Issue - meetings

Report CS18110

The Committee considered a report setting out the quality monitoring arrangements for Registered Care Homes, Supported Living Schemes and Extra Care Housing Schemes in Bromley and reviewing performance for 2017/18.  The report also proposed an amendment to the Local Authority's current policy to ensure that all new care placements were made with providers with a Care Quality Commission rating of “Good” or above where possible.

The Contract Compliance Team was responsible for monitoring social care contracts as well as the quality of care offered to Bromley residents in care homes, supported living and extra care housing schemes.  It also worked closely with Bromley Clinical Commissioning Group to reduce any duplication in quality assurance arrangements.  Service users requiring care were given a choice of care home placements contracted with individual homes on a spot contract basis, with 820 placements funded as at December 2017.  The majority of care homes across the Borough were rated as ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding with 15 providers receiving an overall rating of ‘Requires Improvement’ for which improvement plans were in place.  There were no providers rated as ‘Inadequate’.  Six Extra Care Housing schemes had been established across the Borough to provide an appropriate care option for service users with a greater capacity to live independently and there were also a number of supported housing schemes within the Borough for service users with learning disabilities. 

The Head of Contract Compliance and Monitoring reported that a number of vacant posts within the Contract Compliance Team had recently been recruited to and the team was now fully staffed.

The Portfolio Holder for Care Services confirmed that the Care Services Portfolio budget was balanced for 2018/19 and that it was expected that the Local Authority would apply the annual Social Care Council Tax Precept for 2018/19 at 2% to offset the additional costs to care setting of the National Living Wage for social care staff.  A Member queried the possible financial impact of Brexit on the recruitment and cost of social care staff.  The Deputy Chief Executive reported that the Local Authority and Bromley Clinical Commissioning Group were working with care providers to develop more effective joint working in areas such as recruitment and training to help manage these costs going forward.  

In response to a query from a Member, the Head of Contract Compliance and Monitoring explained that the Care Quality Commission worked to assess the quality of social care provision.  The Local Authority had an obligation to ensure that social care services were of a safe standard, and to support this it was proposed that the Central Placement Team only make new placements with care home providers with a CQC rating of “Good” or above where possible.  The Deputy Chief Executive noted that some providers were exploring different models for future service provision which might include smaller units offering specialist care.  Members requested that a report on specialist care units be provided to a future meeting of the Care Services PDS Committee.

RESOLVED that the Portfolio Holder  ...  view the full minutes text for item 69