Council raises bar on home care

A RADICAL new model for home care that it is claimed will be a “win-win” for all could be adopted by Oldham Council.

The proposals — to be put to the Cabinet on Monday — are designed to improve the choice and quality of the service. With more frail, elderly people living at home, there is an increasing need for good quality personal care to help them continue to lead an independent life.

Oldham Council hopes to set ethical standards to do this in a way that focuses on residents’ needs, guarantees good care, promotes quality providers and ensures staff are fairly paid and encouraged to improve their skills.

Residents will choose their care from a list of companies rated “good” or “excellent”, care staff will be guaranteed the living wage, and service providers will be given greater flexibility to agree care arrangements with the elderly person or their family.

Councillor Barbara Brownridge, Cabinet member for social care and public health, said: “We know that home care is an area of great concern to residents.

“Nationally there have been a lot of negative stories and we have set out to produce proposals here that we believe will raise the bar on home care and become a model that others could follow.

“We believe it is our duty to set an ethical standard here that is shaped by our co-operative council approach, one where all parties — elderly and vulnerable people, care providers and their employees — all benefit.”

The council’s current provision has provided Oldham with around 700,000 hours of care each year, at a cost of £8.8million. The budget for 2013-14 is £8.3 million and for 2014-15 it is £8million.

Home care is delivered by 12 key providers.