Issue - meetings

Report by Area Manager (Operations)

Members considered a report providing an update on the findings of the 4^th quarterly evaluation of the Care at Home provision within the Bute and Cowal area. 

Discussion ensued regarding the difficulties found in rural areas of getting and maintaining care packages.  Recruitment was identified as being an issue in this regard, with Members enquiring as to the conditions of service by some providers. 

Dissatisfaction was expressed in regards to the Care Inspection grades, particularly the grade 3 rating of adequate by one provider.  Councillor Breslin requested that it may be useful to look back over previous periods to see if there is a trend.  He requested that he would like to see a report brought to the next Area Committee to include the total number of hours against the total number of individuals and total number of spot checks carried out, identifying the number of staff involved in these checks.

 Further discussion followed in relation to other areas within Argyll and Bute which have carers providing an adequate standard of care at a grade 3.

Decision:

Members agreed to note the detail in the report.

Members requested that officers progress their work to investigate further the performance of Mears and to report to a specially convened Area Committee with assurances that the future care provided by Mears will satisfy good standards of quality of management and leadership, quality of staffing and the provision of good standards with improvement to the quality of care and support. 

(Ref: Report by Executive Director of Customer Services, dated 3^rd June 2014, submitted).