A CARE boss says she fears a loss of local carers with some contracts set to be awarded to national firms.
Changes to how Monmouthshire County Council commissions care at home for people who require assistance with day-to-day tasks have seen Magor-based provider Lougher Home Care lose contracts to work in some areas in the south of the county.
Conservative opposition councillors say Essex-based Care Quality Services will become responsible for providing care at home in Caldicot and it’s understood a third provider will operate in the Chepstow area from May.
Monmouthshire County Council has said it has agreed new contracts with three “highly experienced providers”, including Lougher, who all currently deliver care and support in the south of the county.
Sadie Lougher, director of Lougher Care which has worked for Monmouthshire County Council for 15 years, said she was disappointed to lose contracts but said the council has “always supported us”.
She said she feared changes are being made due to limited funding for care. She said: “I would make the point the government really need to invest and stop the care situation becoming a worse crisis than it already is.”
Lougher Care employs around 60 members of staff and has provided around 1,000 hours of care every week.
Director Ms Lougher said: “We are a family as opposed to a business and our carers work as a family and feel very supportive to our residents.
“They are a fantastic team of professional carers and locally based and they take a little bit of the outside world in with them, they talk about the local area, the castle when the bluebells are up.
“Nine times out of 10 they’ve got some connection with the person they are caring for such as they went to school with their daughter of they know their grandson.”
Ms Lougher said staff will be able to transfer to new providers, with terms and conditions protected under TUPE regulations, but said when she had surveyed staff most were reluctant to remain in the industry with another employer.
She said: “75 per cent of our workers said if that is the case they wouldn’t want to work in care.
“I feel deeply saddened that we have come to this and could be losing a high percentage of existing clients and carers to incoming agencies.”
Conservative councillor Lisa Dymock, who represents Portskewett, said the council should review the contracts awarded.
She said: “It’s disappointing to see the council turning its back on a quality local provider in favour of a cheaper national alternative. It might seem cheaper initially, but if it results in fewer older people having the confidence to continue living independently, they could be forced into residential care at considerable cost to themselves or the taxpayer.
“Vulnerable residents are extremely worried about what these changes will mean for their daily routine and are nervous about losing trusted carers.
Conservative opposition leader, Cllr Richard John, said: “Many older residents will now have to start again building a relationship with new carers, who may operate under a more target-driven culture.”
Cllr Ian Chandler, the Green Party cabinet member for social services, said: “The tender was a rigorous and detailed process and all bidders were required to evidence their experience, ability and skills to deliver good quality care and support. The contracts were awarded on the basis of both quality and cost, with quality given a higher weighting than cost.”
Monmouthshire council also said it has plans in place to minimise any disruption during a three month transition period including the TUPE arrangements “to ensure continuity of carers wherever possible”.
We received a statement from Care Quality Services (CQS) saying: “We are really excited about this opportunity to support even more residents across Monmouthshire. We already have local care services in Glamorgan, Cardiff, Caerphilly and Ebbw Vale, providing care and support to about 300 local people in the Newport and Torfen areas, totalling approximately 3500 hours a week of care.
“Our local teams, including our senior management, are all local residents who have been working in the area for over 30 years and are highly invested in the community. We are really proud of our local services and our reputation for delivering care of the very highest quality.
“We do recognise that changing care providers can be a stressful time for people. We want to reassure existing clients that we will be working very closely with Monmouthshire Council and the outgoing provider to ensure, where possible, that they keep their current care workers and that this transition is smooth and stress-free for them. We know how important the relationship between clients and care workers is, and we will endeavour to ensure that all care workers are able to transfer to CQS and continue to provide care to the clients they have built relationships with.
“At CQS we use sector-leading technology to support our Care Workers, providing them with data-driven insights and alerts about the health and wellbeing of those they care for, so that early interventions can be made, improving individual outcomes and reducing hospitalisations. We want to ensure that all of our clients can live safely and as independently as possible in their own homes, for as long as possible. This will not only have a positive impact on the individuals we care for, but also decrease pressure on local health services.
“Furthermore, our Family App enables loved ones to monitor and track care delivery in real time, and to have instant access to information about their loved one – providing reassurance and vital information around their changing health and care needs. This communication is vital for family and loved ones who are not locally based, as well as those that have a direct involvement in their loved one’s care.
“We look forward to meeting our new clients and their families in person, very soon, when we will be able to address any concerns they may have, and introduce them to our local branch management team.”
Helen Davies, Regional Operations Manager at Care Quality Services, who has lived and worked in the local community for 25 years, said: “We are delighted to be working in new areas across Monmouthshire and welcoming new clients into the CQS family. At CQS, we are incredibly proud of our amazing care workforce and the vital care that they provide on a daily basis – changing people’s lives for the better, keeping vulnerable and older people out of hospital, and allowing them to live healthier, happier, more independent lives, in their own homes.
“People and the local communities we serve are at the heart of our service, and we will ensure that all of our clients continue to receive the very highest quality of care, in the comfort of their own homes.”
