Cornwall Partners in Care News

Held at Crossroads Care Home 29th January 2019

These are notes (not minutes) and reflect the opinions and understandings of those present

Tish chaired the Forum.

Richard updated the meeting on the events at the last Partnership meeting and Tish discussed her letter that she raised during the meeting.

Tish started a discussion around the “Trusted Assessor” for moving and handling training course proposal by the Council.

What was originally asked for is to use existing trained staff, many of whom are already trained to a higher level than the proposed course and who know the actual clients. This will be far more valuable than an OT visiting a service user in the morning and assessing them as mobile, when the issue is that they tire during the day and are typically off legs during the evening.

The proposed training does not address the problems identified, such as how to get equipment quickly in an emergency situation. CPIC would like to be involved in planning this to ensure that it meets the needs of service users and is actually useful to Providers.

The proposed course needs far more detail before it can be circulated – how it will be used in the wider loans system and what about getting equipment in an emergency such as on a Friday night or over Christmas for example. This is the main issue that needs addressing.

Providers were in agreement that the loan process if not very efficient or responsive and that both staff and service users were suffering as a result. There are also still issues around the collection of equipment.

One Provider reported that they could not get a roma commode, which would have helped prevent a hospital admission. Due to this, the service user ended up getting admitted.

Providers can keep service users out of Hospital with extra visits, but there is no mechanism to get the funding for this approved ad authorised. Sometimes the family are forced to pay to keep a service user out of hospital!

It was reported that OT assessments are taking up to 6 months. Can we get a system where Providers can get equipment on a temporary basis until OT assessments can be completed?

One Provider reported that an OT delivered a brand new chair to a service user and had no idea how to operate it. The OT left the chair with the service user and the Provider had to watch online video tutorials to work it out.

Foundation Living Wage – the sector needs info from the Council and NHSK on what the new rate will be. Currently the message is that the rate will be uplifted to accommodate the FLW, but this is only verbally with nothing in writing, and the exact rate has not yet been confirmed.

Tish reported on a project looking to support Personal Assistants in the Camborne area. A few other Providers were aware of this too, and there are some concerns that this may be a way to circumvent regulations and registrations.

Action: Richard to check with the Police on rumours that Police no longer attend unexpected deaths.

Flu jabs – one Provider reported an uptake of 40% and that they monitor their staff. Some Providers reported that they do not believe in it and that without leadership from the top there is no desire to encourage staff, and as it is not mandatory, they cannot force staff. Some Providers stated that “it is already advertised enough”. There are lots of myths that still need busting.

Action: Richard to contact the Council’s assisted technology lady to come and talk about what is available as some Providers are benefiting from funding and support with assistive technology.

A discussion took place around the carers parking passes. It seems that £10 per year per car is proposed, but there does not appear to be any more information available yet.

The meeting also discussed hospital parting charges as some Providers are out of pocket providing hospital sits, where others indicate in their bid that they will be charging the parking costs on top of their bid price.

It was reported that the Council believe that some direct payment clients have been overpaid where they have not yet had an assessment. Providers suggested that it was more likely that they have been underpaid.

A Provider reported that the hospital transport team would not take a service user home from Hospital until they had done a risk assessment on the property. This delays discharge by several days. Other Providers are reporting that they have no similar issues with requests for risk assessments. Action: Tish to raise the issue around hospital transport requesting risk assessment prior to transportation at the next Partnership meeting.

The meeting closed at 11:30