Anger over soaring bill for agency staff in care homes

THE City of Edinburgh Council is facing a soaring bill for drafting in agency workers to cover staff shortages in care homes, it emerged today.

It has been revealed that around £200,000 will be allocated this year to pay non-local authority carers – double the amount originally predicted.

The bill has been criticised by opposition politicians, who said agency workers caring for elderly and frail people are more expensive and face less stringent checks than the council’s own staff.

The information was released as part of a review into an incident at Ferrylee Care Home earlier this year, which saw an elderly resident sexually assaulted by agency worker Joseph Sinja.

He was jailed for six years and eight months for the offence, which prompted questions over how thoroughly the backgrounds of agency staff are investigated.

And while the review stated nothing could reasonably have been done to prevent the Kenyan’s actions, it did reveal that tighter checks would be introduced so external workers are subjected to the same level of checks as council staff.

Labour’s spokeswoman on health and social care in Edinburgh, Cllr Lesley Hinds, demanded at a previous meeting that the cost of agency staff be revealed. She said: “We can see here that the agency staff levels have gone up by nearly double.

“I don’t see why we are using all this money to pay for agency staff. They are more expensive and haven’t been checked to the same extent as council carers.

“It also means in the homes themselves that the residents aren’t getting continuity. If you have so many agency workers, the chances are it’ll probably be a different one every day.”

The council said agency staff are used to cover sickness absence – which stands at 10 per cent – and holidays.

Officials added the rise was partly due to the closure of two council care homes this year, which meant a range of staff had to be redeployed.

The figures were given to councillors in a briefing ahead of a council meeting next week. It stated extensive efforts are already made to guarantee the quality of agency workers is high.

“To ensure a standard of experience and ability to provide care in order to meet the needs of residents, regular liaison and review meetings have been reinstated with contracted providers to ensure the contract specification is met,” it read.

NEW GUIDELINES FOR TENDERING
THE Scottish Government is to issue new guidelines on tendering of care services after the chaos over contracts in Edinburgh.

Public Health Minister Shona Robison said the new guidance to local authorities would underline the need to involve service users and their carers in the design of services which were being put out to tender.

Edinburgh’s social care convener Paul Edie is facing a vote of no confidence after new contracts for the care of 800 of the Capital’s vulnerable people were put on ice at the 11th hour after a “flaw” was found. An independent review is now looking into the retendering.

Edinburgh North & Leith MSP Malcolm Chisholm said: “Shona Robison seems to recognise the situation has thrown up serious problems.”