NI Health trusts advised to waive care home fees while home care package is developed

By Q Radio News

The Department of Health has advised all five of Northern Ireland's health trusts to wave care home fees for people who must stay in them, while waiting for a suitable home care package to be developed. 

It's understood around 1,600 people in the region are waiting on a package for at home care.

A spokesperson for the department said pressure on domiciliary care services continue as "demand outstrips supply". 

In order to tackle the issue continuous recruitment drives are ongoing across the region to increase the number of carers. 

The department says recruitment drives have been successful so far but more numbers are still required to address demand.

A spokesperson said, "Where domiciliary care packages are not available and a care home placement is accepted, The Department has advised Trusts to waive the usual care home placement fees until a suitable home care package has been developed.

"We will continue the messaging of encouraging a timely discharge process wherever possible through the use of care options such as care home placements, or informal support from family and friends." 

Meanwhile, other work is being done to address the crisis in the long term. 

The department spokesperson said, "The work of the Reform of Adult Social Care will inform the long term reform of the sector, including domiciliary care.

"The Department has provided the Health and Social Care Board with approximately £800k funding to support the Reform of Adult Social Care, the majority of which is being directed at funding a new model of domiciliary care that will create greater workforce capacity and seek to make the service more efficient and flexible over time."

A full consultation on the Reform of Adult Social care is to be launched before the end of the year.

Meanwhile, "he NI Social Care Council is being supported to launch a targeted publicity campaign, including in schools and colleges, to promote social care as a positive career choice and encourage young people and others to consider social care as a career.

"The Department has also recently reviewed and re-issued the regional Direct Payments guidance, to simplify the process, make it less restrictive (i.e. allowing for the employment of family members where no other workers can be identified) and make the option more attractive to prospective users.

"The Health Minister also recently established a Social Care Fair Work Forum to support and develop our social care workforce.

"This forum has been tasked with developing proposals to improve terms and conditions and careers prospects for social care staff.

"This issue continues to be a priority and the Department has been meeting representatives from Independent Sector providers, the Health and Social Care Trusts and the Board to discuss what further can be done in relation to capacity issues within the sector, and to agree a solution to see the sector through what will be an increasingly difficult and pressurised winter period."

The latest Annual survey data we have (from Sept 2020) shows 278,979 contact hours of domiciliary care were provided by HSC Trusts in Northern Ireland per week.

The statutory sector provided 27% (75,587) of domiciliary care contact hours, with 73% (203,392) hours provided by the independent sector.