Chairman of the Adult Panel with the priority being given to the Quality Assurance Task Group.

Nominations for Task Group membership would be sought from Group Leaders in due course.