May 11, 2006
Thursday, 11th May 2006
Greetings from Angela Gifford, Proprietor of Able Community Care, and welcome to the Able Newsflash, published by email every Thursday morning.
If you enjoy reading it please forward it to any other person who may also find it of interest.
Alternatively, they can subscribe directly for their own copy each week from our website: http://www.uk-care.com
Care News
The Careforce Group warned last Monday that domiciliary care referrals from Social Services Departments is below expectations and making trading difficult.Careforce place the blame on the fact that Local Authority Social Services Departments have large budget deficits and are therefore tightening their eligibility criteria for domiciliary care to their service users.
In the last twelve months Careforce has acquired Cambridge Care (2/06), ACE Homecare, Hertfordshire, (8/05) and Gentle Touch care agency. Northampton, (6/05)
The General Social Care Council
Last Thursday, Angela Gifford of Able Community Care, Jane Gelda of Quality Carers, Susan Entwhistle of Vanguard Care, Peter Seldon of Consultus and Richard Hodgkinson of Trinity Homecare Ltd (all live-in care providers) met with Heather Wing, the Director of Regulation for the General Social Care Council.
The purpose of the two hour meeting was to discuss the effect the proposed register of all social care workers would have on the live-in care sector. The discussion was around viability for our sector, the practical reality of registration and checking, costs in relation to agencies and carers and other related issues. We felt that we were listened to and were able to put our concerns to her.
The GSCC reports to Government in July with their recommendations and a decision is expected later in the year. Any decision will effect all social care providers but it may be possible that there may be differences re the status of differing social care providers.
In-House News
Week of 15th MaySusan Lamb, Scottish Development Manager, is spending the week speaking to personnel of charities for elderly and disabled people, social work teams in Glasgow and Dumfries and Galloway. Interviews for carers will also be taking place.
During the week 1st - 5th May we processed carer application forms from 9 prospective carers whose qualifications were; seven applications with NVQ level 2 and two with Nursing qualifications.
Respite post taken on in Wiltshire, inclusive salary £536.00pw.
Potential client assessment visits have taken place in Yorkshire, Suffolk, West Midlands and South Wales.
Potential carer interviews have been held in Norwich.
One of our long standing clients from Buckinghamshire, holidaying in Norfolk with his carer, visited us in our office in Trowse.
Interesting Statistics
Scottish Social WorkersThe number of social work staff over the age of 50 working throughout the country’s 32 counties has risen to 38 percent of the workforce. Scotland has 54,000 social work staff in either full or part time posts.
There is a national shortage of carers to provide services throughout the UK. Ceredigion Council, a year after a recruitment drive is still approx. 50 carers short. During 2005 they managed to recruit 12 new staff only, despite paying in excess of the minimum wage level.
A recruitment drive begins next week with 21,000 fliers being sent out to homes in the area highlighting the need for higher carer recruitment.
We hope you have enjoyed reading this and "see you next week".
Best Wishes,
Angela Gifford, Proprietor
Able Community Care.
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