Issue 50 31.03.21
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The weekly online newsletter for the care sector
Audit report adds to call for reform CARE providers have welcomed a new report which they say adds to the call for urgent reform of the care of older and vulnerable people in this country. A report from the National Audit Office says too many adults have unmet care needs and identifies a lack of a long-term vision for care and short-term funding as issues to be tackled by long-awaited reform. The Independent Care Group says the new report is the latest of many to call for change in the sector. Chair Mike Padgham said: “In welcoming this report, we have to say that this is the latest in a long line of reports to highlight the need for total, root and branch reform of the social care sector. “We don’t know how many times the Government needs to be told that this reform is overdue before it does something about it.” The NAO reports concludes: “High-quality care is critical to the well-being of some of the most vulnerable adults in society. “Yet levels of unpaid care remain high, too many adults have unmet needs and forecasts predict growing
demand for care. “The lack of a long-term vision for care and shortterm funding has hampered local authorities’ ability to innovate and plan for the long term, and constrained investment in accommodation and much-needed workforce development.” The report says Covid-19 shone a spotlight on the problems within the sector but praises “substantial efforts from those across the sector to deliver these essential services in such challenging circumstances”. It concludes that the collaborative approach shown during the pandemic should be “capitalised upon when government finally focuses on the long-awaited social care reforms.” Mike added: “We welcome these conclusions and hope that the Government makes good on its long-overdue promise to reform the social care sector. “It is time we put social care at the front of the queue and serve the millions of frail and vulnerable people with the care they need and give those providing that care the pay and recognition they have worked so hard to merit.”
Homecare provider’s donation
Gracewell of Fareham buried a time capsule to commemorate the National Day of Reflection and remember everything they have overcome in the past year. The care home had a small ceremony with residents and team members, with an emotional and inspirational speech from general manager Jacqui Hampton. The buried time capsule contained Gracewell of Fareham’s 2020 newsletters, face masks, sanitisers, We Care badges, t-shirts with ‘thanks care workers’ on, poems and letters from residents and a ‘Book of Reflection’ – made from the contributions of everyone at the home. The time capsule was buried in the home’s landscaped gardens under a stone plaque with the Clap for Carers engraved. Home admissions advisor Jessica Wooldridge said: “Covid-19 has been very challenging for all of us, but as we look to come out the other side, we are more hopeful than ever for the future.”
BLUEBIRD Care West Berkshire has donated five laptops to local primary school. Spurcroft Primary School has a great need for this sort of resource and the laptops will be extremely useful to staff and pupils. Director John Prendergast said: “One lovely member of the team, Emma Holgate, suggested donating these laptops to Spurcroft Primary School where all the pupils can benefit from them. “We are so passionate about helping the local community, and we thought this was an amazing idea. It is wonderful to hear how the pupils will be putting the laptops to great use.” The donated laptops will join the school’s bank of class-based laptops that are used to support pupils throughout their school day. The laptops donated by the homecare provider will benefit pupils with specific mobility needs who often use them when they need a break from writing, or if they need to write a long amount. Children who struggle with literacy or maths or pupils with a lack of IT resources at home can also use the laptops to practice skills online. With Covid-19, pupils who are self-isolating are able to borrow laptops from the school, which is particularly helpful for families with multiple children who may not have enough devices for all their children to engage with remote learning lessons.