Agenda item

To consider a summary, background context and an overview of the consultation and restructuring process associated with the changes approved by the Cabinet Member Signing to close the internal home care service and establish a new reablement service. Corporate Committee will consider the  deletion of all posts based in the Home Care service.

The Cabinet had previously agreed to close the Home Care service and establish a new Reablement service.  The Corporate Committee were asked to consider the associated staff changes with this decision and agree the proposed staffing structure. A total of 65 posts would be deleted from the discontinuation of the Home Care service and  these staff were ring fenced for 35 posts in the new Reablement service.

The differences between the Home Care service and the new Reablement services were explained to the Committee. In the new Reablement service, clients would have a care plan driven by occupational therapy including  intensive high level care over a set 6 week period aimed at aiding their independence. The Home Care Service provided  support to clients on their daily care over a long period .  In response to this change  in care and reduction in staff , the Committee sought an understanding of the number of clients that the service would be supporting.  It was estimated that there would be 18 staff on duty over a day supporting 50 clients.  Research indicated that with effective reablement support , around 40-60% of clients would no longer require a service at the end of  a six week period .  Clients needing longer term care would be transferred to the independent sector. In terms of preparation for the new Reablement service, there was already a team taking on reablement duties and there were plans being developed for a 5-10 day training programme for staff in January to prepare for the start of the new service on 05 March 2011.

In response to a question about why the service had not been developed sooner. It was explained that there was a joint occupational therapy and social work reablement team and telecare and telehealth in place, and it was envisaged that this new development would add a further component and essential element to the joint reablement service.

Unison provided an updated response to the closure of the Homecare service and establishment of the new Reablement service. They felt that the consultation with staff had been good process. They raised their objections to the written tests planned as part of the selection process of Home Care staff transferring to the Reablement service.  They felt that the existing role of the Home Care worker already required them to able to read care plans and interpret the care that should be provided. Also as most of Home Care workers were qualified at NVQ level 2 , the matter of  understanding a care plan was contested as an issue. There were further concerns raised by Unison on the category of ring fence applied to  the team leader and team manager roles.

In response to the above concerns , Adult services anticipated  that a written test would not be needed if the applications put forward for Reablement workers  did not exceed the number of posts available.  In the event that a written test was called upon in the selection process, it would involve the Home Care worker demonstrating their knowledge about the completion of a care plan. This was a task which would not be  unfamiliar to them. In terms of the category of ring fence in use for the team manager and team leader role, where there was a change in duties to the post it meant that the post holder could not be slotted in or a closed ring fence applied.  The change in the grading of this post implied a change in duties meaning an open ring fence was to be applied. This was in line with HR policy.

 Following the points raised by Unison and Adult services on the communication skills required to support the care of clients in the Reablement service, the Committee placed on record their expectation that the staff employed to work in the Reablement service should meet basic proficiency requirements.

 RESOLVED

1. That the deletion of all posts based in the Home Care service as detailed in section 5.5 of the report be approved.

2. That new posts in the Reablement service be established as detailed in section 5.8 of the report.

3. That the Committee receive information on the new staffing structure when compiled with details of how blocks of care will be organised over a typical day.