Talks on Cameron House care home funding ‘shortfall’

CRUNCH talks are due to take place to discuss the funding of an Inverness care home which provides a specialist service for people with dementia.

Representatives from CrossReach, the owners of Cameron House, Culduthel Road, will meet Highland Council officials soon.

The Church of Scotland charity has accused the local authority of short-changing it by £110,000 this year and wants extra funding to cater for the 30 patients who live there. It says Cameron House has never been properly supported by the council and claims the authority falls short in its provision compared to other local authorities which support similar homes.

In response, the local authority claims it has received no evidence to justify additional payments. However, CrossReach says it provided detail of how it has incurred extra costs in caring for patients eight months ago and in frequent meetings since.

At present the care home receives £482 per patient, per week from the council, but CrossReach receives considerably more funding for similar specialised homes elsewhere in Scotland from other local authorities.

An increased staff-to-patient ratio is one contributory factor, according to CrossReach’s head of dementia services, Helen Thomson.

She dismissed the council’s claim that no evidence of additional care had been provided.

“We have been in dialogue with the council for months and explained the home’s dementia specification to them,” she said. “It shows how Cameron House provides a service different from mainstream homes. Highland Council has straggled behind all the other local authorities for a long time now.”

She said the charity could not continue to keep paying the deficit incurred which is £110,000 for this year.

But the council insists CrossReach had not yet demonstrated it does provide specialist services at the home.

“Highland Council payment for care of older people in care homes is governed by the National Care Homes Contract and is recommended by the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities,” he said. “Where there is evidence of additional care required and provided, the council makes additional payment. We have been in discussion with CrossReach but to date no evidence has been provided by them to justify the payment of these additional charges.”

Councillor Margaret Davidson, who is the chairwoman of its housing and social work committee, is to meet the charity for talks in the next few weeks.