Asking local councils to distribute the \u00a340 million rescue package for care homes and home care companies is like putting a \u201cfox in charge of the hen house\u201d, according to a social care leader.<\/p>\n
According to Care Forum Wales chair Mario Kreft MBE, the financial aid announced by Welsh Health Minister was \u201cwelcome\u201d but it wasn\u2019t enough and they are not confident it will all reach the front line with local government in charge.<\/p>\n
The Welsh Government say the funding will help meet the increased costs of basic PPE, food, staffing costs and ICT, which are being incurred by adult social services.<\/p>\n
It comes from the \u00a31.1bn fighting fund created to support public services to respond to the coronavirus pandemic in Wales.<\/p>\n
Mr Kreft\u00a0 said the emergency funding to tackle the coronavirus crisis should be administered centrally and be based on the number of a care home\u2019s registered beds and the number of commissioned in domiciliary care.<\/p>\n
To simplify the process there should be a supplementary amount paid per resident with a higher figure for those with more complex needs who required nursing care.<\/p>\n
In addition, he also urged the Welsh Government fund an increase of care workers\u2019 pay to at least \u00a310 an hour as is happening in Devon.<\/p>\n
Mr Kreft said: \u201cWe welcome the announcement by the Health Minister because it\u2019s a step in the right direction but as ever the devil will be in the detail.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs we see the coronavirus carnage rolling out, it is clear that we are going to need a lot more than \u00a340 million.\u00a0 This is about saving as many lives as possible.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf care homes are going to survive, we need a lot more than is being promised.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe idea that this is anything more than a first instalment would be met with disbelief by a sector that\u2019s on its knees as a result of 24 years of neglect.<\/p>\n
\u201cCouncils haven\u2019t even implemented this year\u2019s fee increases \u2013 and in some places we don\u2019t even know what the new rates are even though we are having to pay staff an extra 7.5 per cent in many cases.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe also need assurances that domiciliary care is also going to be supported with a supplement based on to commissioned hours of support for vulnerable people living at home.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are hugely concerned about the decision to use the channels of local authorities to distribute this extra funding because of the track record of decision-making by the 22 Welsh locals authorities.<\/p>\n
\u201cLocal government has some brilliant officers but there are very few councils that understand and support the private care sector.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith a few honourable exceptions, we know from bitter experience over a generation that our treatment by local councils has at best been inconsistent and has at worst sought to damage the sector which was already in a terribly fragile state.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe believe this announcement should have been made a month ago because, having seen what\u2019s happening in Europe, it\u2019s been clear that this tsunami is inexorably heading in our direction.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re now looking anxiously over the border and we are already tragically seeing an alarming increase in the number of care home residents dying after contracting Covid-19. Sadly, we are already seeing deaths in Welsh care homes.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s incredibly difficult, almost impossible, where you have members of staff who are asymptomatic who could be carrying this terrible disease and there is no way of knowing.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been calling for more personal protective equipment, we\u2019ve been calling for testing and we\u2019ve been calling for support at the front line.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlacing this responsibility on local authorities is the wrong thing to do because we know they are not well-disposed towards independent providers because they do not recognise the value of our staff.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey way they set fees has put downward pressure on the pay of staff across Wales which is why we are also calling for the voluntary living wage to be paid to all staff, as is happening in Scotland.<\/p>\n
\u201cCare Forum Wales has been calling for staff remuneration to be increased for many weeks as part of our campaign to shield social care and save lives.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u00a0 believe it\u2019s absolutely vital that at long last we start to value these essential workers who are on the front line.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s absolutely the right time to increase still further to sector which was chronically underfunded and fragile before the coronavirus nightmare began.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe other issue is how health\u00a0 boards are going to provide more support in nursing homes. We\u2019re calling on the Minister to make an immediate decision on how we get those resources to the 10,000 vulnerable people in care homes and nursing homes, people who are hugely at risk.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe procurement of services by health boards has been equally distressing to the sector.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s not put the fox in charge of the chickens, let\u2019s make sure we are doing everything we can to shield social care from the this huge surge of coronavirus coming towards us.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been saying for some time that people working in the sector feel abandoned and that we are being treated like collateral damage. It doesn\u2019t need to be like this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Gething said: \u201cSocial care plays a vital role in supporting some of the most vulnerable people in Wales and the health service. This work is more important than ever. This additional funding will support the extra costs adult social care services are now facing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Welsh Government has been working with local authorities and other partners to identify the additional resources needed to meet the extra demands on adult social care services. We will review this allocation and potentially make further money available if needed in the future.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe social care workforce is on the front line of this huge effort to respond to the coronavirus pandemic and we are committed to supporting every single person do their job.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery one of us in Wales owes them a debt of gratitude. I want to personally thank our social care workforce for their fantastic efforts in protecting the public.\u201d<\/p>\n