Improving social care in North Yorkshire
Social care is in desperate need of reform and this year we have successfully moved this issue up the political agenda both locally and nationally to help bring about improvements in workforce, funding and services.
We used our statutory powers to undertake enter and view visits to care homes to gather the views of residents and their relatives. The insight gathered has helped to bring about service changes to improve support for dementia patients, information provision, catering and increased activities for residents.
We asked our local MPs to act on behalf of their constituents and those people working in social care to bring about urgent reforms to the social care system nationally. This included increased recognition and investment for social care as a profession and career opportunity.
We worked together with North Yorkshire Council to hear from registered managers working in care homes to explore how they could be better supported, what training they might need and what improvements could be made to their roles. Subsequently, they set up a group to begin working on an action plan to action the key recommendations highlighted in the report.
"There needs to be a culture shift about care worker roles. They need to be seen for what they are. They are not unskilled workers.”
Changes to support workforce
Findings from our care staff crisis report highlighted that shortages in care staff was detrimentally impacting on people's care. In response to this and as part of North Yorkshire Council's drive to support the care sector they invested an additional £6m of local funding to bring forward increases to care worker pay, to recruit new social workers and care staff. They have prioritised the care home and domiciliary care sector with a key focus on workforce, recruitment and retention.
What difference will this make?
Highlighting the urgent need for reform in social care has ensured that it has remained on the top of people's priorities, whether that is with the public, North Yorkshire Council, or the Humber and North Yorkshire Health & Care Partnership. It has helped to shine a light on the important work that staff across the sector contribute - and this has helped to highlight the innovation and improvements already undertaken within social care to ensure the well-being of patients, residents and the public is paramount.
“We have empty beds. We are ready to take more people, but we can’t accept anyone when we don’t have the staff. So, we are turning people away. If we can’t resource it, we can’t offer it.”
