What next for the social care sector?

In election year we can expect the care of an ageing population to feature in conversations.
With the NHS established since 1948 and heralded as a beacon of hope for all, with continued integration of care pathways with the NHS can we expect fresh talks on a ‘National Care Service?’

Funding

The funding challenge for the care sector remains currently with high parameters for qualifying free support such as Continued Health Care (CHC).  Free Nursing Care (FNC) is available where care needs change and care home providers can decide how this is claimed within an individual’s resident fee contract – there is no set rule.  I have seen some care home providers claim the FNC on top of their weekly residential fees with others absorbing within the current fees, effectively a discount on the cost of care.  However, with the changing care needs of an individual the cost of care per bed should be assessed and monitored to assess the impact upon the staffing costs and other costs of care to ensure the best possible outcome for an individual.  The solicitor panel on Buyacarehome  and Ownacarehome are available to address your care home contract needs.

Any action to address the funding of social care will not happen overnight and this is set against other pressures in the wider economy and geopolitical shocks.

Care Worker Upskilling

With the latest action plan to increase the domestic care workforce set against changes to migration policies only time will tell if current and next generations will seek to move into social care for their ongoing career development.  Any changes will need to address the minimum wage in the sector alongside an updated funding system across the local authorities, with a renewed look at the free support criteria.

Will we see care worker parity with the NHS?  A topic for continued debate as staffing levels for the safety of all who use a care service remain paramount.

CQC Quality Statements

In discussion with the Buyacarehome and Ownacarehome experts we are starting to see the first few reports coming through for care services.  Speak with the Buyacarehome and Ownacarehome  expert panel to discover the latest inspection trends monitored from published reports. 

Hospital Discharge

Support for hospital discharge tends to vary across counties and with bed blocking a major winter challenge this is a topic being addressed by Debbie Harris at Autumna with their innovative Dashboard for Accelerated Discharge (D.A.D). “The D.A.D solution aims to speed up hospital patient discharge by getting them the onward care they need quicker.” Source Autumna.

Infection Prevention Measures

This winter has seen the usual if not increased winter respiratory conditions and with cold winter snaps infection prevention and falls management remain key areas of care management in all surroundings.  Care homes regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) continue to be eligible for free Covid 19 testing in accordance with current guidelines.

Medication management and safety continue to be key areas for compliance checks and the safety measurement of a care provision.  Risk assessments and evidencing outcomes continue to have an important compliance role for a responsible care provider.

IPC training remains a key area within a care provision where continued development in practice and technology impact a service to mitigate the incidence of infection transmission.

Trends to propel your care home business forward

The care home sector continues to evolve with digital innovation and the move away from paper records enhancing care capacity, reducing administrative time and evidencing safe, effective and responsive care at your fingertips.

With the government’s deadline of 80% of care services adopting digital care records by March 2024 a reminder that ICS funding is still available to support your digital progression.  “This funding will typically pay for 50% of your annual licence fee for Digital Social Care Record system.” Source Nourish.

Reflect back on your care home marketing strategies and enquiry and conversion follow up.  For example, do you have a dedicated team to answer emails, website and telephone care enquiries?  Having experienced the search for a care home for relatives having that friendly voice with a way forward makes all the difference.

Look at your local community engagement and address whether your care home needs to reach out for a closer connection.  Map where your care home enquiries are generated from and how you can increase the referrals.

Over the next twelve months we can expect more talk about ESG and its different aspects.  A care home business to be successful requires strong leadership with governance going hand in hand.  The entire care team is accountable for the running  of a care home with the aim to continuously improve having access to up to date systems and policies, evidencing mock audit action plans and following up feedback from stakeholders. Care4Quality, Fulcrum and Citation can help with this.

Buying a Care Home

Current trends indicate strong demand from investors and buyers of care homes with the latest overview from Chandler & Co. reporting increased enquiries from potential buyers from new entrants to the care home sector and existing care providers seeking to grow their businesses across the UK.  Certain hot spots of buyer demand continue in the South East through to the Midlands and North West with the relatively untapped South West starting to see increased movement.

Buyers are focussing on occupancy levels and the mix between local authority and privately funded fee ratios together with staffing costs and retention levels, use of agency and cost of utility contracts.  Experience remains key for new entrants to the sector with the potential for added value from external consultants when seeking a commercial mortgage.

As far as possible there is an element of future proofing of care beds within the market with an increase in corporate rationalisation, and some larger care providers considering OpCo versus PropCo as part of their new care home development strategies.  In turn fit for purpose care homes remain in demand with multiple buyers seeking minimal stock levels.