Better work between care sector and Gov 'could help prevent bed blocking'

Monday 07 November 2022

The independent care sector – which employs around 1,000 islanders who look after the elderly, sick and vulnerable – needs a better relationship with Government, its representative body has said.

With more realistic funding, greater collaboration, and support with staff recruitment and retention, the Jersey Care Federation argues that fewer hospital beds would be blocked by people waiting to be discharged but can’t be because there are no carers to support them at home.

It is understood that around 50 people are currently in hospital who could be looked after at home but there is not enough care support for them.

Call for a "fair" care contribution

JCF chairperson Cheryl Kenealy said that the organisations she represents – which include privately owned care homes, care providers, nursing agencies and charities – would be able to help, and any extra Government funding would, overall, represent a significant saving for taxpayers.

One way, Ms Kenealy argued, would be for a “fair” contribution which the Government pays to private care providers through islanders’ Long Term Care payments, which is up to 1.5% of income.

“We are still waiting to see what the LTC uplift will be,” she said. “We were told in September that a ministerial decision would be forthcoming but it’s now November and we haven’t seen anything yet. 

“It needs to be meaningful because care costs are rising at the same time that is it increasingly difficult to recruit and retain staff.”

Praise for recent housing help

However, Ms Kenealy did praise the Government for recently amending the rules around housing to allow regulated care providers to buy and rent residential property for licensed, and therefore skilled, healthcare staff.

This had allowed her own business to purchase a property to accommodate staff. She is currently recruiting trained carers from South Africa. 

“We are trying to recruit but it is difficult - being a carer can involve long unsociable hours and society doesn’t seem to value carers – in terms of renumeration - as they do other professions. Why does fixing a car cost £70 an hour when looking after our elderly comes nowhere close to that?”

Ms Kenealy called on the Government to work closer with the JCF to help attract more people into the industry. 

"We're only going to cope with an ageing population if we work better together"

She said that one reason a Government initiative last year to fund training for 100 new recruits and upskill another 50 had not achieved its aim is because so few applicants came forward.

“One immediate action for

“However, we are all busy running businesses so I think the Government could help by providing some grant or other support to allow us to fund a full-time role. 

“In the past, I think the Government has tried to tell independent care providers what to do but we’re only going to cope with an ageing population if we all work better together.”